Shake up the Season

Set the scene for a special hotel stay by selecting a seasonally appropriate cocktail. Here are our suggested sips, whether your visit coincides with spring, summer, autumn or winter.

Each of our PoB hotels offer a sublime setting for a predinner cocktail, aperitif, sundowner, nightcap or celebratory drink. With a focus on fresh flavours, often with ingredients picked from a hotel’s kitchen gardens or sourced within a local radius, mixologists can steer you towards whatever your heart desires while capturing the essence of the region. You certainly don’t need an excuse to visit any of our exquisite bars and, in the likely event you’re spoilt for choice, we have selected four signature cocktails that perfectly align with the seasons.

Spring

Ohana

With an elegant floral flavour, this martinistyle cocktail is made from a classic dry rosé. Recipe from Grantley Hall, Yorkshire Dales.

Ohana at Grantley Hall

Ingredients

• 25ml Briotett Crème de Violette

• 15ml lavender syrup

• 10ml Supsawa

• 45ml Whispering Angel

• lavender smoke, to garnish

• garden herbs and flowers, to garnish

Method

1. Select two vessels and put all the ingredients into one of them (the top vessel, to be held aloft). Throw or roll (from high to low) the liquid between the two vessels several times to aerate the aromatics.

2. Pour into a coupe glass.

3. Garnish with lavender smoke and garden herbs and flowers.

Summer

Lighthouse Martini

Spectacularly served from a frozen lighthouse-shaped bottle, with gin and vermouth created in Edinburgh. Recipe from Fingal, Edinburgh

Lighthouse Martini at Fingal

Ingredients

• 65ml Britannia Gin

• 15ml Wermod Great British Vermouth

• Grapefruit bitters

• Juniper, to garnish

• Cloves, to garnish

• Pickled Amalfi lemon peel, to garnish

Method

1. Mix the gin, vermouth and a few drops of grapefruit bitters together and chill in the freezer until ice cold.

2. Pour into a martini glass and serve with juniper, cloves and pickled lemon peel

Autumn

Beehive Martini

A sweet, citrusy martini made with local honey syrup and served with a honeycomb rim. Recipe from Calcot & Spa, The Cotswolds.

Beehive Martini at Calcot & Spa

Ingredients

• 50ml Chase Marmalade Vodka

• 35ml Dry Martini

• 15ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 35ml Calcot honey

• 1 tbsp crushed honeycomb

Method

1. Rim a martini glass with the finely crushed honeycomb.

2. Put all the remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker.

3. Shake the cocktail well, then double-strain it into the rimmed martini glass.

Winter

Festive Classic Alexander

A festive version of the traditional brandy cocktail needs no special occasion to enjoy it. Recipe from Sopwell House, St Albans, Hertfordshire.

Sopwell House Fire Place Cocktails

Ingredients

• honeycomb and cinnamon crustas

• 25ml double cream

• 45ml brandy

• 25ml Crème de Cacao Brun

Method

1. Chill a martini glass in the fridge/freezer, or just with iced water.

2. Wet the rim of the martini glass with brandy and dip in the honeycomb and cinnamon crustas.

3. In a shaker place 6 to 7 cubes of ice, then pour in the cream and shake.

4. Add both the brandy and Crème de Cacao Brun and shake once more.

5. Serve in the chilled martini cup.

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Words | Karyn Noble