Mai Tai Lounge Bar

A COCKTAIL MENU IS BORN

With the launch of our new menu we would love to share with you some of our thoughts behind some of our new drinks created by our team.  The menu was completely designed in-house by our old and new bartenders. 

ORIGINS

For our fourth menu we decided that it was time to take a different direction with a new menu that was both unique and mature in its drinks.   All the classic drinks have been stripped away, and the menu then began to be created around each of the staff, their creations being tasted, judged then compiled together.

The classics where removed as most people will order classic style cocktails by name without even looking at the menu, we wanted our menu to be based on original creations not listing someone else’s mixes.

We have also taken out a lot of the puree style cocktails and replaced them with cocktails based around the fantastic flavours found in good quality products. These products can stand alone in a drink without their flavours being lost to overly sweet purees and sugars

If you think of spirits as you would fine cuts of meat, when your cook it and present it you want its natural quality and flavour to be the focus, so you would add as few additional flavours as possible.  We have done the same in a liquid format.  A classic Martini would be a fantastic example of this, good quality dry london gin, a dash of vermouth and a twist of lemon, a spirit based cocktail in its purest form.

BARTENDERS

Niall Percival

Niall is an advocate of cobining complex drinks based on unusual or lesser known spirits; many of his drinks use base spirits such as Cognac or Blended Whiskeys. He has also used classic drinks as inspiration, for example his Famously Smashed is a mix of Black Grouse blended whiskey with homemade Raspberry & Pepper Syrup, fresh lemon juice, Cherry Marnier and Jerry Thomas bitters.  Created by stirring ice gradually into the drink in much the same way as you would create an Old Fashioned, one of the longest standing cocktails of all time.

Dave Winstanley

For my cocktails I wanted a mix of drinks inspired by fantastic creations that I had tried on my travels.  The Fifty Fifty  for example is based on a fantastic drink I was lucky enough to enjoy at Salvatore Celebrese’s cocktail lounge in Mayfair, Salvatore @ fifty (before it closed).  Simply blending vanilla vodka with fresh chilli, lemon juice, and homemade vanilla syrup.  At present my most popular is the Pornstar Martini a fantastic drink I had at LAB in London, after a fairly heavy night I couldn’t remember what the bartender had told me was in it, so I set about recreating this fantastic cocktail that blends vanilla & passionfruit together with a charge of prosecco on the side.

Ricky McGowan

Some drinks just come together easily, Ricky’s cocktails use various different ingredients from across our back bar, from Patron XO Café to Whitley Neill Gin, Ricky’s taste for experimenting has come together fantastically in his creations.  The firm favourite at present is his Willy Nilly, blending Whitley Neill Gin with homemade caramel, fresh grapefruit and cranberry juice.  A simple blend of flavours that come together perfectly, and a name that just seems to fit!

Gina Dunnett

Gina’s cocktail have a real fun element to them, while using great products, but in a simple easy to drink fashion.  Her Gecko Sour is fast becoming a regular’s favourite, using Lambs Spiced rum, Di Sarronno Amaretto, fresh lime and sugar.  Made to the standard sours mix this easy drink blends the cinnamon aromas of Lambs Spiced with the sweet Almond flavour of Amaretto


DESIGN

Our new menu was designed by Jason Rubino of Candy Black designs with photography by Ben Roberts.


If you haven't seen our new menu, then pop in for a drink or two and chek it out.