Bar launches US road trip cocktails

American steakhouse Mash in London’s Soho has launched a collection of cocktails inspired by various road trips its bartenders have taken across the US.

Known for its extensive Bourbon collection, the American whisky features prominently among the bar’s playful concoctions.

In keeping with the travel theme, the different cocktail recipes are presented to guests on postcards that tell the stories of how they came to be.

Each postcard is written in a different font to represent the three Mash bartenders behind the drinks, all of which are housed in unusual receptacles made everywhere from China to the Czech republic.

The team decided to put the cocktails in quirky vessels, from Bohemian teacups to a carved clay rock, to heighten the multi-sensory experience.

Priced between £9-15, the cocktails are available now from the bar at Mash. Click through for a gallery of seven of the most unusual creations.

1: Binchotan

Inspired by the aromatic woody scents emitted by the Japanese Sakura trees at Potomac Park in Washington D.C., the Binchotan is made with Bulleit Bourbon infused with binchotan (Japanese charcoal dating back to the Edo period), which imbues the whiskey with mellow smoky and woody aromas. The drink is served with a giant ice ball featuring the Mash logo in a bespoke Bulleit-branded bottle.

2: MGM

One for the high rollers, the MGM takes its inspiration from poker playing in Las Vegas, an experience one of the Mash bartenders enjoyed while sipping a “pimped Long Island iced tea” featuring Bacardi rum and cola, which has been recreated here. Served in a highball glass billowing with dry ice and “garnished” with a gold credit card, the sugar in the Coke is designed to keep the players alert during a nightlong gambling session.

3: Yosemite

As the name suggests, this libation is inspired by the giant sequoia trees growing in Yosemite National Park in California and the fresh, earthy scent they give off. The cocktail, which aims to evoke the sights, smells and flavours found in the park, infuses pine with an aromatic gin evoking the aromas of a forest. To hammer home the natural theme, the Yosemite is served in a handmade wooden cup.

4: Mad Hatter

Taking inspiration from the Mad Hatter’s tea party in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, this quirky cocktail deconstructs then reconstructs the elements within an afternoon tea. Guests are asked to pour a pack of pre-mixed ingredients: Bourbon, Maraschino, peach and vanilla, through a funnel over a black tea blending peppermint, cinnamon, stevia and grapefruit. When the liquid enters the cup, it melts the ginger and lemon gelatin lying beneath.

5: BLT

Inspired by 19th century Bohemians, who enjoyed copious cups of herbal bitters Becherovka as a digestif, this sparkling cocktail blends the earthy, bitter favours of Becherovka with the light and airy flavours of Champagne. Served in a white ceramic cup with red Art Nouveau lettering based on the Bohemian drinking vessels of the 19th century, Mash is one of only two venues in the UK licenced to serve Becherovka in this quirky cup.

6: Little Italy

Inspired by the Italian home cooking found in tiny trattorias in New York’s Little Italy neighbourhood, the cocktail intends to balance the sweet and savoury flavours found in Italian cuisine, with parsley and porcini playing against the sweet tang of cherry granita. Served in a unique glass designed in collaboration with Martini, the top half of Little Italy’s two-tiered vessel is filled with berries and crushed ice and garnished with a sprig of parsley.

7: Yellowstone

The quirkiest cocktail in the line-up is the Yellowstone, inspired by the rocks found in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. The cocktail combines citrus notes of orange, lemon and lime with the fresh pine tang of Tanqueray 10 gin in a bid to recreate the fresh, earthy flavours found in the national park. The receptacle is crafted from clay and jesmonite and carved into the shape of a hollow rock.