week.NegroniSummer is well and truly underway... with new menus in development and sta� eager to show o� their skills, Saint Bar is buzzing with ideas.

June 5th marked the start of National Negroni week. The Italian, bitter-sweet cocktail, that divides popular opinion, is a drink of real class when made well. Our latest recruit Danilo Calvagna, who honed his Negroni passion in his native Sicily, has inspired us to get involved in celebrating this week-long event.

The classic Negroni consists of equal measures dry gin, Campari & red vermouth, but this didn’t seem enough... we wanted to take this one step further! We have added a traditional and new twist to this tried and tested classic. I urge you strongly to have a go at our co�ee washed Negroni. We triple strain our classic Negroni through a dozen Italian espresso beans adding a nutty, warming note to this signature cocktail. Another personal favourite of mine would be the Italian Herb Negroni, taking a handful of traditional Italian herbs such as oregano, basil & thyme, we shake the Negroni, strain and serve, adding an earthier note to the palate.

Time to talk about our new menus. Saint Bar & Merchants restaurant both have new menus just around the corner, launching 9th June. In Saint Bar, our cocktails are made with the most fresh and highest quality ingredients that we can get our hands on, with our focus on the Great British Summer (or what we see of it!). We have introduced a fantastic collection of Martinis, Sours & Champagne cocktails to really whet the whistle of even our most discerning customers. We have worked tirelessly over the last month to create a fantastic array of seven elegant, traditional and innovative cocktails to complement not only the weather but the ambience you will be a part of when stepping foot in the Lace Market Hotel.

Highlights from our new drinks list include the traditional English Martini made using Hendricks Gin, Rose liqueur, elder�ower, rosemary & thyme. Its summer in a glass! If this isn’t to your taste we have the Solero, inspired by the iced lolly and the perfume of Sicily, this classic is a Limoncello based, zesty, dry cocktail to be enjoyed most when the sun is out.

I can only urge you not to just take my word when it comes to our passion for great drinks, and encourage you to come and give us some of your time to enjoy, relax and sample our new menus.

Kieron Devenney BlockleyBar & Restaurant Manager