The Lobby Bar launches gallery cocktail menu inspired by its collection of modern British art
September 2023, London – Deep in Covent Garden, One Aldwych is home to an art collection that showcases works from some of the most compelling modern British artists throughout the hotel. The stylish Lobby Bar, with its soaring ceilings, double-height windows, and art deco feel, is the beating heart of One Aldwych, where guests and locals alike come to sip and savour an impressive selection of drinks and light bites.
The cocktails have been inspired by 12 hero pieces from within the hotel’s 400-strong collection of mixed media contemporary artworks and the artists behind them. The Lobby Bar team has collaborated with cocktail connoisseur Marcis Dzelzainis (who has put the likes of Sager & Wilde, The Zetter Townhouse and Dandelyan on the global cocktail lovers’ map) to create The Gallery Menu.
The new Gallery Menu’s nine cocktails and three mocktails reflect the selected artworks, from the elegant limestone carved head of Dionysus by Emily Young and André Wallace’s iconic sculpture The Boatman, to Philip Diggle’s bold canvas and Justine Smith’s witty papier mâché pooches. Much like the curation of the art pieces, in the creation of this new drinks menu, One Aldwych and Marcis have chosen to work with small British artisans to bring original and distinctive flavours to these libations which explore the connection between nature and the artist.
The cocktails and their artistic pairing are as follows:
The art: The Boatman, André Wallace
André Wallace is a sculptor/ artist based in London, working in bronze, stone, translucent resin, various metals and on paper. Born in Somerset in 1947, he studied at the Somerset College of Art, Royal Academy Schools and Royal College of Art. Part of a series of pieces (located elsewhere in the UK), this striking sculpture that sits behind the Lobby Bar itself, is carved in bronze and fibreglass.
The drink: Horseradish Martini
Stately with quintessentially British flavours, strong and punchy, this cocktail is clean cut and reflects the stone, bronze and the ocean, containing The Lakes Vodka, horseradish distillate, Vault Coastal Vermouth and a dash of pickle juice, garnished with an oyster leaf and pickled onion.
The art: Michele Foucault, Phillip Diggle
A bold and vibrant piece where art meets punk. During the 1970s and 80s Punk movement, Philip Diggle would paint on stage at much-publicised and celebrated gigs for his brother Steve Diggle, the guitarist and vocalist in punk band, Buzzcocks.
The drink: Blueberry Enzoni
Imbuing the drink with the punk energy encapsulated in the painting, the drink’s colours reflect those in the artwork, while its flavours embody the dynamism of the piece and the punk movement itself. It brings together Beefeater 24 gin, Campari, Capreolus Raspberry Eau de Vie, lemon, and blueberries, creating a cocktail that is irreverent and fun, floral and fruit-driven with a hint of bitterness
The art: Dionysus, Emily Young
Carved from Purbeck limestone, this striking Dionysus was created by Emily Young, who was described by the Financial Times as “Britain’s greatest contemporary stone sculptor” who reaches unparalleled “grandeur and depth”. Emily has a curiosity in the geological characteristics of stone and her works are often the result of raiding quarry yards for discarded materials.
Dionysus (who the Romans called Bacchus) is apt inspiration for a drink as the Olympian god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness and wild frenzy.
The drink: Rosalind
Created as the embodiment of Bacchanalian delight, bringing together rose, raspberry and fizz. It contains Sapling Vodka, Aker English Rose Aperitif, Capreolus Raspberry Eau de Vie, Vault Aperitivo Bitter Henners Sparkling Wine and grapefruit oils, garnished with raspberry dust and a grapefruit twist. Rosalind means ‘pretty rose’.
The art: Girls Head, André Wallace
Awarded the Sainsbury Award for Sculpture in 1974, Wallace works from the hand-held to the monumental in various materials. Girls Head is known affectionately in the hotel as Olga and was chosen for One Aldwych to connect to the architectural and artistic forms of the period when the building was originally built. Wallace often focuses on human figures to explore broad themes of transformation, journeys and the passage of time. The materials he uses are suggestive of different states and, here, the traditional bronze cast represents a solidity and permanence.
The drink: Olga’s Bramble
With key notes that are minimal, brutalist and monochrome, like its artwork pairing, this gin-based cocktail is stripped to its essence to showcase the beauty of its ingredients: Plymouth Gin, Capreolus Blackberry Eau de Vie, lemon, garnished with fresh eucalyptus.
The art: Abstract in Colour, Brian De La Cour
The source of Brian De La Cour’s inspiration is landscape in many forms. He defines his early work as ‘torturous’ in nature, which led him to explore the juxtapositions of natural rock formations with urban scenes of devastation. His later art reflects the calmer harmony of land and sky, though still through a lens of abstract realism. Da La Cour’s paintings are often constructed through layering: revealing, cancelling and superimposing images, free-hand drawing and lively colour, representing stability and flux, in art and in life.
The drink: Morello Cherry Mai Tai
Inspired by natural rock formations, this cocktail references the painting’s vibrant colour palette, while flavours are similarly layered. The use of bright hues in the art inspired a merging of Caribbean and English sensibilities and ingredients, with Plantation Overproof and Havana Club 7 Rums, Somerset Morello Cherry, Somerset Pomona, lemon, and orgeat for a hint of almond. A combination of eucalyptus, candied apple and an orange slice complete the drink.
The art: Abstract Figure Form in Blue, Joost Beerents
An exception to the British line-up, Joost is a Dutch artist who was born in 1963 and still lives and paints in Amsterdam. One Aldwych owns a number of specially commissioned pieces by Beerents as part of their permanent collection. At the start of her career, Beerents was influenced by Fra Angelico’s frescoes – ‘their worn, pale colours’ – in Piazzo San Marco in Florence. Much of her work shows her experiments with charcoal and gouache as she developed her own techniques and style. Here, the burst of yellow and the ephemeral figure were the inspiration for this drink.
The drink: Ginger Stone Fence
The bright tone of the drink links to this artwork, with a mix of Makers Mark Bourbon, Capreolus Pear Eaux de Vie, Howls Loer #1, ginger, lemon, and Perry cider for a refreshing and punchy libation, with a punchy pop of ginger.
The art: Lizzie, Justine Smith
One Aldwych’s original canine sculpture, Spencer (covered in classic Beano cartoon strips), was more recently joined by puppy friend Lizzie. Paper has always been a primary material in Smith’s work, as she enjoys exploring its status in both money and communication. With Lizzie, Smith subverts the concept of money and its worth,w with the fact that on a physical level, a banknote is just a piece of paper. Lizzie and Spencer welcome guests at reception.
The drink: Quince & Earl Grey Martini
This bright, floral and fresh drink enhances the bergamot notes in the Earl Grey with the addition of honey. It’s a combination of Hendricks Gin, Earl Grey Distillate, Capreolus Quince Eau de Vie, lemon, and honey, finished with strawflowers and a verbena leaf.
The art: Toast, Tracy Davidson
Toast was created by Davidson to mark her father’s imprisonment when she was a child. Her mother struggled to provide for the family and Davidson’s enduring memory of the time was burnt toast every morning for breakfast – her mother too distraught to care. The slices of toast, in many rows, represent the number of months her father was away from them, with his prisoner number marked at the centre of the piece. Guests can find it hanging in the hotel’s restaurant, Indigo (where they never serve burnt toast).
The drink: Breakfast by the Loch
Evoking the smokey element of the toast elegantly through The Macallan 12 and Laphroaig, along with ingredients found in breakfast spreads that combine for a touch of sweetness: Capreolus Blackberry Eau de Vie(jam), golden syrup (honey), and orange bitters (marmalade).
The art: Floral Border, Richard Bartle
Many of the ideas reflected in Richard Bartle’s work offer an interesting dialogue with the design and ideology at One Aldwych. In the late 1990s, when this work was being made, Bartle was exploring ideas around individualism within a consumerist society – particularly identity and lifestyle as commodities. Another element that has often found its way into his work is rain – it was one of the overarching memories of his childhood in Rotherham. (We’re quite familiar with it here in London too). In his art, Bartle seeks out perfect versions of the objects he needs, multiplies them, then painstakingly cuts them out and fixes them as patterns in his imagined worlds.
The drink: Garden Swizzle
Herbaceous, fresh and spicy like a verdant garden border, this is a long, complex and refreshing drink. It blends OlmecaTequila, lime, cucumber, purple basil, green tabasco, tarragon, green jalapeño there needs to be squiggle over the n and green Chartreuse, garnished with corn flowers and purple basil to bring the artwork to life in the glass.
Non-alcoholic cocktails:
The art: Forms in Turquoise on Green, John Taylor
Having grown up in Darvel, Ayrshire, Scotsman John Taylor began his artistic journey in 1959 with a Diploma of Art in Drawing and Painting at the renowned Glasgow School of Art. He developed his passion for screen printing studying in Birmingham in the seventies. This piece can be found in one of the hotel’s bedrooms.
The drink: Rhubarb Sour
Reflecting the fresh hues of the painting, the drink incorporates Everleaf non-alcoholic aperitifs Mountain and Marine – which use sustainably sourced botanicals including cherry blossom, rosehip & strawberry (Mountain) and crisp flavours evoking umami kelp forests, zesty bergamot and tropical sea buckthorn (Marine). This is blended with rhubarb, almond, lemon and soda to create an elegant, refreshing and refined beverage with a touch of tang.
The art: Untitled, Wendy Sutherland
Wendy Sutherland’s paintings encourage us to stride out in the artist’s company towards an inviting horizon. Her paintings celebrate the dominating physical environments of her upbringing, the elements experienced and embraced on long walks and, more deeply, the primal energy which formed these hills, landscapes and seas. With numerous awards and solo exhibitions under her belt, Sutherland is considered a leading figure in Scottish landscape painting.
The drink: Iced Tea Spritz
This drink aims to explore the elements, incorporating Everleaf Forest (with exotic saffron, rich Madagascan vanilla and honeyed orange blossom), bergamot cordial, Earl Grey tea, Prosecco Zero and bergamot foam.
The art: One Aldwych, Joost Beerents
A specially commissioned piece from Joost Beerents, this work is a celebration of One Aldwych’s singular, beautiful building. Found on the sixth floor, the piece encapsulates both a moment in history, dressed up in style – showing the Edwardian façade that was built as the home of the Morning Post newspaper in 1905 – and its timelessness that still inspires conversation and connection today.
The drink: Carrot Fizz
Like One Aldwych, this drink is distinctive and structured, with an invigorating freshness. It incorporates Lyre’s Italian Spritz, carrot cordial, orange, ginger, lemon and Prosecco Zero.
For more information, please visit www.onealdwych.com
www.onealdwych.com | Tel: 020 7300 1000
reservations@onealdwych.com | One Aldwych, London WC2B 4BZ
Press Information and images:
onealdwych@the-mcollective.com
Editor’s Notes:
One Aldwych – Covent Garden’s cultured, independent hotel – a true modern oasis, privately-owned, standing proud within the distinctive, stand-alone, triangular building, former home of the great Morning Post newspaper, at the point where the City meets the West End. With stunning spacious, clean, contemporary interiors by Fabled Studio and Robert Angell, embellished with Art Nouveau flourishes inspired by the building – and spirited English touches – warm, welcoming and a little unconventional. The result is an exquisite, expressive, original style as befits a truly independent London hotel. Covent Garden’s neighbourhood restaurant, Indigo, is the home of simply delicious dishes by Chef Dominic Teague, using ingredients from the best British independent producers – while the hotel’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired afternoon tea is a firm favourite with young and old alike. Other facilities include the Lobby Bar, The Library, 30-seat Screening Room, and Health Club with 18-metre / 59-foot chlorine-free swimming pool, spa and gym.
