Nomad London appoints bar director

Australian Liana Oster has been promoted to the position of bar director at Nomad London.

Oster’s bartending career began in Melbourne where she worked at Bar Americano. She moved to the US in early 2017, joining the team at the highly acclaimed Dante in New York City.

Oster climbed the ranks to become head bartender, and eventually took up the position of bar manager at both sites of the aperitivo venue.

The bar achieved multiple accolades under Oster’s command, including being awarded the World’s Best Bar title by both World’s 50 Best and the Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards in 2019.

Oster moved to the UK in 2021 to be part of the Nomad Hotel London opening. Her appointment to the role of bar director will see her lead the hotel’s two bars, Nomad Bar and Side Hustle at Nomad London, in partnership with vice-president of food and beverage Leo Robitschek.

Oster has already made her mark at both venues with the launch of two spring menus.

Each drinks list is a ‘harmonious mix’ of classic and modern techniques, which have been planned and crafted collaboratively with the kitchen team, focusing on sustainability and seasonality.

The new cocktails reflect an interplay of unexpected seasonal ingredients, designed to complement the bar’s food offering while minimising waste.

In Side Hustle, the hotel’s take on a British pub, the cocktails have been curated to showcase the skill of the team, while also nodding to the Mexican influences found within the bar.

The menu is split into sections, allowing guests to easily find a cocktail to suit their tastes.

Key serves include the Pandan Negroni, which can be found on the spirit-forward Spirite section of the menu. It is made by swapping out gin for Tequila and using a mix of fragrant pandan and coconut water to create a seasonal version of the original.

The Oliva, meanwhile, is a ‘creamy and indulgent’ serve with subtle notes of olive oil and a lemon undertone. This cocktail can be found in the menu’s Refrescante section.

The Seasonal Margherita, offered in both strawberry and avocado iterations, can be found alongside other ‘classics’ in the Tradicional section.

In The Nomad Bar, which can be found adjacent to the hotel’s restaurant, the menu offers a line-up of more paired back, classically leaning serves, such as the No.28 Martini, crafted with a base of Hendrick’s Gin and Noilly Prat, and blended with grapefruit, cucumber and Italicus to offer a bright, herbal quality.

For a serve to showcase the bar’s creativity, the Interstella offers the sweetness of candied flowers contrasted with the tartness of citrus. The use of egg white provides the drink with a foam topping that is then decorated with sparkling florals to offer the appearance of a galaxy, thus supplying the inspiration for the name.

Both menus are available now.