Earl Grey MarTEAni – Cocktail of the Month
The Earl Grey MarTEAni is available exclusively at the Martini Library at HUNter 486 in The Arch hotel, London W1.
HUNter 486 was the old dialling code for Marylebone Village in London's W1. It is also the name of the cocktail bar, restaurant and salon de Champagne located in the heart of The Arch, a new five-star, 80-bedroom boutique townhouse hotel handsomely situated within view of London's Marble Arch.
The drinks list is reminiscent of classics from the golden age of cocktail making. One such classic is the Earl Grey MarTEAni, originally created by the doyenne of bartending, Audrey Saunders, for Pegu in New York.
The Earl Grey MarTEAni is a fun twist on a martini-style drink made, of course, with Earl Grey. "How positively English," I hear you say. The twist is the egg white and a slug of Earl Grey-infused gin. At HUNter 486 the Martini Library is the place to indulge in a martini from the fabulous drinks cabinet. Simply press the butler-style service button and, hey presto, a bartender will appear to make you one of the martinis on the list.
The Earl Grey MarTEAni - perfect for afternoon tea - sits alongside the Manhattan, Perfect Martini, Martinez and, one of my favourites, the Reverse Martini, made famous by US chef Julia Child in the 1950s.
Martinis are accompanied by a savoury and sweet selection of éclairs that include foie gras and Sauternes; mango, chilli, crab and crème fraîche; and - for the sweet tooth - violet chocolate, and coconut and kaffir lime leaf.
Tea is the other big story in the Martini Library, and this comes care of Edward Eisler's fabulous selection of Jing teas, from which we take the Earl Grey used to make this month's cocktail.
The Earl Grey MarTEAni is probably one of my favourite cocktails of this year.
INGREDIENTS
- 50ml Earl Grey-infused Tanqueray 10
- 25ml lemon juice
- 25ml sugar syrup
- 15ml egg white
METHOD
Shake and serve in a martini coupe. Perfect for an afternoon tea treat.
Robbie Bargh, director,Gorgeous Group020 7091 7492