The Connaught Bar: Recipes for its famous cocktails

At the helm is Agostino Perrone, who has led the bar for over 15 years, accompanied here by co-authors Maura Milia (the Connaught Bar’s bar manager) and Giorgio Bargiani (assistant director of mixology).

 
Perrone has won almost as many awards as there are drinks in his cabinet for his revolutionary approach to mixology and hospitality, including World’s Best Bartender.

Offering instructions of how to recreate this slice (or rather, sip) of luxury, The Connaught Bar presents instructions on how to create more than 100 elegant cocktails. This ranges from the classic – opening with the Connaught Martini  – to inventive, intriguing concoctions and 12 non-alcoholic options too.

Take Burning Peat from the ‘Ignis’ series of drinks inspired by fire. This smoky cocktail combines two types of whisky with sherry and brewed barley to “conjure the heat and drama of fire”. It’s finished with house-made citrus syrup, inspired by recipes from 19th-century bartenders. The serving recommendation is in a silver tankard and it is garnished with a crunchy black barley sponge, emulating volcanic rock, to transport drinkers to Nordic terrains.

Each cocktail is accompanied by a legend giving a guide to its difficulty and flavour profile (citrusy, sour, spicy, floral, winey), and is introduced with an explanation about their conception, often inspired by the team’s travels around the globe, such as Peruvian corn-based chicha morada, coconut oil-washed Puerto Rican rum and Japanese plum wine.

With an in-depth guide to the best bar tools (who knew there were four different types of strainer?) and the most appropriate glassware to use for each drink, this is the chance to peep behind the curtain of one of the world’s most celebrated and iconic bars.

The Connaught Bar by Agostino Perrone with Giorgio Bargiani and Maura Milia (Phaidon, £29.95)