Black is Beautiful

Black is Beautiful

The latest global trend in cocktails is all about the mysteries of darkness. Always one step ahead of the curve, the professional mixologists of the Vista Bar will soon be introducing six new cocktails with a common theme: Black is Beautiful.

Black Mojo This berry-forward Mojito of dark rum and forest fruit puree transports you to a black sand Cuban beach.

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ESPRESSO MARTINI Floating chocolate flakes surprise the senses as you sip through creamy espresso foam that crowns a Stolichnaya base. BLACK MADONNA An ebony Margarita, straight up or on the rocks, is more than exotic – it’s decadence defined. MIDNIGHT PALOMA Citrus intensity and tequila fire are intriguingly balanced by a rim lace of Black Sea salt.

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Maria Negra The Kalamata black olive powder that edges this classic Bloody Mary takes you on a languid journey round the Greek Islands.

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classic has also penetrated Bloody the Mary continually takes evolving world of food A traditional Daiquiri iyou and drink. on a languid journey made doubly silky with iround Ever since the Greek French Islands. developed cooking into haute visual notes reminiscent of cuisine, it has been subject to the whims of culinary artistes black liquorice. seeking to innovate with unique creations that express their bold but playful passion for discovery. Over the years, diners have come to accept Molecular Gastronomy, David Chang’s Modernist Cuisine and the ‘Techno-Emotional Cuisine’ of El Bulli’s Ferran Adria.

In the equally diverse universe of cocktails, progressive bartenders have experimented with a wide variety of ingredients and combinations of spirits. In the Americas, mezcal has overtaken tequila as the main ingredient in Margaritas, Sunrises and Palomas. Natural vegetable juices such as beet, carrot or celery extracts are catching on. There are exotic fruit and flower garnishes and flavoured smoke. But the most exciting and perhaps decadent trend in cocktails has taken its cue from the food industry which realized more than a year ago that Black is Beautiful.

Mexico City, the new international hub for forwardlooking practitioners and pursuers of modern art, boasts of menu entrees and tortillas made from black corn. The best New York bakeries feature an assortment of black bagels. London sweets shops offer delectable all-black cupcakes. In Rome and Milan, black gelatos and ices are so popular they sell out halfway through the afternoon. Even health-conscious Los Angeles has its onyx-coloured, detox lemonade.

At first, bartenders worldwide were hesitant to offer their patrons a menu of black cocktails, worried that the aesthetics might undermine the atmospherics. But they soon noticed that the noirish drinks quickly became the most popular. It turns out, most of us have at least a touch of desire for adventure and the exotic.

At a recent competition in Italy, Four Seasons bartender Andriani Vladimirou was introduced to a new product from Bologna – Gum Nero – which combines the characteristics of gum syrup with those of vegetable charcoal, thereby adding a silkier texture to every cocktail it enhances. But the skillful staff of the Vista Bar goes beyond simply mixing this ebony concoction into its black-themed libations. Black olive powder, dark espresso coffee, Kahlua, fine chocolate and black sea salt are also used to create a roster of liquid black magic that is pleasing to both the eye and the palate.