Anti-Valentine cocktail
The Sybaritic Single detests St. Valentine’s despite being born on the same day. All luxury hotels seem to do the usual boring thing: romantic dinners with endless set menus, a silly live band, heart-shaped chocolates and rose petals. Lack of imagination – that’s not what luxury is about.
What caught his attention this year was the ephemeral “Anti-Valentine’s” cocktail created by Mandarin Oriental Jumeira in Dubai – lobby, above. The drink is named “Leaving You Behind”, invented for that one special night only and delivered with a black rose to make it even more dramatic. The curious traveller pulled a few strings and convinced the hotel to serve him a preview of the ephemeral concoction a few days before the iconic date.
Shōchū, vermouth, noisette and herb-flavored liqueur with a dash of artichoke liquor mixed around a large tennis ball of ice into a wonderfully light and refreshing creation that ticked all the luxury boxes: fun, innovative and extremely limited edition.
It definitely looks like this hotel knows how to surprise connoisseurs with a whimsical approach to St. Valentine’s. The bitter-sweet cocktail will still come packaged with a special five-course menu yet will definitely make it so much easier to digest. The Sybaritic Single applauds Mandarin Oriental Jumeira and thinks that more luxury establishments around the world must take note.
