This coming Friday has been declared National Provence Cocktail Day across the UK in a campaign for three classic French spirits.
Bars and restaurants will showcase cocktails made with peach vermouth Rinquinquin, premium absinthe Absente, and Farigoule thyme liqueur – all from Provence.
Focused on June 3, the campaign is a collaboration between producer Distilleries et Domaines de Provence and its UK distributor Emporia Brands. It will culminate in a hub of recipes at www.provencecocktails.com.
Highlights include The Blackbird in Edinburgh which will be showing off Provence Cocktails from Thursday June 2 to Sunday June 5 in its Garden Shed, alongside an exclusive cocktail menu in its Beer Garden.
Bistro Provence in Edinburgh is running a week of Provence Cocktails, recommending them with food pairings, while The Tippling House in Aberdeen has produced five Provence Cocktails for the weekend. La Petite Mort in Edinburgh is running a week-long menu of four cocktails with recommended food pairings, culminating in a hosted three-course dinner with paired Provence Cocktails on June 7.
In London, Gaucho Smithfield is launching a Provence Cocktail Day menu as part of its Aperitivo Terrace, including the Rinquinquin-based Peach Frappé.
Farigoule, Absente and Rinquinquin will be used in cocktails at The Edgbaston and 40 St Paul’s in Birmingham and at The Hockley Arts Club, World Service and Annie’s Burger Shack in Nottingham.
In the north-east, BonBar in Newcastle upon Tyne will have a Provence Cocktail Showcase on June 2, with exclusive invitations to local industry figures.
In Manchester, El Gato Negro will be creating cocktails with Rinquinquin while Cottonopolis will have a special cocktail menu with Rinquinquin and Farigoule as well as food pairings.
Dusk Til Pawn in Manchester is not only using Farigoule for its Provence Cocktail specials but also hosting a city-wide Provence Cocktail Day competition to showcase the creativity of the city’s bartenders.
Riddles Bar in Altrincham in Cheshire is serving up Absente creations after the success of National Absinthe Day in March while The Backroom in Leeds will have a cocktail combining Farigoule and Casco Viejo tequila.
Pollen Street Social in London is joining forces with Emporia Brands and Distilleries et Domaines de Provence on June 5 as part of Social Sunday 2016 for industry charity Hospitality Action. A five-course tasting menu, prepared by chef-owner Jason Atherton, Sat Bains, Tom Kerridge and Claude Bosi, will be available. Across the street at Little Social, Greg Marchand from Covent Garden restaurant Frenchie will be cooking his own tasting menu.
In the off-trade, activities will include an in-store tasting at Fenwick in Newcastle from midday to 6pm on June 3, Absente tastings at General Wine Company’s Liphook and Petersfield branches over the weekend, and in-store tastings focused on Rinquinqin running at Amathus in Knightsbridge, London.
