Vermouth brand Cocchi partners with Sri Lankan restaurant

Vermouth di Torino brand Cocchi has announced an upcoming partnership with Hoppers King’s Cross, pairing the Italian aperitivo with Sri Lankan cuisine.

The partnership, beginning on Friday 26 May and continuing throughout the summer, will see cocktails made using Cocchi drinks served alongside a selection of Sri Lankan-inspired small plates.

The cocktails themselves also take influence from the South Asian nation. The Serendip Fizz, taking its name from the original Arabic name for the island of Sri Lanka, combines Passionfruit Cocchi Rosa with agave lemon tonic. The Mangrove Spritz is a mixture of Cocchi Americano, elderflower and, for a tropical tang, mango soda. The Pomelo Sbagliato includes Cocchi Vermout di Torino, Prosecco, and pomelo, a grapefruit-like citrus.

The ‘short eats’ menu, designed to be shared, seeks to recreate the experience of eating Sri Lankan and southern Indian home cooking and street food: plantain chips, mutton rolls, hot butter squid, breadfruit cutlets, pol roti, devilled paneer, and Chettinadu chicken bites.

The terrace will also be serving collaboration beers from Two Tribes and Salt Brewery, and hosting fortnightly DJ sessions.

Hoppers was co-founded by chef Karan Gokan who, though raised in Mumbai, developed a longstanding fascination with Sri Lankan cooking, particularly the hoppers, bowl-shaped pancakes with various fillings, from which the three restaurants (in Soho and Marylebone, as well as King’s Cross) take their name.

Last month, Cocchi announced the appointment of Sonia Elia to the newly-created ambassadorial role of brand advocacy manager.