Della Lunga expands: “Every corner of Raffles Paris holds not just artworks, but a carefully curated aesthetic language. So for the flavour and aroma profiles of the cocktails, we studied the artists who characterise these spaces – their origins, personal tastes and artistic inspirations. These elements guided our selection of spirits, preparations and techniques used in crafting each cocktail.”

Each cocktail on the beautifully illustrated Room of Vision list has its own bespoke 3D-printed glass, designed to match the atmosphere of the room it represents. Thus Mirror Bathroom is served in a platinum-toned, mirrored glass with reflective surfaces, while Cinema Room is served in a glass shaped like a popcorn box – a playful homage to the hotel’s in-house private cinema. Swimming Pool, meanwhile, is presented in a glass that recalls the shape of the hotel’s pool and relaxation areas.

Named for the hotel’s Zen-like 23-metre indoor pool, Swimming Pool was inspired by the late David Hockney’s famous series of Californian swimming pool paintings. “We imagined a sunny afternoon by the pool, sipping a Scotch whisky in the shade of a pine grove, surrounded by the scent of pine nuts and resin,” says Della Lunga. The cocktail features a citrusy base created with a kumquat cordial, which brings bright freshness and evokes the splash of pool water. This is combined with a Macallan 12 Years Old matured in sherry casks and a house-made orgeat prepared with toasted pine nuts, which captures the nuttiness of the pine and the aromatic character of the tree itself. The entire cocktail is then clarified using the milk punch technique, resulting in an extremely transparent and crystal-clear drink. 

Milk punch is only one of the many techniques employed to create the modern, mixology-driven drinks menu. Another technique used is fat-washing, which allows the flavours of fatty ingredients to be infused by converting them into a liquid (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) using coagulation at low temperatures.

“For the cocktail at Le Bar Long,” says Della Lunga, “we infused black roasted sesame oil into Dalmore 12 whisky. The whisky is infused sous vide at 55°C, then brought down to –30°C to allow the oil to coagulate. Once the oil has coagulated, we proceed with filtration and obtain a spirit with a strong sesame flavour but without any trace of oil remaining.” 

Are these the legendary libations of the future? They certainly fulfil the criteria. Although making them at home might prove challenging for all but the most passionate amateur bartender.