Mother’s day is just round the corner…and it only means one thing: lots of googling to figure out what to give her. And of course lockdown makes it much more challenging: afternoon tea and spa days aren’t an option.
So how about treating her to a cocktail recipe that is quintessentially her? That’s what we asked 3 top bartenders from 3 of the best hotel bars in London. They’ve created the cocktails below as a tribute to their mums, inspired by them and ingredients that remind them of them.
Yann Bouvignes, Head Bartender, Scarfes Bar – Rosewood Hotel
- What ingredient reminds you the most about your mum and why?
I would say Noilly Prat Amber! I had the good idea to bring a case home to let her try it and since then it has become her favourite aperitif.
- What does a cocktail tribute to your mum look like?
Dynasty cocktail from our current list in Scarfes would match perfectly. It’s a modern approach of a bellini blending melon & zara lebu citrus.
35ml gin
25ml fortified melon cordial
15ml discarded vermouth
2.5ml lime juice
25ml champagne
- What special cocktail or drink helps you make your mum feel special on mother’s day?
Champagne !
Enrico Gonzato, Bar Manager, Mezzanine Bar at The Stratford Hotel
- What ingredient reminds you the most about your mum and why?
My mother’s worked in the family bar since it opened in 1871, and she passed on and infected me with the love of hospitality. She’s always loved quality homemade products: acacia honey, red berries jam, wild herbs, and vegetables from my grandmother’s garden, all organic and local ingredients from the mountains of my home country.
- What special cocktail or drink helps you make your mum feel special on mother’s day?
My mamma Paola loves simple but genuine flavours. So I’ll dedicate her a light, fruity and floral cocktail.
Name : What A wonderful World (her fav song from Louis Armstrong)
Recipe:
35ml fresh blood orange juice
15ml fresh pomegranate juice
1 bars spoon homemade red berries jam
1 bar spoon acacia honey
Shake / fine strain on a super chilled flute glass
Top up with Prosecco Valdobbiadene Docg.
- What does a cocktail tribute to your mum look like?
Cha cha gimlet. It’s a cocktail on our menu which reminds me of the best holiday I’ve ever had with my mum. All the ingredients have a Cuban influence and every time I sip on it, my mind goes back to when I was 10 travelling with her around the Caribbean island.
20ml dark rum
25ml cacao and orange gin
20ml citric beer
20ml vanilla guava
5ml Frangelico liqueur
Lime essence
Shake / fine strain on a super chilled martini glass
Citric beer is a zero waste ingredient. It’s a reduction of leftover beer, sugar, and citric and malic acid, a compound similar to citric acid but most commonly found in grapes, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, mirabelles, peaches, pears, plums.
Luca Rapetti . Assistant Bar Manager, Shangri La Hotel at The Shard
- What ingredient reminds you the most about your mum and why?
Mojito is her favourite cocktail. So every time I make a drink that includes mint, my first thought goes immediately to my mum. I still remember those times when I was working in cocktail bars at the beginning of my bartending career back in Italy… My mum used to come to my bar and always had one challenge for me: to make the best mojito with the tastiest mint possible from the bar. I think I’ve mastered my way of making mojito because of her.
- What cocktail do you want to list on your menu as a tribute to your mum?
Definitely a Champagne mojito, but twisting the recipe by adding basil leaves. They’re a reminder of the beautiful region where I come from and where my mum still lives, the Riviera di Levante, in Liguria. You’ll have to try her pesto, so so tasty!
Here the recipe:
25 ml fresh lime juice
20 ml sugar syrup (2:1)
50 ml white rum
5 medium basil leaves
5 medium mint leaves
Top up of champagne
- What does a cocktail tribute to your mum look like?
My mum loves rum, so a Barracuda cocktail will go down well. It’s a forgotten classic that the IBA included in their official cocktail list for a few years. A bartened from Genoa invented in the 1970s. It’s refreshing, not too strong and with a characteristic tropical style taste.
45ml white rum
15ml Galliano liqueur
45ml pineapple juice
7.5ml lime juice
30ml brut champagne
Inspired? How about creating your own cocktail tribute to your mum with one of our brands?