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April 14, 2017

Cocktail of the Week: The Origin Virtual Reality

By Olivia Cuccaro

By Olivia Cuccaro

The Origin

  • 50 ml Dalmore 12 single malt whisky
  • 15 ml Merlet cherry liqueur
  • 15 ml sugar syrup
  • 20 ml cherry purée
  • 10 ml fresh grapefruit juice
  • 3 dashes chocolate bitters
  • 30 ml Grand Cru champagne

To create our cocktail of the week, using a cocktail shaker, place all ingredients and ice into one half of a cocktail shaker and gently roll between the two halves. Add the champagne then strain into a small whisky decanter. Using a handheld food smoker and sherry wood chips, add smoke to the decanter and seal with a stopper so that the cocktail is smoked. Serve in a whisky tumbler with ice and garnish with an orange twist and cherry.

In London, guests can now experience the cocktail of the future. The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych is serving The Origin, a whisky-infused cocktail featuring The Dalmore that transports guests with virtual reality. When you order The Origin, you’ll first don a VR headset and begin a multi-sensory journey through the “origin” of the drink. The experience shows spectacular 3D aerial footage of the Scottish Highlands and Covent Garden before completing the VR trip at The Lobby Bar. The cocktail itself is then presented as soon as the two-minute video comes to an end and can be complemented by an order of goat cheese, truffle and almond croquettes.

“The Origin is a whisky cocktail enhanced by cherry notes, balanced with fresh grapefruit juice and lifted by a splash of Grand Cru champagne,” said Pedro Paulo, bar manager at The Lobby Bar, in speaking to Elite Traveler. “Chocolate bitters give it a touch of luxury. The VR experience takes the guest on a virtual journey to the origin of the cocktail – starting in the Highlands of Scotland where the elements of the drink are showcased.”

Inside One Aldwych Hotel, the glamorous Lobby Bar is serving a full menu of Showtime Cocktails that “celebrate the passion and drama of London’s great theatre productions.” In addition to The Origin, the bar is featuring cocktails in the categories of light and fresh “Comedies,” bubbly and fruity “Musicals,” sweet and sour “Satires,” strong and complex “Dramas” and adventurous “Backstage.” Each cocktail is accompanied by its own food pairing of bar bites by executive chef Dominic Teague.

“Great cocktails, like great theatre, rely on superb presentation with lots of drama,” said Paulo. “The aim with The Origin – part of the wider, brand new Showtime Cocktails menu – is to offer guests a sensory experience not only for the taste buds but for the eyes too.”

One Aldwych is located at 1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ. For more information, please visit onealdwych.com.

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