Exploring London's Punch Room Bar
Walking into the London Edition, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager's luxury hotel in the city's Fitzrovia neighborhood, it's easy to get distracted by the lively Lobby Bar, where a stainless steel orb suspended from the ceiling reflects crowds of locals indulging in classic cocktails.
But if you're looking for a more intimate scene, continue through the lounge, past the front desk to the reservations-required Punch Room. True to its name, the dimly lit, oak-paneled hideaway only has one thing on the menu: punch, in every form.
"Punch is the perfect way to represent the British location [of Edition Hotels]," bar manager Davide Segat said.
"I like the versatility of it, but it’s the history of punch that really fascinates me. It was the first mixed drink that would touch all parts of society - from any social class or position. For hundreds of years, it would reflect society in a bowl. It is beautiful."
A staple of English booze culture, punch is thought to have originated in the 17th century by sailors of the British East India Company. Recipes have evolved since those early voyages, but variations still always feature the same five categories of ingredients: citrus, sugar, water, spice, and alcohol.
And while history may have inspired the Punch Room's singular focus, the bar's menu is decidedly modern (don't worry, there isn't a college party-inspired concoction in sight).
A glass of the house punch, made with gin, jasmine tea, and oak moss, makes a perfect pre-dinner drink (especially when imbibed next to the roaring fireplace come fall). Or stop by midday for Scandal Water, the Edition's take on afternoon tea.
"In London, five-star hotels offer a traditional afternoon tea that feels quite forced, so we opted for something a bit more fun and bit more 'us,'" Sagat said, explaining the bar's concept, which pairs tea with alcoholic punch and both sweet and savory light bites.
"Back in the day, wealthy people would sit down for tea and gossip, so we decided to call it Scandal Water."
We call it a must-do on your next London vacation.
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