With a recipe rejigged by world-renowned mixologist Tony Conigliaro and said to be primarily enjoyed by one 'Uncle Seymour' – the Zetter Townhouse Marylebone's fictional owner – anyone is now free to take a sip (or five) of the boozy patriarch's favourite classic cocktail, the Turf Club.
Opened in August 2015, the Zetter's eclectic west London outpost is housed in a 24-bedroom Georgian townhouse, complete with a rooftop apartment with terrace and al fresco bath. The hotel's richly coloured rooms, beautifully preserved antique furniture and quirky accessories comprise an irresistably anachronistic take on plush luxury.
What we’re after, though, is located within the ruby-red walls of Seymour’s Parlour on the hotel’s ground floor. Conigliaro's take on the concoction is so good that, after we featured it in our Wallpaper* Design Awards as part of our Best Cocktail Lounge accolade, we decided that we’d share the recipe. Punchily flavoured with gin and sharp Peruvian bitters, Turf Club is a deliciously balanced tipple with a fruity kick, finished with a grass garnish.
Also available at the lounge are a range of light bites devised by French superchef Bruno Loubet, including courgette crisps and montgomery cheese shortbread with homemade piccalilli. Visitors can also sample a range of Seymour’s Famous Potted Pleasures, such as potted shrimp with nutmeg butter or potted duck with pomegranate jelly. The apocryphal Uncle Seymour, it seems, is someone to be friends with.
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Turf Club
Ingredients
Old Tom Gin, 30ml
Doubonnet, 30ml
Grape reduction, 5ml
Peruvian bitters, 3 dashes
Grass essence, 2 drops
Method
Stir all the ingredients in a cocktail tin filled with cubed ice.
Strain into a glass, add grass essence on the stem.
Recipe courtesy The Drink Factory
The Turf Club can be found at Seymour's Parlour – the second cocktail lounge in the Zetter Townhouse family. Photography: Addie Chinn
The Turf Club can be found at Seymour's Parlour – the second cocktail lounge in the Zetter Townhouse family. Photography: Addie Chinn
Cranberry red walls, warm wooden accents, and soft lighting complete the atmosphere of the Parlour. Photography: Addie Chinn
Cranberry red walls, warm wooden accents, and soft lighting complete the atmosphere of the Parlour. Photography: Addie Chinn
The cocktail, featured in our recent Design Awards issue, combines Old Tom Gin, Dubonnet, grape reduction, Peruvian bitters, and grass essence. Photography: Matthew Donaldson
The cocktail, featured in our recent Design Awards issue, combines Old Tom Gin, Dubonnet, grape reduction, Peruvian bitters, and grass essence. Photography: Matthew Donaldson