Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon Introduces the Smoky Oaky Old Fashioned

It's said that if a bar can produce a quality Old Fashioned, clients become comfortable to move on to the cocktail menu or put themselves in the hands of the bar staff.  At Four Seasons Hotel Rtiz Lisbon, the impossibly suave, lantern-jawed Luís Mendes, Bar Manager at the Ritz Bar, thoroughly researches his new approaches to established cocktails, using his roots and his travels to inspire his creations. Local and top-shelf ingredients are his thing, and he loves to defy the rules and find new ways to serve, entertain and host his guests at the Ritz Bar as if in his own home.

The Old Fashioned was the first cocktail Luís learned how to make. He still remembers holding a copy of Mr. Boston, every bartender’s favourite drink-mixing guide, in his hands for the first time when he was just a teenager. He has since perfected the technique, and is comfortable making it in any situation. His new take on the classic cocktail is a result of years of practice, experience and hard work, and one can really see it in his “moves” as he prepares the drink.

Luís chose award-winning Bulleit Frontier Bourbon Whiskey for his Smoky Oaky Old-Fashioned. He considers the amber-coloured bourbon whiskey with gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas to be the perfect blend for his Old Fashioned with a twist, and likes that it is family-produced in small batches. He goes on to explain that the mid-palate is smooth with tones of maple, oak and nutmeg, whilst the finish is long, dr, and satiny with a light toffee flavour – just the unparalleled complexity he needs.

The main distinguishing feature of Luís’ Old Fashioned is that the glass is smoked, and the wood chips are used to artificially age the bourbon, intensifying its original oaky flavour, as well as the orange bitters that will further highlight the natural flavours. The smoking of the glass is also a bit of a show (how very Don Draper of him!), giving Luís an opportunity to engage with clients, and make the whole experience that much more memorable. The smell alone will leave anyone longing to take a sip of this 19th century drink.

Guests are invited to share their cocktails on social media using the hashtag #CocktailQuarterly, and Luís shares his recipe below:

Smoky Oaky Old Fashioned

• Cedar wood chips
• 1 white sugar cube
• 1 dash of orange bitters
• 5 cl Bulleit Frontier Bourbon Whiskey
• A splash of homemade “Luso” soda water
• 2 dehydrated orange slices
• 3 maraschino cherries
• Homemade ice cubes (boiled, shaped and frozen in-house)

Start by burning the a few wood chips and covering them fully with a snifter glass, trapping the smoke inside. Place a few unburnt wood chips inside a siphon and then carefully pour the whiskey inside – this will artificially “age” the whiskey.

Take the sugar cube and wet it with a dash of orange bitters, and place it inside the glass. Carefully pour the whiskey from the siphon through a strainer into the glass, on top of the sugar cube. Take a large ice cube and break it into a few smaller ice cubes, placing them inside the glass. Add a splash of soda water. Place the dehydrated orange slices inside the glass. Puncture the 3 maraschino cherries with a pick and place them inside the glass, gently stirring the whole drink. Serve to the coolest guest in the bar.

A few more tips for the perfect Smoky Oaky Old Fashioned:

• There are two basic ways to chill a cocktail: shaking in a cocktail shaker or stirring in a mixing glass. Luís chose to stir his drink, because it does not introduce a volume of air, allows the blending of ingredients while maintaining a silky texture that is pleasing in the mouth. He goes on to explain that as a general rule of thumb, if a cocktail does not contain juice, it is best prepared by stirring rather than shaking, and and Old Fashioned will be better for the use of a bar spoon rather than a shaker.
• Luís also reserves a final word about ice: he says ice is often overlooked, but, thinking about it, it’s a critical element in almost any mixed drink. It’s important to note that ice, when shaken or stirred, partially returns to its liquid form and that water is always an ingredient in what one is mixing. That’s why he recommends making one's own ice cubes from boiled mineral water.

About Bulleit Frontier Bourbon Whiskey

Bulleit Bourbon is inspired by the whiskey pioneered by Augustus Bulleit more than 150 years ago. Only ingredients of the very highest quality are used. The subtlety and complexity of Bulleit Bourbon come from its unique blend of rye, corn and barley malt, along with special strains of yeast and pure Kentucky limestone filtered water. Due to its especially high rye content, Bulleit Bourbon has a bold, spicy character with a finish that's distinctively clean and smooth.

About Luís Mendes, Bar Manager at Ritz Bar

Bar Manager Luís Mendes at Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon is an alfacinha de gema, meaning a true Lisbon native. He was born and raised in Lisbon and has been in love with the city since. Having worked in both Portugal and Italy, he has always liked to pay homage to the classics while leaving his thumbprint, giving them his own personal twist, with a touch of creativity and innovation. Before taking the helm at the Ritz Bar, he honed his skills at the Estoril Bar of the Hotel Palácio – an established classic in the coastal region of Estoril & Cascais, Lapa Palace Hotel in Lisbon, and in the classic Belmond Cipriani Hotel in Venice. When not behind the counter, one can find Luis surfing the beaches of Portugal’s Atlantic coast.

About the Ritz Bar

The Ritz Bar has Portuguese artist Pedro Leitão to thank for its cosy, artistic ambience and inspirational additions, such as his piano – autographed by world-acclaimed artists such as couturier Pierre Cardin, Fado singer Amália Rodrigues, ballerina Margot Fonteyn and actress Zsa Zsa Gábor – and a large wine-inspired tapestry.  With an extensive wine list, a unique selection of ports and the best premium gin menu in Lisbon, the Ritz Bar is an ideal spot to meet for drinks or a light bite, both inside and on the terrace overlooking Eduardo VII Park. The Bar menu includes a choice of traditional Portuguese dishes and tapas, burgers, bagels, salads, pasta and risotto, among others, as well as freshly prepared sushi Wednesday through Friday.