The Mandarin Garden in Milan has unveiled its latest drink list, Mirabilia, a cocktail collection inspired by some of the most stunning gardens around the world—including its very own, tucked within the walls of the Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Mandarin Garden’s New Drink List
The masterminds behind this menu are Guglielmo Miriello and Gaetano Ascone, the venue’s Director and Bar Manager, respectively. Their inspiration? Natural havens, big or small, where nature takes center stage. The eight new cocktails transport you to the foothills of the Himalayas, a Costa Rican nature reserve, and South Africa’s coastline, while also drawing inspiration from Marrakech, Arizona’s desert botanical gardens, Japan’s zen gardens, and Indonesia’s lush landscapes. Naturally, the collection wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the hotel’s own serene green oasis in the heart of Milan.
The drink list itself is designed to evoke the feel of vintage botanical manuals, those beautifully illustrated guides from an era before photography. Miriello and Ascone aim to “surprise guests and immerse them in a multisensory experience, engaging not just taste but also smell and sight.” They describe Mirabilia as “a truly wonderful journey.”
Mirabilia: A Cocktail Journey Across the Globe
The adventure begins with Escape, a cocktail inspired by the Mandarin Garden itself. It’s made with gin, ratafià, a blend of vermouths infused with pine, and raspberry bitters. Even the presentation is designed to captivate: the wooden coaster conceals a small drawer that, when opened, releases a mist of pine fragrance.
Next is Majorelle, a tribute to the gardens of the Marrakech villa envisioned by French painter Jacques Majorelle. This drink combines eucalyptus-infused vodka, an earthy and oceanic liqueur, blue spirulina, Moroccan lemon cordial, and mint bitters.
Port Elizabeth takes inspiration from South Africa’s Garden Route, a scenic stretch along the coastline connecting Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth. The cocktail features almond-infused cognac, hibiscus water, sherry, rooibos shrub, and honeybush blossoms.
More Mirabilia Cocktails to Discover
The fourth stop is India, specifically the Margaret’s Hope tea estate in Darjeeling, established in 1864 and perched nearly 2,000 meters above sea level. The Margaret’s Hope cocktail blends hay-infused gin, aquavit, vetiver liqueur, Darjeeling and patchouli tincture, dry vermouth, and tonka beans.
Next, we head to Costa Rica’s Waterfall Garden, home to a significant butterfly colony. This setting inspired La Paz, a vibrant mix of Dominican rum infused with cacao, cacao and date liqueur, passion fruit, lime, vanilla & Jamaican pepper bitters, and a passion fruit foam.
From Arizona to Japan
The journey then takes us to Arizona’s Desert Botanical Garden, a paradise of cacti, succulents, trees, flowers, and wildlife. The result is Desert Bloom, made with mezcal, sesame-infused bourbon, salted cardamom and pineapple cordial, tobacco liqueur, and habanero chocolate chili tincture.
Miriello’s seventh creation, Harmony Elixir, reflects the balance of Japanese zen gardens. It features gin, lapsang liqueur, five-spice tincture, and nashi pear soda.
The final cocktail, Island Essence, draws inspiration from Indonesia’s role in global coffee trade rather than a specific garden. It’s a bold mix of shiitake-infused whisky, amaro, coffee tincture, miso, coconut milk, and lime, providing a fitting close to this naturalistic journey.
Images courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Milano
