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Five new London cocktail menus
It’s raining new cocktail menus in London. We’ve rounded up five bars in the city with fresh offerings.
Recently, it felt as though you can’t go a day without a London bar dropping a new menu. The city’s cocktail scene has been extra busy in recent months, and from exotic serves to match the views at Hutong at The Shard to fairytale-themed drinks at The Donovan, here’s five bars with fresh menus to visit for your next night of drinks.
And away from London, it’s not exactly been quiet either – Sastrería Martinez in Peru and Tokyo Confidential in Japan have also unveiled their latest menus, while new venues are on the horizon for the people behind Sidecar and Handshake Speakeasy.
Artesian
Artesian in The Langham hotel’s new cocktail menu, Alter Ego, looks to ‘transform unexpected ingredients into familiar and celebrated flavours’.
For example, the ‘Tomato’ features no actual tomato, but a play on tomato flavours, such as in a Michelada, that gives the serve the same taste profile: made with strawberry, lager, aquavit, mezcal, dry gin and the bar’s spice mix.
Other highlights from the 16-strong list include a twist on a Lychee Martini and a Sgroppino that uses daikon as its central ingredient, and ‘Coffee’, which replicates the flavour of an Espresso Martini, but without the caffeine – through Herradura Reposado Tequila, The Lost Explorer Mezcal, amaro, cacao nibs and muscovado.
The main ingredients that shape each cocktail are all ‘future-proof’ (sustainable), and include chicory, pumpkin, mushroom, daikon, tomato, leek, mung bean, kaffir leaves, walnut and marshmallow. Alter Ego is the second iteration of the Ingredients of the Future menu that Artesian debuted last year.
Equal Parts
Hackney-based Equal Parts recently hired a new bar manager in Jamaïque Ardilouze, who has previously honed his craft at London venues such as A Bar with Shapes for a Name, Three Sheets and Kol Mezcaleria.
At his new home, the bartender has already settled in with a menu of his own that gives classic cocktails seasonal twists, all while using local and underutilised ingredients. Split between ‘signatures’ and ‘classics’; the former includes the Frangicone with white chocolate mezcal, umeshu and Frangelico, while the latter provides fresh takes on serves such as the Psycho Killer and French Pearl.
In the background, expect lesser-known sounds of esoteric funk, soul and cumbia from Ardilouze’s record collection, as the bartender has a deep passion for music, too.
Sexy Fish
Described as a cocktail menu ‘for the modern age’ that ‘embraces global drinking trends’, Sexy Fish in Mayfair’s new offering, Unity, is named as such as all 12 of its cocktails have an alcohol-free version. The team say ‘unity is a list of equitability, led by flavours, inclusive for all. Choose your flavour, pick your ABV’.
The drinks themselves are each built around a specific ingredient’s flavour, such as ‘Pineapple’ which highlights the fruit through pineapple peel-infused The Lost Explorer Espadín Mezcal (or for no ABV form, The London Essence Co’s roasted pineapple soda) and ‘Raspberry’, which is a combination of lemon-marmalade-infused gin, raspberry, tarragon and soda water.
The new menu, presented to guests within an eye-catching book, is available at all Sexy Fish locations worldwide, including Miami and Manchester, however the Fig, Barley and Raspberry cocktails are exclusive to London.
Xavier Landais, director of bars at Caprice Holdings, which owns Sexy Fish, said: “We believe in creating drinks that are simple, yet powerful, where every ingredient is carefully selected to create a bold and vibrant flavour profile that excites the senses.”
Hutong
Hutong’s head bartender, Mattia Bossone, has introduced a fresh set of cocktails to enjoy the sweeping 32nd-floor view of London and its iconic landmarks from.
Newcomers to The Shard-based bar’s menu include standouts in Chang’e (a milky and fruity combination of caraway seed-Infused Patrón Silver, peach, lemon, and yoghurt) and the Exotic Martini (a sweet and sour blend of Grey Goose Vanilla Vodka, pineapple, passionfruit, yuzu and passionfruit) – each being inspired by the five elements of Chinese philosophy; wood, metal, water, earth, and fire.
Quick decision making not your forte? The menu has printed a Chinese zodiac wheel, which you can use as a guideline to find your symbol, element, flavour and cocktail.
The Donovan Bar
Salvatore Calabrese’s The Donovan Bar is letting guests relive their childhoods through an enchanting new menu of cocktails inspired by fairy tales.
Named Happily Ever After, the drinks take after traditional stories; from Cinderella to Snow White. Head in the Clouds for instance features green chartreuse, kiwi and pea, and is inspired by Jack and The Beanstalk, while the Snow White-themed cocktail is made from seven apple-based liquids, as there were seven dwarfs in the tale.
For the Cinderella-inspired cocktail, named the Midnight Scandal (get it?), this is presented in a glass slipper, which yes, guests drink from. It features Tequila, vodka and pumpkin and is perhaps the menu’s statement serve.
And lastly, being The Donovan, there’s a new Martini on the menu as well. It’s based on The Little Mermaid and has a maritime-theme to it as a nod to the story’s setting, with No.3 London Dry Gin, Grey Goose vodka, Mancino Sakura, samphire and soya.
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