INSPIRED BY FORGOTTEN JAPANESE REGIONS, THE MALT LOUNGE & BAR, INTRODUCE A NEW MENU USING LOCAL AND AUTHENTIC SPICES AND FLOWERS SOURCED DIRECTLY FROM JAPAN

The Prince Akatoki London’s intimate cocktail bar, The Malt Lounge & Bar, are proud to introduce a new curated cocktail menu, A Journey Through Japan, that celebrates the best of Japanese flavours and aromas. Each cocktail is inspired by a distinctive prefecture of Japan, concocted from local ingredients, sourced directly from that region. The menu will be adapted seasonally to reflect each ingredient at its optimum, from spring to winter 2023.

Inviting Londoners to experience the sophistication of Japan, The Prince Akatoki exemplifies Japanese hospitality at The Malt Lounge & Bar. Famous for their striking and simplistic cocktails inspired by single Japanese ingredients such as Lotus and Sesame, the bar staff have gone above and beyond to find the perfect balance in taste aromas. Experimenting with new lab equipment, such as the GiroVap to extract all aromas and a PacoJet machine to create a unique whisky and cherry ice cream, all cocktails are studied in detail to extract the full extent of undiscovered flavours within each ingredient.

Bar Manager Francesco Pittala explains: ’The idea behind a seasonally changing cocktail menu was to take guests on a journey through forgotten Japanese territories, evoking a nostalgia for Japan and the beautiful variety of each regions produce. From redistilling to fermenting, a number of different techniques were used to create each cocktail, drawing from 14 years’ experience in mixology’.

Cocktail lovers can expect an exciting range of flavours, inspired by the regions of Hokkaido, Yagamata, Miyazaki, Shiba and Akita. The handpicked local aromas include Daikon, Shikuwasa, Amazake, Persimmon and Peach leaves. These flavours have been adapted by the Malt Lounge & Bar team with modern techniques such as fermenting Semillon wine with chestnut honey and brewing Jasmine tea kombucha.

Working in perfect harmony with the cocktails, a selection of delicious sweet and savoury snacks are available from the bar menu. Accompaniments include lotus root crisps, buttermilk fried chicken with gochujang mayo and tasting platters of robata skewers. As a special sweet treat, guests can also find mochi ice creams and yuzu and raspberry brûlée. In the evenings, the sushi bar opens from 6pm serving a selection of nigiri, salmon bites, seared A5 wagyu and negi toro hand rolls to enjoy in pieces of six.

About The Malt Lounge & Bar 

The Malt Lounge & Bar features an impressive whisky selection, including a private cabinet featuring rare and vintage Japanese whiskies available to purchase by the bottle, such as Karuizawa Sherry Cask 1984 #3663, Hanyu The Joker Colour Label and the Suntory 1899 60^th Anniversary Bottling, to name a few. Guests can lock away bottles in the bar’s private cabinet and have their initials engraved on a bronze plaque underneath. To make the experience even more unique, the hotel’s passionate team offer bespoke tastings to ensure guests are fully immersed in the history and complexity of each drink.

This year, The Malt Lounge & Bar have pulled all the stops to make their new drinks menu, their most complex and authentic yet.

Cocktails at The Malt Lounge & Bar start from £12 for non-alcoholic options and £18 for alcoholic options.