Have you heard? Cognac is making a comeback. The coolest cocktails in town can now be found at the new Martell Bar at London’s famous Mondrian hotel.
Cognac has been given a bad rep over the years; banished to the realms of old man drinks with a taste too strong for the casual drinkers. But Martell is aiming to change this perception. I was invited down to the Mondrian to check out the new bar and to discover the new cocktails on offer. Spoiler… they are great!
The founder father of cognac
Martell was founded by Jean Martell in 1715 and is the oldest of the major cognac houses. Famed for its delicately fragrant and elegant styles, Martell’s double distillation method makes its cognacs lighter and smoother, while the exclusive use of fine grain oak barrels creates mellow, light and more fragrant characteristics.
The Martell Bar Experience
The Martell Bar offers a bespoke cognac cocktail menu, curated by the skilled Mondrian Dandelyan Bar team to show the versatility of the spirit.
As well as the Bar, Martell has also taken over a private apartment within The Mondrian and will be hosting an exclusive Martell cognac experience, The Martell Suite, which will run until the 6th May. Guests will be welcomed with a Cognac-based Milk Punch and then will be given the chance to challenge their tastebuds with a tutored tasting of the Martell higher style expressions from Matthias Lataille, Martell’s Ambassador. Limited tickets for the bespoke experience will be available for purchase for £45, available here.
It was a really great night, and although I don’t see myself sipping cognac neat anytime soon, I’m now totally into it as base cocktails. It’s surprisingly good. I tried a cocktail called Concrete, which blended Martell VSOP with Absinthe among other hard-hitting ingredients and it was so drinkable. Then there was a Side Car, which was a lot more citrus and lighter to drink. It was the perfect after-work tonic; refreshing and vibrant.
A pop-up bar experience, the Martell Bar runs from 12th April - 6th May - if you can’t make one of the awesome tutored classes, I thoroughly recommend checking out the bar for a quick one (or two!) of an evening. You won’t be disappointed.
Welcome!
