Cocktail of the Week: The ‘Cinderella’
Whipped up by Patricio Cicalesi, the head bartender at Madrid’s Hotel Fénix Gran Meliá, this striking serve is infused with old Madrileño charm…
Words: Jonathan Wells
Madrid is a little like a fairytale. The city is extraordinarily old, with settlements blooming and booming on the site of modern Madrid since prehistoric times. Over the years, it’s seen Roman villas, Celtic camps and, more recently, five-star hotels spring up along the banks of the Manzanares. And, from the royal palaces and sprawling parks to the towering spires of its many cathedrals, this fantastical feeling — of folk tales and fairy stories — is no stronger than in the district of Salamanca.
One of the 21 distinct areas that make up the city, Salamanca is one of the wealthiest regions of the city. Historic and characterful, it is home to the grande dame Hotel Fénix Gran Meliá — which is, in turn, home to this fairytale of a cocktail; the aptly-named ‘Cinderella’.
And the ‘Cinderella’ — boldly blue in colour and served up in glassware that gives pumpkin vibes — is the perfect sipper to transport you away, whether that be to worlds of warm weather and luxury in central Spain, or to the romantic fairytales that inspired it. Created by Patricio Cicalesi, the head bartender at the Hotel Fénix Gran Meliá and a man who has revolutionised the hotel’s cocktail menu, it’s an ode to the more magical flavours of the city.
There’s gin — the preferred spirit of the city (year-on-year, Spain consumes more gin than any other European country). There’s apple liqueur, evoking the nation’s fame for the fruit. Rose syrup is a floral nod to the city’s proclivity for a meticulously maintained rose garden. And pineapple juice, with which the cocktail is topped up, reflects the tropical temperatures enjoyed year-round by local ‘Madrileños’. Here’s how to mix your own taste of Madrid…
How to make the Hotel Fenix’s ‘Cinderella’
Ingredients:
- Brockman’s Gin
- Apple Liqueur
- Rose Syrup
- Pineapple Juice
- Silver Dust
Method:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with cubed ice
- Add the gin, liqueur, syrup and juice
- Shake vigorously to your desired level of dilution
- Serve in a tumbler (or a glass pumpkin…)
Want more cocktails? Here’s how to make the Patrón ‘Long Margarita’…
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