Inspired by the transformation of ingredients, the new menu celebrates metamorphosis, exploring 12 different methods, including fermentation, caramelization and oxidation to create a selection of 16 cocktails including four non-alcoholic options, all served in Baccarat crystal glassware.
Speaking to Drinks International, Michal Maziarz, bar manager at Baccarat says: “We recently travelled with the bar team to the Baccarat manufactory and we were all completely mesmerised by the work of the artisans’ journey of creating the finest crystal. We witnessed every step of the process and met everyone on the team and experienced how they use sand from the earth, air from the lungs of the blower, fire in the furnace and water surrounding the moulds all combined to create Baccarat Crystal.”
Baccarat glassware is created to reflect the four elements of nature being earth, air, fire and water, into crystal that is seen throughout Baccarat Bar, from the chandeliers to the glasses that have been individually designed.
Maziarz notes that when learning about how the crystal is made the bar team was “so impressed by the control and level of precision they employed to achieve such near perfection, whilst keeping each piece completely unique.” When it came to create the new cocktail menu, “we wanted to apply the same principle and give our own cocktails that same attention to detail, taking produce and seeing how we can transform it and control the process behind it to keep it natural without overcalculating it,” Maziarz adds.
“We also intentionally wanted to avoid overusing complicated techniques for our cocktails, as we felt this could be unsustainable and confusing for our guests. Instead we focused on highlighting one transformation per drink, even if we used multiple for each cocktail, we wanted to only focus on one.”
The team collectively agreed on a selection of techniques to develop and champion, with some similar to the processes used in the bar, some borrowed from wine making and tea production and some from perfumery and culinary arts. “One of our techniques came to mind whilst making knives and neutralising hydrochloric acid with sodium bicarbonate, wait I thought – I can use that with vinegar – kill acetic acid but retain the complexity”, Maziarz notes.
When it came to finalising the menu, the team had more than 12 techniques in total, but opted for “a range that was complex and diverse enough to satisfy our creative ambitions without making the list too long and challenging for customers,” says Maziarz.
“We chose techniques which made a clear tangible difference to the drink so that if you taste any of the combinations before and after metamorphosis you can clearly taste the difference and see the effects. We also wanted to ensure the processes were sustainable, innovative and achievable from the team's workload perspective.”
With the longstanding nature of the previous menu, Maziarz notes that some drinks will be carried through in a ‘guests favourite’ section of the Metamorphosis menu. “We really want to take our regulars out of their comfort zones and offer them the opportunity to explore our new creations. Some of our previous cocktails were customer favourites, and are still available to order. We will be adding more elements along the way to continue the creative process until we are ready to launch our next signature menu.”
The menu also includes four non-alcoholic drinks offerings, such as the Ascent, a citrusy cocktail that has undergone acetic fermentation, changing the alcohol to vinegar, made up of Mezcal vinegar and clarified grapefruit juice, served in a Baccarat Mille Nuit Flute.
