The Langham Artesian bar has created a new Duality cocktail menu

The Langham, London’s Artesian bar has created a new Duality cocktail menu. Here's head bartender Giulia Cuccurullo about creating a menu of opposites

 

Tell me how the new Duality menu came about?

 

It started with the team looking at their surroundings. We did a little exercise together asking “OK, what is the Artesian, what is important to us and how do we see the bar?” We realised that the Artesian is a bar with duality: we are a five-star, but not the five-star you expect, so that put us on the direction of the menu.

 

Tell me how some of the cocktails were created

 

We gave every [opposing pair of cocktails] to a couple in the team. With Light and Dark, the two guys chose ingredients that grow only in the night or morning; for Ami and Odi [Love and Hate], I decided to do one of the most-loved cocktails with some of the least-liked ingredients [a Negroni with artichoke, blue cheese and umami sauce], and then a less-loved cocktail with some of the most-loved ingredients [Long Island iced tea with watermelon, apple and banana].

 

What are some of the processes you’ve used to make these drinks?

 

We do anything from distillation to infusions, sous vide cooking to fat washes – for example, one has a yogurt wash. We make sure we balance the prep so some of them are really heavy on prep, some are a little bit easier. We actually have a lab [a dedicated space at the Langham with an array of equipment including a rotovapor, centrifuge, dehydrator, vaccuum and a sous vide] and we do actually use all of it –it would be a pity not to. Don’t get me wrong, you can easily do a menu without any of that, but the machines make your life easier and make everything faster.

 

How do you balance a signature menu like this with the classics in a hotel bar setting?

 

Make the menu easy to read for everybody, nothing too complicated where people won’t understand. You don’t want them to be scared to ask questions and if they want to know that their drink took two days in the lab to make, then great, but they don’t need to know if they don’t want to. You don’t want people to feel overwhelmed or stupid when they read the menu, so we don’t write ‘cordial of’, ‘distillate of’, ‘infusion of’, we just write the main ingredient.

 

What do you look at in the industry to keep you on top of your game?

 

Personally, I look around a lot but I never think that because everyone is doing something that I need to do it. It is always good to know what is going on around you as it can be inspiring. It’s like when you go travelling –you want to enjoy the different flavours and to see things with other eyes. Actually, with this menu, one thing we asked the team was “What is creativity?” I’ve always thought creativity is when you see something that has always been under your gaze, but you see it differently.

 

What does it take to run a happy and healthy bar team under such high pressure?

 

I can’t deny it is hard. We’re getting there with the number of people we need, but the most important thing in general is that the team has fun together. We try to have lots of moments together too – just this Sunday we had a barbecue together.

 

We give the team the freedom to try the stuff they want to, ask for their suggestions, see things in a different way. During service, we all help each other and I always say we don’t have more than two hands – do your best, have fun and see you on the other side.

 

Seasonal food and drink pairing: L’Occhiolino sparkling red 2021 with barbecued meat

 

Outdoor dining and barbecue-style food is on the agenda as we reach the beginning of July, and sometimes lighter is better when it comes to the drinks pairing. Enter L’Occhiolino sparkling red wine. From the Emilia Rosso region in Italy, this 7.5% ABV blend is designed to be served chilled and is full of ripe red berries and a touch of florality.