For cocktail lovers who love a throwback to Hollywood’s glamorous past, look no further than the Four Seasons Hotel this weekend. The third-best gin bar worldwide and on the The World’s 50 Best Bars list for seven years in a row, Barcelona’s famous cocktail bar Dry Martini is at Blue Bar for only three days, from 26–28 April 2018, as part of the Four Seasons’ successful Blue Remix series.
In the run-up to the launch of the pop-up, we had a chance to preview Dry Martini’s “signature eccentric” cocktails ($180) – a mix of old and new classics – paired with thoughtfully crafted ”bar snacks” ($130–290) courtesy of Executive Chef Andrea Accordi. Non-alcoholic Droplets were subtlety used in both the cocktails and dishes to heighten the flavours without overpowering the main ingredients.
Our favourite pairings included the spicy apple martini paired with foie gras, apple and honey. The delicate texture of the fresh Granny Smith apple skin with the rum and mint gave a slight tinge of acidity, subtle spice and sourness that offered a delicious complement to cut through the fattiness of the foie gras. It also had none of the cloying sweetness that comes with a typical apple martini.
For those who want more oomph with their tipple, Frappé Ximz is your guy. Made primarily with gin and sweet wine Pedro Ximénez, it deserves a bar snack with substance like the steak tartare with avocado, capers and celery. The herby and aromatic notes of the gin mixed with the sweet sherry emphasised the flavour, texture and creaminess of the tartare.
And for those who like to end on a sweet note, we loved the tropical flavours of the coconut martini, a heavenly concoction made with coconut purée, coconut liqueur and vodka. Reminiscent of a pina colada without the sticky sweetness, we liked it with the lightly seared scallop casserole served in the shell for an island vibe (or go big with the savoury Segovia suckling pig).
Based on what we sampled, you can’t go wrong with any of the cocktails or specially crafted food pairings. This Dry Martini pop-up is definitely worth a try for a pre-dinner aperitif or even a light dinner if you’re looking for an exquisite cocktail experience with a food pairing of substance.
Lobby, Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, 8 Finance Street, Central, 3196 8830, bluebar.hkg@fourseasons.com
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