Mayfair’s famous and much-celebrated Connaught Bar, housed inside the Mayfair hotel of the same name, is to launch its first ever cocktail book this April.
A regular feature in the World’s 50 Best Bars list, the Connaught Bar took the top spot in 2020 and 2021 and is currently ranked number five on the list, making it the highest London entry.
The book, The Connaught Bar: Recipes and Iconic Creations, is written primarily by the director of mixology, Agostino Perrone, with significant contributions from his team, namely assistant director of mixology Giorgio Bargiani and long-term bar manager, Maura Milia, who will leaves the hotel in March.
Released in the spring, the book will detail the award-winning team's legacy and approach to cocktails. Perrone said of it: “The Connaught Bar book not only encapsulates 15 years of work but also a life experience. It’s a collection of emotions, stories, and connections with our guests. This book celebrates a legacy that we continue to share with existing and future guests, inviting them to join our journey.”
Beyond the cocktail recipes themselves — the book opens with the Connaught Martini, a signature cocktail that has been on the menu since doors opened in 2008 — there are around 120 recipes for homemade syrups, garnishes and infused spirits that the team use to create its celebrated drinks.
Each of the 100 drinks featured is introduced by Perrone, with a short narrative outlining the inspiration and story behind each, as well as notes indicating alcoholic content, equipment needed and difficulty levels for preparing each drink.
Giorgio Bargiani said of it: “Recipes become statements when they find their place in a book, and this book is an important statement for the Connaught Bar and our team. Through these 100 recipes, there is the building and evolution of a mixology style that has progressed over the years, always remaining true to the distinctive hospitality ethos of The Connaught.”
