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Slideshow
American Bar launches London-inspired cocktails
The world famous American Bar at The Savoy has launched a new cocktail menu inspired by six London boroughs including Camden and Hackney.
Tapping into the trend for storytelling in London restaurants and bars, the new list takes guests on a tour of London through the ages, taking in everything from Charlie Chaplin to The Beatles.
Created by bar manager Declan McGurk, the cocktails pay homage to iconic London landmarks, parks and boroughs close to the hotel on the Strand.
The menu features four cocktails from each of the six London boroughs selected: Westminster, the City, Camden, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets, along with vintage cocktails from Greenwich and virgin cocktails from Covent Garden.
Each of the 24 cocktails on the menu is accompanied by a hand-drawn illustration by artist Joe Wilson.
“When coming up with the concept, we wanted to do a menu that celebrated London as a city. In doing so we felt it would fit perfectly with the American Bar’s tradition of storytelling through cocktails, said McGurk.
Playing on London’s musical, literary and political history, among the cocktails on the menu is the Pickering Place, a two-drink sharing cocktail named after the last known London site for a duel, which is served alongside a short silent film.
Also in the line-up is head bartender Erik Lorincz’s twist on the American Bar’s longest surviving cocktail, the Green Park, while the Punk Rock pays homage to London’s thriving music scene.
Click through for a sneaky peak of eight cocktails on the London-themed menu.
Green Park, £16
Made with Jensen’s Old Tom Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, celery bitters, egg white and basil, the pea green Green Park is one of the most enduring cocktails at The Savoy.
The park originally served as a burial ground for lepers from the nearby hospital in St James’s. Still owned by the Queen, it has been open to the public since 1826. At the western end is the Wellington Arch built in 1826 to celebrate the Duke of Wellington’s victories in battle.
Policeman’s Hook, £25
Made from a blend of Haig Club Grain Whisky, amontillado Sherry, roasted fortified kombu, roasted barley syrup and Angostura bitters, the electric blue cup the cocktail is served in is inspired by the bottle colour of David Beckham’s Haig Club whisky.
The drink is named after a hook on Great Newport Street put up in the 1930s for policeman to hang their coats on while directing traffic in the busy area near Covent Garden. Prior to that the bobbies had to make do with a rusty nail.
Bronze Guardian, £16
This refreshing tipple blends Grey Goose Vodka, apple, pine, camomile, lemon verbena, lemon juice and sugar syrup and is named after the gilded statue of Count Peter of Savoy that towers above the entrance to the hotel.
In 1246 King Henry III granted an estate to his wife’s uncle, Count Peter, who built a palace on the site. During the peasant’s revolt of 1381, the Savoy Palace was destroyed. Fast forward to 1889 and part of the land became the site of the present day Savoy hotel.
Pickering Place, £50
Cocktail one, The Elegant, is made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Cocchi Rosa, Campari, lemon juice, egg white, saffron syrup and Champagne, while cocktail two, The Bold, features Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Fernet Branca Menta, Byrrh, sugar syrup and coffee.
London’s smallest public square, Pickering Place, is located down a narrow passageway off St James’ Street. Historically, the square was a popular venue for illicit activities, particularly duelling and is thought to be the last London site where a duel took place.
Abbey Road, £16
Taken from the Camden section, this cocktail blends Star of Bombay Gin, Martini Rubino, lemon juice, yuzu juice, Champagne syrup and citrus dust.
Paying homage to the studios where The Beatles, the Hollies and Pink Floyd recorded iconic albums during the ’60s, the nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse was built in the 1830s and was turned into a recording studio a century later after being acquired by the Gramophone Company.
Secret Agent, £16
This heady cocktail blends Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Laphroaig whisky, Cocchi Amaro, absinthe, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white.
Taken from the Hackney chapter of the menu, the drink tips its hat to the Gainsborough Pictures film studios founded in 1924, which produced B Movies and melodramas. Alfred Hitchcock made some of his classics here, though the studios were demolished in 2002.
Punk Rock, £16
Featuring in the Islington section, this red number blends Bacardi Superior Rum, Ancho Reyes, grapefruit juice, Peychaud’s bitters and hickory.
Inspired by the Hope and Anchor pub on Upper Street, where many a pint was pulled for a punk during the ’70s, attracting everyone from Dire Straits to The Police. In 1979 the basement was used by Madness to record the music video for One Step Beyond.
Old Terraced House, £20
Staying in Islington, this cocktail mixes Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Crème de Cassis, Lagavulin, Byrrh, absinthe, grenadine and Angostura bitters.
The cocktail pays homage to what is thought to be the oldest surviving terraced houses in London, on the west side of Newington Green bordering Hackney and Islington. Built in 1658, the four buildings at 52-55 Newington Green have survived the Great Fire of London and two World Wars.