You don’t have to be a Royalist to get in to the spirit of Catherine (aka Kate) and Wills’s big day, if it makes you feel better, just think of it as a toast to the fact they’ve given us the day off. We dropped in to Jo Good’s Late Show on Radio London ahead of the happy couple saying ‘I do’ to talk about which London bars are offering the best Royal Wedding cocktails as well as serving up a few great drinks to try out at home.
Who’s serving what:
Here’s what they’re serving up at a few of our favourite London bars, plus a couple of recipes to try for yourself…
At Fifth Floor Bar, Harvey Nichols
Passionate Raspberry Kisses–A romantic libation blending Absolut 100 vodka mixed with passion fruit, raspberries and a dash of rose liqueur, charged with chilled Harvey Nichols Brut nv Champagne.
Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ. T: 020 7235 5000
1 Dover Street, W1S 4LD. T: 020 7493 9529
At The Savoy
Royal Tribute Cocktail
20ml Bombay Sapphire
20ml Martini Rosso
5ml gomme
2.5ml maraschino
2.5ml chartreuse verte
Champagne
Method
Add chunks of ice into a tall mixing glass, add all ingredients apart from champagne, stir until mixed. Double strain into a chilled signature coupette, top up with ice cold champagne, garnish with orange twist.
Strand, WC2R 0EU. T: 020 7836 4343
At One Aldwych
Will & Kate Champagne Cocktail
10 ml Bombay Sapphire Gin
10 ml fresh apple puree
5 ml Giffard grapefruit liqueur
Splash of elderflower cordial
Method
Fill the glass to the top with Champagne, approx. 70 ml. Sprinkle with edible gold flakes and stir.
One Aldwych, WC2B 4RH. T: 020 7300 1000
At Browns Hotel
Royal Passion–Combining Will’s and Kate’s favourite ingredients: passion fruit puree, sugar syrup, vodka and champagne.
33 Albemarle Street, W1S 4BP. T: 020 7493 6020
At Graphic
Beefeater gin punch being served in an indoor street party
Golden Square, W1. T: 020 7287 9241
At The London Cocktail Club
English Rose Petal martini–Rose water, Martini rosato, and Briottet rose lengthened with cranberry (enjoy two for the price of one); Tea Total – Breakfast Tea syrup, Cynar, gin and apricot with a slash of pineapple and torn mint, served in tea cups; Brixton Riot – Cranberry and lychee liqueur, flamed with Wray & Nephew overproof rum.
61 Goodge Street, W1T 1TL. T: 020 7580 1960
At Purl & The Whistling Shop
Royal Jam
50 ml Williams gin
20 ml lemon juice
5ml gomme
2 barspoons English Strawberry Conserve
5 drops Bobs Lavender Bitters
25ml NyeTimber English sparkling wine to top up
Method
Shake everything but the sparkling wine with ice, strain into a teacup. Top up with English sparkling wine.
Serve alongside a decorative tea pot with 20g dry ice in it, top up with 400ml hot Earl Grey tea when the drink is served for an amazing olfactory experience.
50-54 Blandford Street, W1U 7HX. T: 020 7935 0835
At Park Plaza hotels:
Something old: Old Passioned–fresh passion fruit, passion fruit vodka and a dash of cranberry; Something new: Wedded Fizz – Pimms No.1, Champagne and garnished with strawberry, mint and blackberry; Something borrowed: Best Man-hattan – Makers Mark whiskey, Dry Martini, Rosso Martini and finished with a classic cocktail cherry; Something blue: Blue Moon – Blue Curacao, gin, fresh lemon juice and topped with soda
Please check details of all Park Plaza hotels at: parkplaza.com/london
At The Churchill Hotel
The St. Edward’s Crown – A blend of Beefeater Gin, with Stanlake sparkling wine from Berkshire, which is a nod to the Middleton family, sugar syrup and lemon juice and married together with Canterbury based Chegworth farm apples.
30 Portman Square, W1H 7BH. T: 020 7486 5800
At The Bingham
Sapphire Ring – a Martini-style cocktail with Sipsmith gin, violet liqueur and lemon; Rhubarb Royale – Konik’s Tail vodka, Velvet Falernum and fresh rhubarb, topped with champagne (see recipe below); New Monarchy – Calvados, cinnamon sugar, mint and apple and lime juice.
61-63 Petersham Road, Richmond, Surrey KT10 6UT. T: 020 8940 0902
At The Met Bar
God Save The Queen
5ml agave
5ml Briottet Creme de Figue
20ml Raisin infused Johnnie Walker
35ml Antica Formula
Method
Stir all ingredients together, strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with grapefruit twist.
At The Hoxton Pony
A Right Royal Mess
Gerry Calabrese adds a touch of punk spirit to this drink using his unique gin infused with coconut and grapefruit.
50ml Hoxton gin
20ml lemon juice
20ml Creme de Cacao
Dash of sugar sugar
Method
Shake and strain ingredients and serve straight up in a coupette.
Royal wedding cocktails to make at home:
Dan Warner’s Right Royal Punch
2 parts Beefeater London Dry Gin
1 part Dubonnet
1 part pomegranate juice
2 parts fresh lemonade (American style)
Angostura bitters to taste
Wheels of lemon and lime, mint sprigs and pomegranate seeds to garnish
Method:
Mix all ingredients and serve. Chill the punch with lots of ice cubes or make your own fruit ice cubes by freezing orange and lemon slices with water.
Courvoisier Punch (makes one punchbowl)
250ml Courvoisier VS
750ml lemonade
Twenty dashes of Angostura bitters
Orange and lemon wheels
Method
Mix all ingredients together in a punch bowl. Garnish with lemon and orange wheels.
The William Cocktail
45ml Barceló Imperial Rum
20ml Sweet Vermouth
20ml Brut Champagne
2 dashes of The Bitter Truth Aromatic Bitters
Method:
Stir all ingredients and serve in a martini glass, topping up with Champagne. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (courtesy of The Bitter Truth)
The Kate Cocktail
45ml Hayman’s Old Tom Gin
20ml The Bitter Truth Elderflower Liqueur
20ml Brut Champagne
Fresh mint, cucumber slices and lemon wedges
Method:
Muddle lemon wedges, add alcohol and stir with crushed ice. Serve in a Collins glass and garnish with mint and a slice of cucumber (courtesy of the Bitter Truth)
The Wedding March Cocktail
45 ml Barceló Gran Anejo Rum
20ml fresh lime juice
1 egg white
1 tsp sugar
2 dashes The Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas Bitters
Method
Shake all ingredients in an iced cocktail shaker & strain (courtesy of The Bitter Truth)
William’s Kir
50ml Chase Elderflower Liqueur
125ml Chablis
Method
Combine ingredients over ice in a high ball glass and garnish with a stir rod and sprig of fresh mint (courtesy Malmaison)
A Truly British Affair
2 teaspoons elderflower cordial
1 tsp caster sugar
1 inch cucumber
50ml Hendricks gin
25ml Apple juice (preferably pressed)
Small handful of mint leaves (no stalks)
Method
Crush the cucumber, sugar and cordial together in a sturdy glass using a muddler (the end of a rolling pin works equally well!) until the cucumber is almost a puree. Add the Hendricks, apple juice and mint, top up with cubed ice and shake vigorously. Fine strain into a large tumbler filled with crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint a slice of cucumber (courtesy of The Living Room).
Courvoisier Royal Punch
250ml Courvoisier VS
750ml lemonade
Twenty dashes of Angostura bitters
Orange and lemon wheels
Method
Mix together in a punch bowl and serve.
Harveys Frosted Apple & Ginger
50ml Harveys Bristol Cream
50ml premium pressed apple juice
Dash of ginger ale
Sprig of mint and apple slices to garnish.
Method
Fill a highball glass with ice (crushed ice looks even better!) Pour over Harveys Bristol Cream and apple juice. Top up with a dash of ginger ale. Swirl with a cinnamon stick and leave in the glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and apple slices
The Bingham Rhubarb Royale
30 cl vodka (preferably Konik’s Tail)
12.5 cl Velvet Falernum liqueur
2 x 20 cm sticks of raw rhubarb
Dash of lemon juice
Champagne to top up
Method
Run small stick of raw rhubarb around the rim of the Martini glass and dip rim in sugar crystals. Place the muddled second piece of rhubarb, vodka, Velvet Falernum and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and mix well. Strain immediately into the glass top up with the champagne (do not mix) and replace strip of rhubarb on rim as decoration.
Royal Wedded Bliss
25ml Amaretto
1 pouch Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri
Splash of champagne
Method
Chill the Amaretto, champagne and Funkin mixer so they are ice cold. Gently mix the Amaretto and Strawberry Daiquiri together and pour into a champagne flute glass, top with a splash of champagne.
NON-ALCOHOLIC
Royal Blush
150 ml Cranberry Juice
150 ml Breckland Orchard Ginger Beer with Chilli [or just plain Ginger Beer if you can’t get hold of it]
Juice of Half a Lime
Method
Put crushed ice in a tall glass. Pour the Cranberry Juice, Ginger Beer with Chilli and Lime juice into the glass. Mix and decorate with a strip of lime zest
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