Winter at the Bar: A New Cocktail Menu in Ten Drinks

Grape soju, fino sherry, timur berry, lavender and vanilla soda. The opener, and the lightest drink on the list. Soju brings a soft grape sweetness, fino keeps it dry and saline, and timur berry, the Nepalese cousin of Sichuan pepper, adds a grapefruit tingle rather than heat. Lavender and vanilla soda stretch it long enough to drink from the first hour. Floral first, fruit second, a quiet citrus spice at the end.

Rye whiskey, oloroso sherry, black cherry, habanero. A stirred drink with edges. Rye gives it spine and warmth, oloroso adds dry nuttiness and a long savoury finish, and black cherry sits on top like jam on dark bread. The habanero is dosed for a lingering white pepper heat, not a burn. Jammy, peppery and nutty, the boldest profile on the list and a drink for the second half of the evening.

Campari, red wine, forest fruit, lemon, walnut, pineapple soda. A bitter in a winter coat. Campari and red wine set the bittersweet base, forest berries and fresh lemon pull it towards tart, walnut adds depth and a toasted edge, and pineapple soda lifts the finish with something bright and lightly tropical. Low in alcohol and high in flavour: the one to order when you want a long drink that still tastes grown up.

Cachaça, sake, genmaicha, turmeric, aloe water. Two spirits from opposite sides of the world, layered. Genmaicha, green tea with roasted rice, gives the drink its toasted core, turmeric and a touch of cayenne bring the warmth, sake smooths the edges and aloe water keeps the finish light and clean. Herbal, toasty and gently spiced, the most unexpected glass on the menu.

Hennessy V.S, mandarin, yuzu, lemon, clarified. The clearest drink on the list, in both senses. Cognac and sweet mandarin open the glass, yuzu cuts through with sharp Japanese citrus, and clarification takes out everything cloudy, so what arrives looks like a white wine and tastes like winter citrus with a cognac backbone. Citrusy, tangy, fruity, with a clean and mellow finish.

Cinnamon rum, pumpkin, maple, rhubarb, rooibos and vanilla foam. The seasonal pour. Warm spiced rum and dark maple carry earthy pumpkin and fresh ginger, a line of tart rhubarb keeps the sweetness in check, and the whole thing is capped with a soft rooibos and vanilla foam. Spiced, sweet and creamy: the closest thing on the list to a dessert, built not to feel like one.

Old Pilot's barrel aged gin, white cacao, vetiver, rhubarb. The strongest drink on the menu and the slowest to drink. Barrel aged gin from Zagreb brings oak and a little vanilla, white cacao adds gentle chocolate sweetness without the colour, vetiver, the root perfumers build on, gives it a dry and earthy base, and rhubarb draws a thin line of tang through the middle. Oaky, earthy, chocolatey, with dark fruit at the end. Order it last.

Amaro Montenegro, strawberry, orange, lime, cherry soda. The juiciest glass on the list. Strawberry and sweet orange meet the bitter orange and herbs of Montenegro, lime keeps it fresh, and cherry soda stretches it tall and tart. Fruity on top, bittersweet underneath, easy to drink and easy to order twice.

Almave, rue berry, cherry soda, rooibos and vanilla foam. A mocktail with the structure of a cocktail. Almave, a non-alcoholic agave spirit, gives it soft agave notes and weight, tart berries and cherry soda bring the fruit, and the rooibos and vanilla foam adds warmth on top. Floral, tropical, creamy, and served in the same glass with the same care as everything above it.

Memento Green, lemongrass, lemon, plum. The sharp one. Memento Green, a non-alcoholic botanical distillate, gives it herbal depth, lemongrass and fresh lemon bring a clean citrus snap, and plum bitters leave a subtle bitterness on the finish. Citrusy, tart, herbal, and as serious as anything with alcohol on the list.