Why are you not already drinking fabulous cocktails out of fabulous glassware? London Design Festival has officially begun!
To toast its arrival, I was invited down to Lyaness Bar who is partnering with contemporary glassware specialist NUDE for London Design Festival. The award-winning cocktail bar has created a bespoke menu of three cocktails inspired by, and served in, NUDE’s Hepburn glasses by American designer Brad Ascalon.
With the Hepburn range, opposites have come together to perfect the optional drinking experience. Nude has developed a glassware range that has offers stability, thanks to its slightly weighted bottom, but, at the same time, is incredibly delicate and light.
Will Meredith, Head Bartender of Lyaness, and his team brought this idea of opposites to this collaboration. When creating any cocktail, one has to take into account the ergonomics of how one tastes or drinks, how one perceives flavor, and how the liquid actually passes from the glass into your mouth. Adding in the idea of opposites attracting and they were on their way to inventing three, contrasting delights.
The Rhubarb & Cumin Daisy is served in the Hepburn Coupe, which has a super wide rim perfect for the aromatics to come through, as you bring the glass up to take the first sip. Rhubarb and cumin couldn’t be more different. They are as far as you go on the flavor spectrum, so that’s where the Lyaness team began. With some rose salt and a few lovely leaves of red vein sorrel on top, it’s as beautiful a cocktail as Audrey Hepburn.
As drinkers, when presented with a rocks glass, we’ve come to expect a big boozy cocktail. The Jasmine Sazerac did not disappoint. The combination of Armagnac and Pisco provided the big and boozy, while the floral turn of Jasmine provided the delicate and floral. It’s an oxymoron in a glass.
The final cocktail of the evening was the Hibiscus Highball. The Hepburn Highball that it is served in tapers from bottom to top. The Lyaness team want you to feel that the moment you put the glass down, you want to bring it up again. What’s the best way to achieve this – with a little spice! The, not so hidden, secret ingredient is the Sichuan Pepper Tincture. The first sip you might feel the slight sting of pepper, but as the ice melts and the drink dilutes, the pain definitely turns to pleasure.
London Design Week is gone almost as quickly as it comes, so don’t miss your chance to experience one of these cocktails before they disappear.