Club Dauphin at Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel Introduces "Club Spritz," an Original Cocktail with One-Year Aged Homemade Bitters

Guests of the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel can now experience the beauty of the French Riviera and vibrancy of Club Dauphin with Club Spritz, a new cocktail fashioned by Frank Carcamo, Chief Barman. This unique cocktail, available only at the Hotel’s open-air poolside restaurant, is made with one-year-old homemade bitters infused with the signature fragrances and flavours of the Côte d’Azur using traditional techniques.

The inspiration for Club Spritz came like a splash of sunlight in June 2017 when Johann Burgos, Director of Club Dauphin, noticed that guests of the restaurant were fond of enjoying Aperol Spritz by the Hotel’s crystal-blue pool above the Mediterranean Sea. That iconic Italian cocktail, created in the 1950s, became the perfect summertime sipper for social occasions. As the culture of Nice is shaped by many Italian influences, it’s a must-have on terraces along the French Riviera.

As the secret of any good Spritz is in the bitters, Johann and Frank chose to create a palate-tickling signature cocktail for Club Dauphin that fully expresses the unique scents, flavours and emotions of the region. Their homemade bitters recipe remains a closely guarded secret, but it is based on the aromatic herbs found in the fragrant gardens of the Grand-Hôtel – whose blossoms and beauty have inspired Picasso and other famous artists over the years – as well as local liquors and wine.

The process behind the bitters is at once unique and traditional, inspired by the Champagne riddling method. It starts with the preparation of a birch barrel, which is submerged in the Mediterranean for 24 hours and then desalted in fresh water. The barrel is next filled with homemade bitters for 14 days and shaken and turned daily to impregnate it with the concentrated aromas. Finally, the elixir is discarded and the barrel is refilled with the bitters mix to be aged over one year right at Club Dauphin.

Result? The homemade bitters is a pure essence of the Côte d’Azur with fragrances extracted from the Grand-Hôtel’s gardens and the Mediterranean Sea offering guests a unique iodized, herbaceous and slightly vanilla flavour by the glass. Taken together, Club Spritz captures the artistry, creativity and care that go into every aspect of the renowned guest experience of the Grand-Hôtel.

Club Spritz Recipe

• Cucumber syrup
• Homemade rosemary syrup
• Fresh basil leaves
• 4 timut pepper berries
• Lime juice
• Prosecco
• Final touch: One spray of the secret homemade bitters on the cocktail.

The 2017 bitters is the first of a new vintage collection offered by Club Dauphin. Next year guests will have the chance to choose between the 2017 or 2018 vintages, each putting its own unique characteristics into a Club Spritz. This is just the beginning as more vintages are planned for the coming years to complete this unique collection by Four Seasons along the French Riviera.