A Duo of Mirèio Cocktails For Holiday Cheer At The Raffles Hotel Makati
Enjoying a cocktail quite compares to reveling in a good conversation. There’s a story behind every luscious mix and there often exists a creative twist as it is told. Over at Raffles Hotel Makati soaring above city streets on the 9th floor is Mirèio, a brasserie inspired by southern France named after a tale of forbidden love. “Mirèio” was taken from a Nobel-prize winning poem by French author Frédéric Mistral. It is the name of a rich farmer’s daughter in the poem whose true love, Vincent, a basket weaver, is shunned by her father as a prospect. In despair, Mirèio runs away in prayer to the saints, hopeful that her father might have a change of heart.
At the bar named after this smitten siren in Raffles Makati, two cocktails inspired by the Provencal narrative were prepared for us by bartender Louie Villones. The Mirèio and Valley of the Saints cocktails tell Mirèio’s story via two flavor paths; spicy and complex, or serene and refreshing respectively.
Mirèio
Served up in a classy martini glass, this cocktail wakes you up with the flavor of the holidays. The tartness of cranberry and lemon are uplifted with a burst of Grey Goose vodka and Green Chartreuse. We at first thought we tasted cinnamon but it turned out to be the delightful complexity of the Chartreuse that gave this drink a Christmasy bite.
Ingredients:
- 30ml Grey Goose vodka
- 15ml Green Chartreuse
- 15ml cranberry juice
- 30ml lemon juice
Combine ingredients together with ice in a cocktail shaker, shake and strain into a martini glass.
Valley Of the Saints
This cocktail is somewhat sweeter, and the refreshing bubbly combination of mint and champagne is bound to put smiles on dull faces. The freshness of cucumber and the fruity raspberry note of Chamford liqueur perk up the champagne in a simpler way. Mirèio’s Valley of the Saints is our happy drink and is an elegant way to toast to the best of times this season.
Ingredients:
- 3pcs. Mint
- 3pcs. Sliced Cucumber
- 15ml Chamford Raspberry Liqueur
- 30ml lemon mix
- 10ml honey syrup
- 70ml champagne
Muddle the mint and cucumber in the shaker, add the other ingredients (except champagne) and ice, shake and strain into a tulip or flute wine glass, then add the champagne. Champagne comes after because it is never shaken.
Photography by Julia Arenas and from Instagram.com/rafflesmakatihotel
