Cocktails

This list has been inspired by Tato Giavannoni, recently named as Argentine bartender of the decade. He has worked on just about every major bar opening in Buenos Aires over the last few years, and we are proud to have him on our team. This menu is divided into sections, Gaucho Classics, Bloody and Rare, and a series of Buenos Aires Classics, recipes from the heyday of Buenos Aires’s glamour and style of the 1930’s through to the 60’s.

VIENTO VIOLETA: £10.00; Violet liqueur and Belvedere Mandarin vodka shaken together with quince jelly, topped with Patagonian sparkling rose wine, then served on the rocks in a dessert wine glass; a fantastic floral aperitif
POMMELINA: £8.00; A wedge of orange, grapefruit, lime, lemon and clementine muddled together with sugar and mixed with your choice of Cachaca or vodka, served over crushed ice in a rocks glass. This is an Argentinean take on the Brazilian classic Caipirinha, which our bar team would be happy to make for you
SAN LUCAS: £8.50; Half of a fresh lime muddled with sugar and mixed with cinnamon infused rum then finally topped with Fever Tree bitter lemon and garnished with two sprigs of fresh mint; an Argentinean version of the classic Cuban mojito, which can also be ordered through your server
REFRESCO N1: £8.50; Martini dry mixed with passion fruit puree, fresh lime juice and sweetened with a touch of sugar before being served tall over cubed ice and garnished with two fresh mint sprigs. A fabulously refreshing drink created by Bahdir Maluf in the 878 Speak easy Bar, Buenos Aires
CARIÑO: £8.50; Zubrowka Bison Grass vodka shaken with fresh strawberry and passion fruit puree, creating a fresh and fruity martini which is finished off with a sugar rim
BRIZA MENdOZINA: £9.00; Torrontes licoroso and Campari mixed with fresh grapefruit juice, mint and sugar before being shaken and served straight up in a dessert wine glass. This “breeze of Mendoza” is a perfect drink on those hot summer days
SALTA SLING: £8.50; Half of a fresh conference pear muddled then mixed with whiskey, Chambord and Malamado port style malbec before being shaken and served tall over crushed ice creating a soft and slightly fruity sling style cocktail
P NEGRA: £8.00; Stolichnaya Razberi vodka and Patagonian pinot noir mixed together with muddled red grapes, pomegranate juice and fresh mint, shaken and served straight up in a martini glass; a light and refreshing sangria style drink
BOCHAROV: £8.75; Smirnoff Black vodka infused with chilli and mixed with fresh orange juice Patagonian rosehip jelly, then shaken and served straight up in a martini glass and finished off with a pinch of black pepper
CORAZON TANO: £8.00; Tanqueray gin and Cinzano Bianco shaken over ice with fresh pink grapefruit juice and served straight up in a martini glass, with a “heart” of Campari as a garnish. A refreshing Argentinean cocktail based on the classic Negroni
PATAGONIA COBBLER: £8.00; Sauvignon Blanc and apple liqueur mixed with peach puree and apple juice, shaken and served tall over cubbed ice and topped off with sweet summer berries, making a fruity Patagonian inspired cobbler

THE GAUCHO BLOODY MARY: £8.50; Smirnoff Black vodka mixed with fresh tomato juice, chimichurri, fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper, Tabasco and Worcester sauce, served tall over cubed ice and garnished with a salt & pepper rim and a celery rib
SANGRE SECA: £8.00; Tanqueray gin and Tio Pepe dry sherry mixed with fresh tomato and lemon juice, basil leaves and sweetened with a touch of sugar, then shaken and served straight up in a martini glass; a summery alternative to the regular bloody
MORDIDA: £8.00; Smirnoff Black infused with chilli and mixed with fresh tomato juice, Worcester sauce, Tabasco sauce, chipotle powder and passion fruit puree, stirred with cubed ice and served tall; creating a bloody mary with some bite

THE CLARIDGE: £8.75; Tanqueray gin, Noilly Prat, apricot brandy and a dash of Cointreau shaken and served straight up in a martini glass with a zest of lemon to garnish; first created in the Claridge Hotel Buenos Aires
SAN BENITO: £9.00; Tanqeray gin, Cinzano Bianco and a dash of Maraschino liqueur shaken with fresh pineapple juice and served straight up in a martini glass with a maraschino cherry garnish; created by Santiago Policastro at the Grand Hotel, Buenos Aires
HANKY PANKY: £8.50; Tanqueray gin and Martini Rosso with a dash of Fernet Branca, shaken and served straight up in a martini glass with an orange zest garnish; adapted in Buenos Aires from the original recipe which was created at the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel
MAR DEL PLATA: £10.50; Tanqueray gin, Benedictine, Grand Marnier and Noilly Prat, shaken and served straight in a martini glass with an orange zest garnish; created in the Claridge Hotel Buenos Aires
COGOTE: £8.00; Whiskey and ginger ale stirred over ice with Angostura bitters and garnished with the peel of a whole lemon; creating a classic digestif
GRAN ALVEAR: £9.00; Tanqueray gin and fresh pineapple juice, shaken with a dash of Benedictine and topped up with Bianchi sparkling wine, finally garnished with a pineapple and lemon flag; the signature cocktail from the sophisticated Alvear Hotel in Buenos Aires

From the 1930’s to the 1960’s, Buenos Aires was one of the world’s best places for cocktails. The culture of drinking cocktails in hotels and bars was endemic, with a glamorous night scene combined with the sultry passion of the milonga and tango clubs. This period produced many of the world’s top bartending champions. These cocktails are the actual recipes from that time.

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