St James Bar at Sofitel London St James has launched its new menu, ‘Once In A Lifetime’. Inspired by the incredible experiences that often appear on bucket lists, this experiential concept delivers, in cocktail form, some of the most thrilling adventures and breathtakingly spectacular locations around the world.
The creation of the new menu has been a collaborative team process, led by Head Bartender Angelo Sparvoli. Having earned his stripes under some of the world’s finest bartenders, like Erik Lorincz at the American Bar and Kwānt, he is now bringing his expertise to St James Bar, leading a new generation of bar talent in London.
Each one of the sixteen cocktails that appear in ‘Once In A Lifetime’ is a unique take on a classic serve. All presented in refined glassware, the clean but striking drinks are as fun as they are complex; whilst some dazzle with theatrics and playful garnishes others focus on intriguing flavour combinations and intricate techniques. Practises such as fermentation, clarification, and fat-washing are used, as well as sous-vide, nitro-infusion, and carbonation methods, to produce some of the exciting concoctions. The creativity exhibited within each drink is as unbridled as its subject matter and guaranteed to captivate even the ultimate cocktail aficionado.
From driving a Formula One car and climbing Mount Everest to riding a hot air balloon or traveling on the Orient Express, the new menu will take guests on an inspiring journey of adventure and natural wonder. Each cocktail is created with ingredients designed to evoke an experience through sight, taste, and smell. For example, Green Lights draws on Nordic Aquavit, pine needles, and crisp clean lemon to recreate the experience of lying on snow, watching the Northern Lights. Meanwhile, Javari comprises Canaima gin, made with Amazonian botanicals, and a red amaranth garnish, as well as cocoa, yerba mate, soapbark, and timur pepper, which combine to create the native humid aromas that we’d imagine inhaling when exploring the Amazon rainforest.
Additional examples from the menu include:
Kasumi – Cocchi Extra Dry vermouth, umeshu, shiso, Roku gin, peach bitters – £18
Moon Shadow – Bulleit bourbon whiskey, fig, Barbeito dry madeira, sherry & acacia honey gastrique, lemon foam – £21
Into the Wild – Discarded banana peel rum, Fernet Branca menta, Leonor palo cortado, cold brew coffee, muscovado, coconut – £20
Green Lights – Tanqueray No Ten gin, Aquavit, lemon oleo, pine needle & lemon sorbet – £20
Javari – Canaima gin, EVE fig leaf liqueur, Electric bitters, citrus, timur pepper, cocoa, yerba mate soda, soapbark – £20
Volto – Discarded grape skin vodka, Amaro Santoni, orange oleo, Franklin & Sons soda water, Moët & Chandon brut champagne -£22
The menu itself showcases beautiful illustrations of each tipple, by artist Simon Grant. The designs emulate a 1930s industrial travel poster style, combining a strong graphic element and a freehand painted feel.
Situated in the heart of London, on the corner of Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, St James Bar is tucked into the depths of Sofitel London St James, giving the bar a luxuriously clandestine feel.
It’s open Monday through Saturday, except Wednesdays, from 5pm to midnight and Sunday from 3pm to 11.30pm
For more information or to make a reservation, head over to the bar’s official website.
