全球酒吧王 乾一杯創意
[url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa1p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa1p.jpg[/img][/url][table] [tr] [td] [list][*] [url=]適中字型[/url][*] [url=]較大字型[/url][/list] [/td] [td] ■Alex不用環遊世界的日子,便會留守酒吧,創作天馬行空的雞尾酒傳遞快樂給酒客。
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[/td] [/tr] [/table] 《波西米亞醜聞》中,福爾摩斯問Count Von Kramm住在哪裏,他回答:「你將在倫敦朗廷酒店找到我。」倫敦朗廷酒店跟福爾摩斯一樣傳奇,1865年開業隨即開創英國下午茶文化。當年貴為歐洲首家豪華酒店,百多年後的今天,以酒吧天馬行空的雞尾酒再創傳奇,為老建築注入一股新潮酒氣,兩代百變天后Madonna、Lady Gaga也曾在此買醉。從此,在酒店百年歷史中,廿一世紀一欄上多了Artesian酒吧這名字。
記者、攝影:孔詠詩
(部份圖片由受訪者提供)
走入酒店大堂,熟悉的招牌花香撲鼻而來,意大利大理石配水晶吊燈,一貫穩陣的英倫高雅,啓發昔日旅途中的詩人在此找到靈感,大文豪如奧斯卡王爾德、馬克吐溫等文人雅士流連。左轉Artesian酒吧,則是首席調酒師Alex Kratena的創意舞台。Alex小時候在家為父母調製Becherovka& Tonic,蒲過美國、韓國、日本、南美酒吧後,2007年Artesian酒吧開業時加入。於本月獲Cocktails& Spirits Awards評選為2014年最具影響力之歐洲酒吧的Artesian,原址是個360呎深的水井,昔日供酒店住客使用。近年,捷克籍的酒吧靈魂Alex橫掃歐美酒吧獎項,把閱歷統統放在玻璃杯中,2012年被新奧爾良Spirited Awards封為年度國際調酒師,「雞尾酒像語言,以酒精傳達,喝下便和我聯繫起來。」 Alex搖着酒說。
海拔2,400米高的Rum 酒單如輪盤,15款創意雞尾酒的名字抽象得摸不着頭腦,亂點了Above& Beyond,未幾,女侍應端來一杯危地馬拉Zacapa23頂級Rum混合30年的PX雪梨酒和香蕉甜酒,杯口竟放上一個透明氣枕,「想像在危地馬拉高原缺氧,刺穿枕頭後釋放尤加利樹香味,精神為之一振。」大力一吸,清新幽香,再來一口世界唯一2,400米高海拔的危地馬拉釀造的Rum,口感特別細緻,氣枕內的危地馬拉手做公仔還可帶走留念。從沒想過雞尾酒可以五感體驗,一律$218杯,價錢略貴,但喝下去的是Alex驚人的創造力,難怪近三個月銷量高達7萬杯。
[table] [tr] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa8p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa8p.jpg[/img] ■酒吧室內的設計由英國名師David Collins操刀,融合東西方風情。[/url] [/td] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa18p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa18p.jpg[/img] 聖經中的羊皮袋
■羊皮袋釀酒早在聖經新瓶舊酒的故事出現過,如今成為酒吧焦點。[/url] [/td] [/tr] [/table]
[table] [tr] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa9pnew.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa9pnew.jpg[/img] 辣椒腸下的甘苦
Unfinished Business
■採用Woodford Reserve威士忌、Martini Rosso、苦酒和薑放入羊皮袋釀造,入口辛與苦相纏口腔,杯口以辣椒腸裝飾。[/url] [/td] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa5pnew.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa5pnew.jpg[/img] 橙味功夫熊貓
Super Panda
■看罷電影《功夫熊貓》,Alex在熊貓紙燈籠注入香橙味空氣,喝時壓扁燈籠,讓香氣混入Botran Rum內。[/url] [/td] [/tr] [/table]
[table] [tr] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa3p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa3p.jpg[/img] 枕頭上鼻子嚐味
Above& Beyond
■先刺穿漂浮的枕頭聞尤加利香氣,然後試飲混合Zacapa Rum和多種甜酒的雞尾酒,滿口橘子甘香。[/url] [/td] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa2p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa2p.jpg[/img]
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升級全球酒吧之王後,Alex馬不停蹄出埠宣傳,又要坐鎮酒吧,「天天調酒不覺悶,看見客人飲得開懷,自會work hard play even harder。」酒杯放在他手裏,如魔術幻化大文豪奧斯卡王爾德的唯美小說The Picture of Dorian Gray,作者一句「愛自己,是終身浪漫的開始」,成就藝術飲品Forever Young──端上枱時來了一面鏡,70度斜角鏡面上插上飲管,每啜一口,鏡子反映微醉的我,「就如小說中男主角看到自己畫像,發現美得願意以靈魂交換青春。」喝了鏡後一杯法國頂級Grey Goose伏特加和Martini Dry,心知不會肌齡逆轉,但肯定自信心爆棚。
壓扁熊貓頭 一飲而盡 另一款Super Panda同樣受女性歡迎,Alex看電影《功夫熊貓》後,忽發奇想把注滿香橙氣味的熊貓紙燈籠放在Botran Rum加Kamm& Sons烈酒上,喝時先壓扁酒杯上的熊貓頭,濃郁酒質中帶橙香,雞尾酒的精髓,不在於一飲而盡,而是那份酒後愉悅的好心情。
酒吧空前成功,Alex自言六成歸功用料,四成屬技巧,酒吧收藏全城最多Rum系列,來源地超過廿個國家。他亦自製Rum,以古時原始存酒法,採用價值$5,271羊皮袋釀製Unfinished Business,放滿Woodford Reserve威士忌加Martini Rosso、苦酒和薑,存藏動物皮令酒變得醇厚柔順,可避免在木桶、玻璃樽內發霉的情況。 Alex又引進製冰粒技術,可將冰塊的純度和密度調高,比一般冰溶得較慢,能嗒真威士忌的清冽。
[table] [tr] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa101p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa101p.jpg[/img] 對鏡獨酌
Forever Young
■由純法國小麥,經過五次蒸餾釀製精髓而成,讓酒的味道進一步提升,其口感更細緻幼滑。[/url] [/td] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa4p.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa4p.jpg[/img] 骷髏藏烈酒
Aqui Estoy
■以骷髏頭當杯,打開帽子飄來玉桂香, Don Julio Blanco頂級龍舌蘭酒加Mezcal Chichicapa烈酒,頗為嗆辣。[/url] [/td] [td] [url=http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/large/27fa7pnew.jpg][img]http://static.apple.nextmedia.com/images/apple-photos/apple_sub/20140627/small/27fa7pnew.jpg[/img] ■酒單Butterfly Wheel轉動輪盤,如心理測驗分六大酒類選擇。[/url] [/td] [/tr] [/table]
Artesian [url=http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/]http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk/[img]http://staticlayout.apple.nextmedia.com/template/common/scripts/images/replacelink/url.gif[/img][/url]
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Travel Memo:英國 機票:卡塔爾航空由香港經多哈至倫敦,7月份來回經濟客位約$9,720,詳情可瀏覽[url=http://www.qatarairways.com]http://www.qatarairways.com[img]http://staticlayout.apple.nextmedia.com/template/common/scripts/images/replacelink/url.gif[/img][/url]
簽證:持特區護照或BNO均免簽證。查詢:29013000(英國總領事館)
匯率:1英鎊約兌13港元(文中價錢已折算成港元)
實用網址:[url=http://www.visitbritain.com]http://www.visitbritain.com[img]http://staticlayout.apple.nextmedia.com/template/common/scripts/images/replacelink/url.gif[/img][/url](英國旅遊局)
鳴謝︰Langham London Hotel、卡塔爾航空
Alex心水推介全球三大酒吧 1.布爾諾Blahovka酒吧位於捷克第二大城市布爾諾(Brno),是Alex祖父母和爸媽的蒲點,Alex直認它是全球最佳酒吧,「提供自家製白蘭地及傳統捷克菜,簡單地道,但永遠座無虛席。」
Blá hovka pub,54 Gorké ho Street, Czech
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2.紐約The NoMad Hotel座落在曼哈頓同名酒店內,前身是一幢十九世紀Beaux-Arts風格的建築,由法國設計師Jacques Garcia包辦室內設計,充滿巴黎小客廳的氛圍。他們請來星級調酒師Leo Robitschek坐鎮,Alex評其雞尾酒10分滿分有11分超水準表現。
[url=http://www.thenomadhotel.com/]http://www.thenomadhotel.com/[img]http://staticlayout.apple.nextmedia.com/template/common/scripts/images/replacelink/url.gif[/img][/url]
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3.倫敦The Connaught Bar同樣是設計師David Collins出品,吧枱前衞又華麗,出名頂級雞尾酒,提供私人調酒師尊貴服務,是全城唯一一間酒店同時提供Lagavulin和Dalmore兩種貴價威士忌。
[url=http://www.the-connaught.co.uk]http://www.the-connaught.co.uk[img]http://staticlayout.apple.nextmedia.com/template/common/scripts/images/replacelink/url.gif[/img][/url]
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