Lyaness launch new cocktail menu Cookbook with a chef’s approach to flavour

Mixology guru Ryan “Mr Lyan” Chetiyawardana and his team at the award-winning Lyaness bar have launched their third menu, the Lyaness Cookbook, which takes a chef’s approach to flavour and focusing on ingredients rather than the drinks themselves.

Mr Lyan is an innovator in the drinks industry, working with several of the UK’s best bars for over a decade, and winning a slew of awards and accolades along the way – including the world’s best bar in 2018 for Dandelyan. As well as drinks venues, the mixologist’s brand includes a retail range of five bottled cocktails and two books.

At Lyaness the focus for the new 15-serve menu, just like the previous two, is on core ingredients exclusively created using interesting and unique processes. Mr Lyan and Alex Lawrence talked us through the new menu and how their team have incorporated iconic flavours with global resonance, through a British lens, exploring new interpretations and concepts.

Oyster Honey

This new core ingredient is an exploration of two seemingly contradictory flavours, and the ability that animals – here, bees and oysters – have to transform elements from their environment into a unique physical form. A sense of decadence and coastal richness is achieved with the presence of oysters, while the deep, waxy notes of honey, which give way to elements of floral and citrus, help to provide a golden sweetness and depth. Among the drinks that present the ingredient is the Marigold Gimlet, a green and bright concoction, with Bacardi Ocho, Oyster Honey, white verjus, brioche and apple blossom.

Blood Curaçao

In this case, the team have looked to embrace the fruity richness and luxurious weight that blood can bring to dishes found around the world, including the UK’s very own black pudding. Playing on the classically British approach of “nose to tail” with a view to avoiding unnecessary waste, the team have used dehydrated pigs’ blood to create an ingredient that provides a bold and warming flavour. It can be found in the Blood Brown Derby – made with Maker’s Mark, Blood Curaçao, grapefruit honey and fermented rose – that recreates a great classic, the Whiskey Sour, with a twist.

Green Sauce liqueur

Green herbs, sour fruits and a variety of fungi make up the foundations of the deep Green Sauce. From the vegetal and tropical to the citrus and bitter, the inspiration for this core ingredient comes from the classic sauce that can be found in the kitchens of many cultures, designed to accompany richer dishes and cut through fattiness. Playing along with the traditional flavour profile, but using different herb forms and adding a deeper umami note has created this chameleon liqueur that brings a similar result to the eponymous sauce to cocktails. A great example of this is the Chestnut Rabble, a sour with Beeswax Hendrick’s, Green Liqueur, chestnut orgeat and pineapple leaf soda.

Malt and Grass “Amazake”

The Lyaness team have applied their own understanding of the fundamental elements of malting in the production of this core ingredient, channelling it into new components to help them understand the process in a different manner. This harmonious creation, with sweetness, richness and body, is an exploration of the abundance of resources available in the world’s most ubiquitous plants, as well as an exploration of the way different cultures have used transformative ingredients – koji in Asia, citrus in South America and malt in Europe – to uncover other flavour forms. It will be found in cocktails such as the 1UP, made with Three Spirit Livener (or Porter’s Orchard for those who prefer a boozy option), Grass Amazake, gentian and pine brew, to create a cocktail akin to a South East Asian version of the popular breakfast probiotic, Yakult.

Fruit Furikake

Just as British seaweeds have been used over the years, the Lyaness team have turned to this ingredient to provide a unique contrast of sweetness, salinity and richness on their new menu. Made using native seaweed, which is blended with local fruits and vegetables to bring a variety of flavours to overlay with the maritime and spicy notes, serves made with this new creation will have notes of honey and fruit, with a clean sweetness that brings boldness and length to the drinks. It’s found in the Moonwalk, made with Tapatio tequila, Fruit Furikake, pomelo cordial, buckwheat and melon soda, for a highball like no other.

As with the previous menus showcased at Lyaness, the intriguing and unique list of ingredients is designed to give more flexibility to guests and allow them to play with the different flavour combinations to find their perfect cocktail. Whilst the menu features three suggested serves alongside each ingredient, these are designed to be an expression and a suggestion, rather than prescriptive guide. Guests are encouraged to add these new flavours to their favourite drinks to make their ultimate cocktail.

Alongside drinks, Lyaness also offers a bar snacks menu and its Spirited Tea afternoon tea menu.

The editorial unit
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina (except Oyster Honey and header)

To book a table at Lyaness, 20 Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PD call 020 3747 1063 or visit their website here.