8 savoury cocktails to shake up your drinks order this summer

Savoury cocktails in London

Credit: Courtesy of brands; Anton Rodriguez; Sam Harris

Food and Drink


8 savoury cocktails to shake up your drinks order this summer

By Katie Rosseinsky

2 years ago

3 min read

Want to branch out from your usual bellini or margarita? Savoury cocktails are a growing trend at some of the capital’s coolest bars.


With long, sunny evenings (hopefully) just around the corner, there are few more enjoyable ways to make the most of the warmer weather than by grabbing a spot at your favourite outdoor bar or terrace and nursing a cocktail.

While we’ve still got plenty of time for sweet, fruity favourites and sharper classics like a negroni or an old fashioned, recent years have seen London’s ever-creative bartenders push the boundaries by dreaming up more and more savoury cocktail flavours.

If you love a bloody mary or if you’re just up for trying something a bit different (kebab-inspired rye whiskey cocktail, anyone?), you’ll certainly find something to enjoy in our edit of London’s unmissable savoury cocktails below. Happy sipping… 

Wasabi Mule at Sumi

Credit: Sumi

Sumi

Head to Notting Hill sushi spot Sumi for a Japanese spin on the classic mule cocktail, the wasabi mule. It mixes vodka with fresh lime and, you guessed it, wasabi paste, which is then topped up with the traditional ginger beer. It’s refreshing, with a serious kick of flavour.

157 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2RS; sushisumi.com


Common Decency Pea Lime Pie

Credit: Handout

Common Decency 

The cocktail menu at Common Decency, the NoMad Hotel bar found in the basement of the former Bow Street police station, takes inspiration from seasonal ingredients. You’ll currently find a handful of savoury options including pea lime pie (featuring pea foam and green chartreuse), lowrider (a mezcal cocktail featuring roasted jerusalem artichoke) and ’TzikiDo You Love Me, inspired by the Greek dip.

28 Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7AW; thenomadhotel.com


Drake & Morgan

Feel like you’ve had your fill of classic cocktails? Here’s something seriously different. New on the menu at Drake & Morgan’s various drinking outposts is the pearls of the ocean cocktail, which combines Tanqueray gin and Noilly Prat dry vermouth (so far, so normal) with herbal olive brine and a smattering of parmesan pieces and balsamic caviar on top.

Various London locations; drakeandmorgan.co.uk


coupette bloody martini

Credit: Coupette

Coupette

A mainstay of Bethnal Green bar Coupette’s cocktail menu, the bloody martini has all the sophistication of a martini and all the fiery kick of a bloody mary, made with spiced Absolut Elyx, 1757 Dry, vin jeune and tomato consomme.

423 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 0AN; coupette.co.uk


Double Standard

Credit: Anton Rodriguez

Double Standard

The restaurant at stylish King’s Cross hotel The Standard recently launched its cleverly named Another Bloody Brunch, featuring a DIY bloody mary station. Complement your drink with a selection of delicious garnishes including gherkins, seafood, cherry tomatoes, bacon and celery. And if it’s not spicy enough? Opt for the Double Standard hot sauce float if you’re seriously brave.

Ground Floor, The Standard, 10 Argyle St, London, WC1H 8EG; standardhotels.com


The Counter cocktails

Credit: Sam Harris

The Counter

This Notting Hill gem puts a contemporary spin on Turkish ocakbasi (cooked on an open-fire charcoal grill), and you’ll also find a kebab-inspired cocktail on the drinks menu, made using lamb fat-washed rye whiskey, red pepper, chilli flakes, orange bitters and molasses. Another unique offering? The Şalgam, a mezcal cocktail made with lime, pandan and salgam juice, a traditional fermented black carrot and turnip juice.

108 Golborne Road, London, W10 5PS; thecounterlondon.com


The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental

Named after Oscar Wilde’s controversial play, The Aubrey’s Salome cocktail is packed with bold flavours – sake, umami, tomato liqueur, rice shochu (a Japanese distilled drink) and etsu ocean water – and makes a delicious alternative to a dirty martini.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7LA; mandarinoriental.com 


The Lowback

Set on top of a floating pavilion in Canary Wharf, Hawksmoor’s bar The Lowback is known for its seriously innovative cocktail menu. Look out for their savoury spin on a pink gibson, featuring vodka, umami gin, dry vermouth and a pink pickled onion.

1 Water Street, Wood Wharf, London, E14 5GX; thehawksmoor.com  


Images: courtesy of bars

Sign up for our edit of what to buy, see, read and do, and receive a free mini-mag of the top 5 fashion trends you’re sure to see in 2024.

By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy

Thank you!

You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.