• DarkSide at Rosewood presents a new menu of forgotten classic cocktails by Arkadiusz Rybak and Simone Rossi

    Launching in tandem with the cocktail masterclasses is DarkSide’s newest cocktail menu of forgotten classics, taking guests back in time with traditional flavours and techniques.

     

    Among the 12 new classic cocktails introduced at DarkSide, highlights include the Martini vs Vesper(HK$160), which mixes the old martini recipe with a more modern martini called the Vesper. The result is a smooth and approachable martini with the additions of Mancino Vermouth Secco and Mancino Vermouth Bianco adding a botanical complexity to the spirit, while the peach bitter and Japanese wakamomo infuses a welcome fruitiness. While there are many stories about how the Gibson came to be, the most popular is the one where San Francisco businessman Walter Gibson supposedly slipped an onion into his drink, believing it prevented colds. The DarkSide’s rendition of the Gibson (HK$160) is with Riesling wine, Mancino Vermouth Secco, Mancino Vermouth Bianco, Tio Pepe Sherry, and pure Onion Essence.

     

    The earliest known reference to the El Diable cocktail is found in Trader Vic’s Book of Food and Drink published in 1946, referred to first as the “Mexican” El Diablo. The Diablo (HK$160) is thus created with Ocho Blanco tequila, crème de cassis, lime, and ginger beer. The legendary cocktail from La Dolce Vita, the Cardinale was so named from the German cardinal who first ordered it, but also from the particular red colour, which reminds one of the cardinal bird’s brilliant red dress. Cardinale (HK$160) at DarkSide is served with Widges gin, bitter Campari, Riesling wine, Mancino vermouth secco, and a citrus twist.

     

    Finally, the Secret Cocktail (HK$160) is a forgotten cocktail in the truest sense. Available to order at almost every bar in Hong Kong, the drink is cloaked in familiarity – and yet, it will be completely wrong. First concocted in the early 20th century, the Clover Club cocktail was named for the venerable Philadelphia men’s club, created at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel and consumed in copious amounts by its members. The Clover Club contained ingredients of gin, lemon juice, egg white, and a touch of grenadine with an opalescent, light-rose hue. The yet-unnamed secret cocktail isn’t the Clover Club but contains these same ingredients, and the true name can be discovered at DarkSide.