Dukes Bar – A Martini Masterclass
Words: Gentleman's Journal
Over the years, here in London there have been many ideas on how to “celebrate in style” including perhaps booking a vessel on the Thames or partying in the London eye.. but today I was lucky enough to experience a beautifully understated but extremely stylish way to entertain!
Tucked away in the quietness of St James’s Place is the classically elegant yet somehow discretely modern DUKES hotel.. and tucked away through the slick yet welcoming lobby is the Cocktail Bar. Here you feel distinguished for no other reason than you are sitting there!
It is here that you meet Alessandro Palazzi.. whose italian charm exudes around his small yet handsome bottle bedecked bar. He has an aura of knowledge not just about the drinks he is going to be mixing but also about the guests who enter his lair… for he keeps a watchful eye to maintain a standard of decorum that one can luckily still expect to find in this rather special place.
For whatever reason you are celebrating, be it getting another year older, unexpected promotion or the clocks going forward and the end of winter… or that you just want to have a memorable time with a small group of friends then this is a great treat…
You can be educated and entertained.. both useful and amusing information abounds.. ranging from details of Ian Fleming’s drinking habits that flowed over into the lifestyle of our dearly cherished James Bond, to the fact that, due to the traditionalists strongly held views about the ‘classic’ nature of a cocktail, Alessandro would have been “burnt alive in the courtyard outside the hotel” if he had tried to make his Rose Martini in the 1970’s!
It is this ‘Three Course Martini’ (the ‘light’ Stolichnaya Elit Vodka/ the ‘heavy’ chocolate bitters/ the ‘sweet’ christalised rose from Fortnum & Mason.. finished off by being sprayed with Rose Liqueur) which is the speciality that you will be served for St. Valentines Day if you are sensible enough to bring your ‘beloved’ here on February 14th.
During the Masterclass your taste buds will be taken on a journey soaring through Russia and Poland for the vodka, Brazil for the Tonka beans, Sicily for the unbelievable olives that look like miniature Granny Smith apples and I am not sure where for the organic lemons.. I think I missed that piece of information because I was too busy eating one of the numerous and succulent canapés that we were plied with!
Definitely make your next indulgence a visit to the ‘Dukes Bar’ – be it the Martini Masterclass or not.
Even though I didn’t own up to the fact that I personally prefer Rum based cocktails (mainly because Alessandro said that the ‘1980’s Pina Colada era’ was the low point of his career!), I found the couple of hours extremely pleasurable, more than merely entertaining, it was a privilege! dukeshotel.com
By Minna Bruce
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