Six original recipes enrich the new drinks list of The Bar, the cocktail lounge located in the Aman Venice resort. Devised by bar manager Antonio Ferrara and called Riflessioni, it features a curious unifying thread: each creation is named after one of the saloons in Palazzo Papadopoli, a historic building on the Grand Canal.
Aman Venice’s cocktails
Palazzo Papadopoli was built in the second half of the 16th century at the behest of the Coccina family. It has had various owners through the centuries, and since 2013 it has housed the Aman group’s luxury hotel. Here Antonio Ferrara offers the patrons a rich selection of classic cocktails and original creations. The six most recent ones just made their debut and are sure to sparkle.
Riflessioni, the new drinks list
Let’s start with a drink called Armonia. It’s made from rum, grapefruit and cinnamon cordial and dedicated to the Sala Rossa. This is the saloon where the Aman Venice bar is located. With décor inspired by the English poet Lord Byron, it is lit up by a Murano glass chandelier and enriched with silk wall coverings and a fresco by Cesare Rotta. The paintings, and particularly the muses depicted in them, were the main inspiration for the cocktail.
We continue with Meditazione. As the name suggests, it’s a cocktail to be sipped slowly and leisurely, inspired “from the distinctly feminine elegance of the Sala Blu”. The recipe calls for champagne mixed with, gin, verbena cordial and a chamomile and mint beverage. The extra touch is the chunk of ice carved into the shape of a diamond, an emblem of the preciousness of the setting.
Riflessioni, fabrics and history
Continuing with the tasting we come to Indomabile, made from gin, vodka and vermouth infused with fennel seeds and mint (garnish: edible gold leaf). This is a twist on Count Martini, Aman Venice’s historic signature drink. Both cocktails draw inspiration from noble figures. In the case of Count Martini, the reference is to Count Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga (1872-1933), while Indomabile is inspired by Maria Maddalena Aldobrandini Papadopoli (1883-1965). Her eye-catching portrait dominates the Sala Gialla.
The fresco that embellishes the Sala Guarana prompted the mixologist Antonio Ferrara to focus on passionate and spicy love. Hence the choice of ingredients: bitters aged in bourbon barrels, jalapeño liqueur and orange liqueur. The cocktail is called Incanto and regales a sip of daring romance.
Between the library and the Sala Tiepolo
The fifth offering on the drinks list is inspired by the splendid library of Palazzo Papadopoli. The ancient wood and leather of this room has guided Ferrara in the creation of Anima, a mixture of sherry, whiskey infused with Palo Santo incense wood and banana juice (an explicit allusion to the banana leaves found in the leather decoration of the walls).
Finally, here is Devozione, which pays homage to the Sala Tiepolo and the frescoes it preserves. It’s a twist on the classic Margarita, served in an elegant gilded cup adorned with strawberry powder. The alcoholic base is tequila and in addition to strawberry, it contains a second fruit: apricot.
Images courtesy Aman Venice
