Menu of the month: Transcend by Panda & Sons
Transcend is the latest menu headed up by Panda & Sons founder Iain McPherson. The Scotsman was named Bar Innovator of the Year at the Class Bar Awards earlier this year and this very menu was shortlisted at Tales of the Cocktail for Bar Menu of the Year.
The menu consists of 16 drinks separated into four chapters, each highlighting a different freezing technique created by McPherson in his basement laboratory in Edinburgh.
Sability
This booze-forward drink has proven a hit on the Transcend menu, and is part of the Sous Pression quarter. The five-part serve is not only technical, but likely to be a regular appointment on Panda menus for years to come.
Bombay Premier Cru gin, fino sherry, Lustau blanco vermut, sable grape, maraschino liqueur
Method: Freeze ingredients in a stainless steel keg at -14.4°C for 48 hours. Ingredients are multiplied up to fill each keg for batching. To serve, fine strain into a coupette and garnish with sable grapes.
Cosmos
Haku vodka, cranberry, dry curaçao, lime, bitters
Technique: Switching
Seville Negroni
Height of Arrows heavy gin, Campari, bitter orange, sweet vermouth
Technique: Freeze drying
Girvana
Hendrick’s gin, peach, jasmine, absinthe, champagne
Technique: cryo concentration