Blending Venice’s historic legacy with modern luxury, The St. Regis Venice has unveiled its new cocktail menu, Worldwide Icons of Art. The Arts Bar’s latest menu celebrates iconic masterpieces through bespoke glassware, exclusively designed and crafted by the Berengo Studio furnace in Murano.
Worldwide Icons of Art: The Arts Bar’s Liquid Journey in Venice
Venice, a city where art and history converge, is a stage for cinema, architecture, and the renowned glass craftsmanship that has defined its identity for centuries. From small decorative pieces to grand sculptures and opulent chandeliers adorning the lobbies of luxury hotels, Murano’s glass art is known and admired worldwide.
To honor this excellence, “The Arts Bar becomes a stage for an intimate and refined experience, where guests can truly ‘live’ their cocktails through the glassware. Each piece is uniquely designed for us, inspired by the artistic and cultural heritage of Venice, and beyond,” explains Audrey Huttert, General Manager of The St. Regis Venice.
The Glassware by Berengo Studio
The 12 cocktails on this new drink list aim to preserve Venice’s glassmaking tradition, drawing inspiration from artists like Munch, Recuenco, Mondrian, Scarpa, Banksy, Monet, Dalì, and Ai Weiwei. Each drink is served in a custom-made glass created through a special collaboration with Berengo Studio. “A glass is an intimate object, a bridge between the world contained in the cocktail and our bodies,” says Mariapia Bellis, Designer at Berengo Studio.
Founded in 1989 by Adriano Berengo, the studio is a space where contemporary artists from around the globe collaborate with Murano’s master glassmakers. The result? Unique vessels crafted exclusively for the Arts Bar, with designs reflecting the artistic masterpieces that inspire them and the bespoke mixes created by the food & beverage director Facundo Gallegos and head of bars Ludwig Negri.
Worldwide Icons of Art: The Cocktails
The menu features Still Waiting, a playful nod to artist Erwin Wurm, served in a whimsical glass. This vodka-based cocktail echoes the flavors of Austria’s iconic Sacher Torte, with chocolate and jam, topped with a cloud of foam that symbolizes the swirling thoughts and emotions we experience while waiting.
A tribute to Picasso, Canvas Temptation uses grape distillate, symbolizing the abundance found in “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon,” mixed with fig cordial and tonka bean, representing fertility and sensuality. It’s served in a deep ruby glass, the most challenging color for glassmakers to achieve.
But the most intricate glass to craft was for Through the Trees, inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” and its haunting beauty. This drink features refreshing Norwegian aquavit with herbal notes, paired with toasted barley syrup and hop soda, with a finishing touch of absinthe.
From Canvas to Cocktail
The immersive experience at The Arts Bar of St. Regis doesn’t stop at the cocktails and glassware; it also includes the original sketches of each glass design. The notebook “The Arts Bar Venice” by Mariapia Bellis showcases these unique prototypes.
In addition to the Worldwide Icons of Art menu, the bar continues to serve its signature classics, like Oriental Shapes, a personal tribute to Carlo Scarpa, and The Negroni Desire, inspired by Salvador Dalì’s famed “Birth of Liquid Desires.”
Images courtesy of St. Regis Venice
