Let’s face it: the way we are all going to get through this unsettling period is by keeping a hearty dose of liquor flowing at all times – in moderation, of course. While we may not be able to visit our favourite hotels in person right now, the best way to keep spirits up is to let our senses be transported to some of the best of the best.
With this in mind, we have put together a delectable digest of the finest wanderlust-inducing cocktails from some of the world’s greatest hotels for you to recreate at home, promising to transport your taste buds all over the globe in as little as three ingredients – from the fragrant private gardens of a Parisian Palace hotel, to a step back in time to the glamorous 1920s in the Scottish Highlands, to the powder-soft sands of Mexico’s über-chic Caribbean coast, and even to sundowners in the South African bush. With virtual Happy Hour on apps such as FaceTime, Zoom and House Party trending now more than ever, our suggested cocktail list will be sure to keep friends and families forced apart entertained virtually together for the weeks and months to come.
Local Heroes
The Espresso Martini
By The Library Bar At The Lanesborough, London: A Signature Tipple From The Home Of The Capital’s Time-honoured ‘liquid Museum’ Of Spirits
Overlooking Hyde Park and adjacent to the grounds of Buckingham Palace, The Lanesborough is one of London’s most iconic hotels commanding a prestigious location that straddles Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair. The hotel’s Library Bar offers a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of city life. One of London’s most celebrated drinks destinations, distinguished by its outstanding mixology and venerable ‘liquid museum’ of spirits, the Library Bar
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in London
Read our review of the Lanesborough
RECIPE & METHOD
- Two shot glasses of espresso, or instant coffee mixed with hot water (make it strong!). We recommend two teaspoons of instant coffee to one spoon of sugar
- Two shot glasses of Vodka – any will do
- Two drops of vanilla extract
- Shake well in a tin jar or cocktail shaker with ice
- Strain and pour into your favourite cocktail glass (ideally a Martini glass)
- Tip: to make this extra sweet or to adapt into a fun dessert, you could blend the coffee mix and Vodka with two tablespoons of vanilla, chocolate or caramel ice cream – take your pick
HOW: oetkercollection.com
The Full Bloomer
By The Coral Room At The Bloomsbury, London: Inspired By The Strawberry Fields Of The Kent Countryside
The Coral Room offers a unique cocktail menu that takes influence from the English countryside. Part of The Bloomsbury hotel, it is a magnificent double-heighted all-day bar and restaurant, painted in a high-gloss lacquer in vivid coral. The Coral Room’s Sip of England menu whisks patrons away to the moors, meadows, seas and spires of the ‘Great British Outdoors’, with each cocktail using ingredients local to the area they are inspired by. The signature is The Full Bloomer; a fruity, floral spritz presented in a beautiful scalloped Champagne flute. Ingredients of Rinomato Aperitivo, Two Cirtrus Shrub, Violet Bitters and SASSY Le Cidre Rose are complemented by fragrant notes of rose and strawberries from the Kent countryside to create a sweet and refreshing tipple. To finish, The Full Bloomer is garnished with an edible bubble, filled with bubble-gum aromatic, for the ultimate show-stopping look and burst of flavour.
RECIPE & METHOD
- 100ml Rinomato Aperitivo
- 15ml Two Citrus Shrub
- Three drops of Violet Bitters
- 150ml SASSY Le Cidre Rosé
- Two drops of rose extract
- Three strawberries
- Build in a mixing glass
- Serve in a long Champagne flute
HOW: thecoralroom.co.uk
The Bloomsbury Boozer
By Parker’s Tavern, Cambridge: Inspired By Cambridge University’s Famous ‘bloomsbury Set’
The bar in Parker’s Tavern at University Arms, Cambridge acts as a social hub in the city, and has been a meeting spot for over 100 years. The bar offers an extensive drinks menu, including a wide selection of English sparkling wine and a botanical-focused cocktail menu. This menu comprises a variety of bespoke tipples, all of which celebrate Cambridge’s spirit of invention with mixology that reinvents classics and takes inspiration from the history, art and academia of Cambridge and University Arms itself. The Bloomsbury Boozer was named after The Bloomsbury Set; a group of writers, academics and intellectuals including Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes and E. M. Forster, who met at Cambridge in their boozy student days.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in Cambridge
RECIPE & METHOD
- 50ml Cambridge Dry Gin
- 20ml elderflower cordial
- 20ml fresh lemon juice
- 4 – 5 raspberries
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker (or you can use a large jam jar with lid)
- Shake vigorously over ice
- Strain into a martini glass
HOW: parkerstavern.com
The Estate Martini
By The American Bar At Gleneagles, Scotland: Taking Drinkers On A Journey From The Scottish Highlands To The Coast
The Gleneagles Hotel is one of Scotland’s most iconic hotels. Having undergone a multi-million-pound design transformation at the hands of Ennismore Design Studio, new-look spaces all have a social feel at heart. Reminiscent of the elegance and glamour of bars of the 1920s and 30s, The American Bar is a truly special place for intimate drinks, with an exquisite selection of caviar, cocktails inspired by the roaring 20s, and fine Champagnes. Alongside glamorous tipples that pay tribute the characters and pastimes of the 20s, sit five stunning Signature Martinis. Each draws on the varied scenery of Scotland, with subtle elements added to Scottish gins. For the Estate Martini, raspberry leaf-infused vermouth and elderflower are added to South Loch Raspberry Old Tom gin.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in Scotland
RECIPE & METHOD
- 60ml South Loch Raspberry Old Tom Gin
- 5ml elderflower cordial
- 15ml raspberry leaf-infused vermouth
- Add the gin, vermouth, elderflower and ice together in a mixing glass and stir to combine
- Strain into a chilled Martini glass
- Garnish with a lemon peel
HOW: gleneagles.com
The Parabola
By The Newt In Somerset: Drawing Inspiration From Seasonal Garden Produce With A Botanical Twist
The Newt in Somerset is a vast working country estate opened in Summer 2019, encompassing beautifully cultivated gardens, a parabola with 267 varieties of apples for each county, garden eateries and visitor attractions, Farm and House & Garden Shops and a 23-room Hotel and Spa. Celebrating all things Somerset – from freshly squeezed apple juices and cyders made on site, to honeys produced by native and wild Somerset bees – the beauty and simplicity of the outside world is brought indoors throughout the hotel and estate, not least into the Bar. The bar team shakes up an inventive drinks menu guided by seasonal garden produce and the heritage of the Grade II listed building formerly known as Hadspen House. Highlights of a seasonally changing cocktail menu, inspired by what can be picked from the gardens, include The Parabola; an elderflower and apple delight featuring The Newt’s very own apple gin and Medium Somerset Cyder pressed on-site, topped with botanicals or herbs from your own garden.
RECIPE & METHOD
- 25ml The Newt Apple Gin
- 25ml St Germain elderflower liqueur
- 5ml Elderflower cordial
- 75ml The Newt Medium Cyder
- Fill a highball glass generously with ice cubes
- Pour over the gin, liqueur and cordial
- Top up with The Newt Medium Cyder
- Garnish with rosemary or lavender from the garden and a thin slice of apple
HOW: Guests can purchase The Newt in Somerset’s Cyders online: shop.
Tastes of the Tropics
The Esencia Margarita
By Hotel Esencia, Riviera Maya: An Energising Taste Of Mexico’s Vibrant Caribbean Coast
Evoking a refreshing virtual taste of the unspoiled ivory sands of the Riviera Maya’s Xpu Ha Beach – widely considered the most beautiful stretch of beach on Mexico’s Caribbean coast – Hotel Esencia’s Esencia Margarita is a fragrant, dynamic cocktail perfectly suited to spring and summer. The drink’s main ingredient, Casa Dragones Blanco, is hailed as being the best Blanco Tequila. It is a small batch, 100% Pure Blue Agave silver tequila, crafted to deliver the true essence of agave through an innovative process that focuses on purity, for a crisp, smooth taste. While this signature concoction is best enjoyed at the hotel’s super-chic open-air Beach Bar – impeccably positioned for the warm sea breeze and the best views from all the hotel – while housebound, it is a particularly fun-loving cocktail best whipped up with friends over Facetime, Zoom or House Party on a Friday night.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in the Riviera Maya
RECIPE & METHOD
- 45ml Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco
- 15ml Simple Syrup (NB. traditional simple syrup is made from one part water to one part sugar. White granulated sugar is the standard sweetener, but once you’ve mastered this basic base, feel free to experiment with other sugars, keeping the 1:1 ratio the same)
- 25ml Cointreau
- 60ml freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- One small rosemary sprig
- 5 grams of crushed ginger
- Muddle rosemary, ginger and syrup
- Add the tequila, Cointreau, juice and ice and shake vigorously in a cocktail shaker or similar
- Double strain and serve on the rocks in an Old Fashioned glass
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a grapefruit peel twist
HOW: hotelesencia.com
The Eden Colada
By Eden Rock – St Barths: A Step Back In Time To Honour The Legendary Hotel’s Visionary Founder, Rémy De Haenen
Served in Eden Rock – St Barths’s brand-new Rémy Bar – named after the hotel’s original owner, Rémy de Haenen – signature cocktail, the Eden Colada honours both his fabulously wild pioneering spirit and the birthplace of the drink’s main ingredient: rum. With a centuries-old tradition of rum distillation, cocktail lovers should look to the sun-soaked Caribbean with its plethora of distilleries for drinks inspiration. The Eden Colada mixes two rums including Plantation 3 Stars, a tribute to historic rums with a suave blend of the region’s three primary terroirs: Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. Barbados delivers richness and a balanced palate, Trinidad adds finesse, and Jamaica provides an emphatic structure. The deeply glamorous Eden Rock – St Barths cocktail list is all about a sense of place, taking drinkers on a journey for the senses sipping divine elixirs that transport them to the island that perfectly blends the sophistication of St. Tropez with the laissez-fare Caribbean lifestyle.
RECIPE & METHOD
- 25ml Clement Blanc rum
- 25ml Plantation 2 Stars rum
- 30ml Moët & Chandon Champagne
- 30ml fresh pineapple juice
- 30ml pineapple syrup
- One scoop of coconut sorbet
- Simply blend all ingredients together in a blender
- For best results, serve in the iconic Eden Rock – St Barths pineapple glass (but any large round glass will do!)
- Add one drop of vanilla essence to complete if desired
HOW: oetkercollection.com
The Ice Tea Refresher
By Singita Sweni, Kruger National Park: Bringing A Taste Of South African Safari Home
Bringing a refreshing taste of bush sundowners home, this simple, yet delicious iced tea tonic will transport the drinker to the banks of the Sweni River located right by Singita Sweni Lodge. Staying true to South African heritage, the delectable drink is infused with local rooibos tea. The cherry and honey notes of rooibos add a subtle sweetness, which is aromatised with bitters. The brandy-spiked cooler is served short and was masterminded by Lodge Manager, Brett Applegryn, who felt inspired to create a tantalising cocktail with just three simple ingredients that reflected the mood and ambience of the lodge’s unique location, tucked away in a 33,000-acre private concession in Kruger National Park.
RECIPE & METHOD
- 25ml gin bitters
- 25ml brandy
- 80ml chilled rooibos tea
- Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes and stir well
- Strain into a chilled Martini glass, and garnish with green apple and ginger
- Serve straight or with extra ice
HOW: singita.com
The Cobblers Cooler
By Cobblers Cove, Barbados: A Fruity Rum-based Concoction That Packs A Punch
The Cobblers Cooler is almost as iconic as its home and namesake, Cobblers Cove. This much-loved resort is set on Barbados’s platinum coast right on the white sand beaches and turquoise waters the Western side of the island is famed for. The Cobblers Cooler is a delicious rum-based cocktail blended with tropical fruits and topped with a sprinkling of sugar. A generous serving of local Doorly’s 5-Year-Old rum is blended with fresh banana, pineapple, lime and grenadine, served in a hurricane glass and topped with a pineapple leaf and dehydrated lime wheel. The cocktail is best enjoyed imagined under the candy stripe pink-and-white parasols on one of the luxuriously soft pool loungers.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in Barbados
RECIPE & METHOD
- 70ml Doorly’s 5-Year-Old rum
- 10ml grenadine
- 30ml fresh pineapple juice
- One banana
- 15ml fruit cocktail juice
- 25ml fresh lime juice
- ½ scoop crushed ice
- Blend all ingredients together and pour into a hurricane glass over crushed ice
- If you are so inclined, garnish with a pineapple leaf, dehydrated lime wheel and a dusting of sugar
HOW: www.cobblerscove.com
The Passion
By Milaidhoo Island Maldives: A Taste Of Island Life To Transport You To The Turquoise Tides Of The Maldives
This cocktail is sure to take your mind to the powder-soft white sand beaches lapped by gin-clear waters and framed by tropical greenery that the Maldives is famous for. For armchair travellers keen to get their Indian Ocean fix at home, this tropical beverage allows drinkers to envisage themselves at Milaidhoo – set over 13 acres atop the Baa Atoll’s beautiful UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. A firm favourite sundowner choice, The Passion is sweet with a zesty undertone, creating a refreshing twist on a classic.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in the Maldives
RECIPE & METHOD
- One passionfruit
- Two tsp vanilla sugar
- 20ml fresh lime juice
- 25ml fresh orange juice
- 10ml Passoa Liqueur or passion fruit liqueur
- 10ml Aperol
- 40ml Vanilla Absolut Vodka
- Orange peel, mint sprig and half passionfruit for garnish
- Shake all ingredients and pour over crushed ice into a glass of choice
- Garnish with orange peel, mint sprig and half passionfruit
HOW: www.milaidhoo.com
The Fabled Favourites
The Aperol Spritz
Image by Claire Cocano
By Le Bristol Paris: A Springtime Staple Conjuring Up The Sweet Scent Of The Palace Hotel’s Jardin Français
Adored the world over, the Aperol Spritz is a simple classic cocktail originally from northern Italy. One of the best places to enjoy the summer aperitif however is at fabulous French Palace hotel, Le Bristol Paris. A true urban oasis, the hotel’s Jardin Français is a rare jewel in the heart of Paris; a place where one can drink and dine amidst fresh greenery and fragrant roses. The exquisitely pretty garden is a delightful place to revive after shopping with a light lunch shaded beneath a white parasol. Until one is able to return, one of the easiest elixirs to whip up at home is this four-ingredient favourite.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in Paris
RECIPE & METHOD
- 40ml Aperol
- 60ml Côtes de Provence white wine
- 60ml soda water
- One orange
- Pour the Aperol into a wine glass filled with ice
- Pour the wine and soda water into a siphon and complete the cocktail with the mixture
- Decorate with fresh orange slices
HOW: oetkercollection.com
The Bellini
By Hotel Du Cap-eden-roc, Cap D’antibes: The Sparkling Venetian Specialty That Has Withstood The Test Of Time
The Bellini was created in 1934 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice. He named the cocktail so because its unique pink colour reminded him of the toga of a Saint in a painting by 15th century Venetian artist, Giovani Bellini. The Bellini started as a seasonal specialty at Harry’s Bar and today, is the emblematic drink of the city of Venice, continuing the old Italian tradition of marinating fresh peaches in wine. This Bellini recipe has been perfected by Christophe Lencioni, Head Bartender at the French Riviera’s most glamorous hotel, the 150-year-old Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. The hotel even named one of its much-loved bars, the Bar Bellini – the Côte d’Azur’s cocktail bar of choice for Hollywood stars. With a beautiful outdoor terrace and spectacular views over Hotel du Cap’s enchanting gardens and the famous Grande Allée down to the sea, it’s hard to imagine anything more elegant than sipping a Bellini here.
Read our guide to the best luxury hotels in the French Riviera
RECIPE & METHOD
- 140ml of Champagne
- 15ml peach cream or Peachtree liqueur
- 100ml fresh peach purée
- Mix all ingredients together and serve in a long, chilled Champagne flute
