BAR45 hones Simplicity with This Cocktail Experience

It seems mixologists have become a little carried away. What were once cocktails made from clear, distinct components have morphed into long-winded lists of ingredients buried deep in menu pages. Dare we say it—cocktails have gone too far. Launched on the 24th of April, BAR45 at The Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane introduces a new mantra of mixology: Simplicity. Though cocktails began with simplicity— with the first known example, the Sazerac, featuring no more than five ingredients—this is no ordinary take; it’s a return to basics with a completely fresh perspective.

Developed by Bar Manager Enrico Perri and Assistant Bar Manager Mario Gualtieri, the selection invites guests to explore six core flavour profiles of the spirit world: Crisp, Rich, Umami, Negroni, Rare and Zero. While the drinks are all about being simple, the offering is anything but limited—featuring 24 different cocktails. Even the most particular palates will find something to sip at. Here, we've picked a selection of standouts from the menu that prove less really can be more.

A Journey of Simplicity

Kicking off the journey with the Crisp flavour profile, these cocktails offer refreshing flavours that give your tastebuds a youthful burst of life. A standout among the four is the Red & Blue, pared back to just three ingredients: Clairin Communal rum, Fassionola, and Metaxa. This drink is sure to transport guests to sweeping sands and turquoise waters, thanks to the syrupy passion fruit notes of the Fassionola (a Tiki cocktail syrup) and the incorporation of Metaxa, a Greek brandy lending aromatic florals to soften the peppery warmth of the rum. Garnished with a cracker that echoes the vivid colours of its name, the Red & Blue is, quite literally, crisp.

The Bacchus Kiss, delicately crowned with a floating amber flower, captures the soft, sparkling spirit of what one imagines when they think of crispness. It’s an elegant blend of Telmont Brut Champagne, Belvedere Vodka, Savoia Orancio—a bittersweet aperitivo made with orange wine—yoghurt, and passion fruit. The result? A refreshingly sweet, effervescent coupe with a velvety mouthfeel courtesy of the yoghurt.

The concept of umami seems to have suddenly appeared on everyone’s radar, despite having been there all along. It’s that unique savoury edge—neither sweet nor salty, yet somehow a little of both. This is what we know as umami—a delicious grey area on the flavour map that chefs and mixologists revel in exploring. The cocktails in the Umami section of the menu strike me as the most intriguing, each one blending sweet and savoury notes in unexpected ways. The Italo-Samba combines tomato with strawberry; the Parmatini mixes Parmesan and saffron with apple and coconut; and the Pick Me Up takes bizarre umami pairing to the next level.

If you have ever been sat staring at a cocktail menu, paralysed by the decision between a dirty martini and a pornstar martini, the Pick Me Up hands you an easy choice that gives you the best of both worlds. Built on a base of Belvedere Vodka, this cocktail brings together Bianco di Prato vermouth and pickles for the savoury depth of a dirty martini, balanced by juicy tropical notes of passion fruit and guava. It may sound unusual, but I’m inclined to trust them on this one.

The interesting blends also fall outside the bounds of the Umami profile. Within the Negroni and Rich categories, two standout cocktails take a bold step into unexpected territory—fusing coffee with pineapple. One, the Pineapple and Coffee Negroni mixed with Bitter fusetti, Enemigo Blanco tequila and Cocchi Dopo Teatro vermouth. The other, named The Winning Sip, is a similarly short serve that forgoes the bitters but doubles down on smooth depth. Made up of Don Julio Reposado, coffee, pineapple and extra dry vermouth—these combos will suit those with a nuanced taste for contrast. For an extra-exclusive experience of simplicity, the Rare category dives deep into the liquor cabinets of the past to shake up some vintage spirits. These four gilded drinks, ranging from £80 to £140, incorporate classic bottles from 1970s Gordon’s Gin to 1960s Fernet Branca. The £140 cocktail, known as the Rob Roy, features Macallan Sherry Oak 18yrs as a base spirit alongside 1970s vermouth, Antica Formula and Angostura Bitters.

At the other end of the spectrum, for those less concerned with ABV and more focused on flavour, there’s the Zero category. These four cocktails distil select profiles from across the menu into 0% format. A varied menu of bites are also on offer to pair alongside your cocktails, from spicy tuna tartare cones to lobster rolls by Wolfgang Puck (whose London restaurant, CUT, sits just below BAR45 at 45 Park Lane).

Explore the full Simplicity menu here and book your seat at BAR45 via this link to experience the essence of everything, minus the excess.