The American Bar, Gleneagles

World-class hotel bars combine the classic and the innovative to ensure that guests truly feel like they can have it all. To provide that experience in a way that respects and elevates local products, The American Bar looked at different ways to approach the idea of locality. The Book of Berries menu is the result of this exploration.

“First, we focused on what we like to refer to as the ‘Gleneagles Ecosystem’, essentially looking at what produce we already have within our property, and how we can reuse some of the secondary ingredients and by-products of other preparations,” Michele Mariotti, head of bars, explains. From avocado stones and kiwi skins to papaya seeds and spent coffee, the hotel’s kitchen waste becomes part of the bar’s library of ingredients.

The menu also highlights hyperlocal ingredients sourced from within Perthshire. “One of my favourites is a drink called Gooseberry, which is based on gin and gooseberry wine, sourced directly from a berry-wine producer based in Perthshire. This twist on a French 75 is extremely refreshing, definitely a crowd-pleaser!”

With so many growers and producers on their doorstep, the team are eager to continue exploring the possibilities and find more ways to expand their local ingredient repertoire. Deciding to co-create distillates is an exciting step forward. “We are currently expanding our relationships with some of the distilleries around us to create unique spirits for the next iteration of our menus.” The American Bar proves that going local isn’t an all or nothing proposition. It’s a journey and an adventure.