Sometimes you discover a cocktail that’s so good, it’s worth traveling to a faraway locale just to savor it. Bastien Gardrat, Forbes Travel Guide’s Global Spirits Ambassador, has assembled a list of top cocktails served at hotels around the world that will make you want to book your next trip. The craftsmanship and service behind each drink make them perfect for TABLE readers.
Cognac Negroni
Le Logis Cognac
Journey to France’s Le Logis Cognac, a 16th-century château surrounded by lush vineyards that’s available as a private retreat. There, I tend the bar, ready to make you a Cognac Negroni. The mixture of Cognac XO, local amaro liqueur, and Vieux Pineau des Charentes is aged for three months in a microcask, which helps balance all the ingredients and adds a touch of wood to the drink. It’s a unique cocktail with limited supply.
Martini
The Connaught
Connaught Bar in London’s Mayfair is a destination for cocktail connoisseurs. The Five-Star hotel’s famed bar is known worldwide for its martini service. The martini trolley glides over to your table, and the bartender asks about your preferences: gin or vodka, shaken or stirred, bitters, and olive or citrus for garnish. The tradition is an entertaining show, and the bespoke drink and attentive service feel indulgent.
Wave Music
Montage Los Cabos
Fly over to Los Cabos, Mexico, for a drink that takes inspiration from the surrounding water. Situated in Santa Maria Bay, the five-star hotel crafts a one-of-a-kind libation called Wave Music. The bitter cocktail consists of Clase Azul Reposado Tequila, Campari, and a house-made sweet vermouth that’s been aged under the sea in a bottle for 30 days. The glass gets smoked under a box as the finish in this very local quaff.
Full Moon
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
The experience at MO Bar starts with the menu, as it is a sphere divided into two hemispheres and 16 sections with artwork for every drink. Try the Full Moon, a Seoul-inspired cocktail paying homage to the Full Moon Festival in Korea. The drink is a twist on a rum sour, using the delicate flavors of pandan wheatgrass and pear. It looks like a piece of art featuring rice paper printed with edible ink.
NOLA Flight
Four Seasons Hotel Seoul
Speaking of Korea, venture over to Four Seasons Hotel Seoul’s stunning bar Charles H. for a NOLA Flight, part of a menu that aims to transport imbibers to destinations through drinks. The cocktail trio — rye Manhattan, De La Louisiane, and Vieux Carré — illustrates how the rye Manhattan evolved in New Orleans. The flight shows how one game-changing historic ingredient can create new classics.
No. 5
Waldorf Astoria Chicago
Head to Bernard’s bar for this drink, a tribute to Chanel No. 5 perfume. Beyond the drink, there’s a deeper connection to the famed French fashion house: the bar finds design inspiration from the famous men in Coco Chanel’s life. Made with Grey Goose Le Citron vodka, yuzu, jasmine tea, butterfly pea syrup, and oleo-saccharum, the cocktail arrives in a gold-leaf glass with a unique accessory: an edible “pearl caviar” garnish made of yuzu. A spritz of rose water from a perfume bottle provides an extra dose of glamour.
Story by Bastien Gardrat / Photography by Theo Schuman
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