Tucked inside Brown’s Hotel is The Donovan Bar; green velvet booths, vintage black & white Terence Donovan photography - this place is Mayfair’s low-lit love letter to classic cocktails. So when they launch a new cocktail menu called Our Way, that’s reimagining the classics they're famous for, we pay attention.
Crafted by legendary shaker-slinger Salvatore “The Maestro” Calabrese and his right-hand wizard Federico Pavan, this new menu is all about combining timeless techniques and flavours that slap. Forget smoke clouds and gimmick glassware Our Way is for those who know a damn good drink when they taste one. Think 13 cocktails, all reimagined takes on the classics, elevated with quiet confidence.
Each cocktail has its own flavour-first story. Kicking off with the Bellini Colada, a Venetian aperitivo meets tropical getaway. Creamy, icy and laced with a savoury note of frozen cucumber; it tastes like a holiday in a highball. Then take the Marimo Martini. It’s giving classic Bond, but not as you know him - dry and mineral with a seaweed twist that’s more Kyoto than Casino Royale.
The Eau de Martinez? Spirit-forward with Seventy One Gin, Don Julio 1942, Americano Bianco, PX Sherry and a whiff of patchouli. It’s moody and herbaceous, just the kind of twist BarChick allows on one of her favourite cocktails.
Feeling fresh? Try the Margarita Blush, a mezcal-powered pink number with bergamot and purple carrot. The smokiness of the mezcal comes through with a citrus kick that’s sharp as hell. If you’ve come by for a nightcap then get around the Tarte Old Fashioned - a creamy, punchy sipper laced with ricotta, pear, and porcini bitters.
The menu itself deserves your attention. Designed like a bartender’s sketchbook it’s full of scribbles, tasting notes and behind-the-scenes magic that lets you peek into the minds of the masters. Every page feels like a love letter to the craft.
“This menu is about refinement, not reinvention,” says Calabrese. “We don’t chase trends. We chase excellence.” And trust us, they’ve caught it.