Among the drinks are the ‘Latina Daisy’, the ‘Mystery of Simplicity’ and the ‘Yellow Submarine’, as well as more familiar options, such as ‘Negroni’. Not all of them are easily attempted, so check the difficulty level before you get into detailed ice work and foams just as the neighbours pop round. Some drinks require a professional touch.
While you might make a passable negroni at home, most of us could make 1,000 martinis and never come close to the one you would get at The Connaught. ‘Don’t worry, it only takes 15 years,’ Perrone says, laughing. ‘If you and I were standing next to each other with the same ice, the same ingredients, the same proportions, the drink would somehow be different. It’s like painting. With muscle memory, you develop a feeling between you and the drink, so you know when it is perfect. As you put a lot of emotion into the drink, you translate that emotion to your guests. It’s about exercising the technique so you can be more spontaneous, and be more yourself. The fun begins when you make the connection.’
For many would-be domestic mixologists, the emotions they find themselves translating to guests will be ‘frustration’ and ‘sense of incompetence’. That’s after they’ve sourced Cocchi Americano and Muyu Vetiver Gris liqueur, or any other of the more obscure ingredients Perrone suggests ought to be in your home bar. Maybe that’s the idea. As appealing as the book The Connaught Bar is, it is less of an instruction manual and more of a siren call to The Connaught itself.
