Raising the bar (to celestial heights)
Newly published, Galaxy Bar Cocktails bottles the stardust of Dubai’s most decorated drinking den. We reveal the secrets behind the bar’s ascent, and share three of the book’s cocktails guaranteed to bring stellar swagger to your bar cart.
One could say the meteoric rise of Galaxy Bar in Dubai was written in the stars. Initially at a loss over what to do with the adjoining back room of the premises restaurateur Natasha Sideris (of Tashas Group) had secured for her Greek fine-dining restaurant, Avli, she experienced a flash of inspiration. Why not turn it into a late-night cocktail lounge?
“From concept through to execution, the Galaxy Bar journey has a golden thread of Greek history and culture woven into its narrative,” she writes in the preface to her new book, Galaxy Bar Cocktails, a celebration of the bar’s singular approach to mixology. The Greek gods, it seems, have been generous, for within 18 months of opening, Galaxy Bar was named Campari’s One To Watch (2020) and went on to secure a spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars List for three consecutive years.
The release of Galaxy Bar Cocktails offers international devotees, Dubai regulars, aspirant bartenders and anyone partial to a little visual indulgence the chance to get intimately acquainted with more than 50 of Tashas Group Beverage Director Krystian Hordejuk’s creations. “Invention, reinvention, innovation and creation are all integral to the cocktail game. Our creativity is grounded in the timeless recipes of bartending pioneers, but we also strive to invent unique drinks tailored to modern tastes and trends,” he writes. “We aim to create multi-dimensional, layered experiences that linger.”
Layered they most certainly are. Having sampled three at the book’s Cape Town launch, I can attest that a Galaxy Bar cocktail delivers. The house-made bitters, cordials, sodas and garnishes aren’t embellishments, they are the plot twists. Each drink is an artwork in its own right, demanding advance planning, precision, and no small measure of patience.
Galaxy Bar Cocktails lifts the curtain on the full production, from essential tools and glassware pairings to why ice shape matters. Lifestyling shares three of the book’s cocktails, ranging from approachable to ambitious. So, crank up the bar tunes, and get making and shaking. As they say in Greece, yamas!
GOLDEN STAR
Skill level: easy Profile: effervescent, nutty, sophisticated Core alcohol: cognac Glassware: Riedel performance Sauvignon Blanc 44cl Ice: chunks Garnish: gooseberry
15ml Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula cognac
15ml gooseberry liqueur
100ml Ruinart Blanc de Blancs Champagne
A dash of Angostura bitters
Pour the cognac, gooseberry liqueur and bitters into a white wine glass over ice chunks. Top up with Champagne, and stir gently. Garnish with a gooseberry sprayed with gold dust.
Gooseberry liqueur
100g fresh Cape gooseberries
Preheat a dehydrator at 50°C. Slice the gooseberries in half, lay out on a silicone mat and dehydrate for 24 hours (until crisp). Yields 50g; keeps in an airtight container away from sunlight for 2 weeks.
250ml Grand Marnier cognac
50g dried Cape gooseberries (see above)
Vacuum-seal the cognac and dried gooseberries, and infuse for 24 hours. Strain through cheesecloth and pour into a sterilised bottle. Yields 300ml; keeps in the fridge for a month.
DROPS OF JUPITER
Skill level: medium Profile: refreshing, cheerful, sophisticated Core alcohol: whisky Glassware: Serax Inku champagne coupe 15cl Ice: pillar Garnish: fresh pear wedge
20ml Nikka From The Barrel whisky
5ml Bodegas Lustau Pedro Ximénez sherry
5ml verjuice
60ml compote soda
A dash of saffron bitters
Pour the whisky, sherry, verjuice and bitters into a mixing tin, add ice cubes (2/3 full), and stir. Strain into a coupe, top up with the soda and garnish with a pear wedge.
Compote soda
300g dried red apples
125g dried pears
75g prunes
75g dried figs
2L water
Vacuum-seal the dried fruit and water in a large bag. Set aside to macerate for 24 hours in the fridge. Preheat a water bath at 55°C and sous vide the fruit for an hour. Cool in an ice bath to room temperature, then strain first through cheesecloth, then through a paper coffee filter. Pour into a sterilised 1L PET soda bottle and carbonate. Yields 1.5L; keeps in the fridge for a week.
Saffron bitters
100ml Angostura bitters
5g saffron threads
Vacuum-seal the bitters and saffron and set aside at room temperature for a week. Strain through a mesh tea strainer into a sterilised bottle. Yields 100ml; keeps for a year.
ANDROMEDA
Skill level: complex Profile: effervescent, aromatic, herbaceous Core alcohol: gin Glassware: Nude finesse highball 35cl Ice: pillar Garnish: green apple & basil jelly, fresh basil leaf
30ml Gin Mare Capri
90ml purple haze soda
Pour the gin and soda into a Collins glass over a pillar of ice. Garnish with a green apple & basil jelly and a fresh basil leaf.
Purple haze soda
300ml brewed Butterfly Pea Flower tea
180ml basil cordial (see below)
90ml basil syrup (see below)
Combine the tea, cordial and syrup. Decant into a sterilised 1L PET soda bottle and carbonate. Yields 650ml; keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Basil cordial
100g basil leaves
2g coriander seeds
2g fennel seeds
120ml peeled cucumber juice
90ml lemon juice
10g lemon peel
80ml water
90ml Sauvignon Blanc wine
200g white sugar
9g citric acid powder
7g tartaric acid powder
Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into ice water. Muddle the spices and transfer to a blender, then add the other ingredients. Blend at high speed for 60 seconds, then pour into a jug.
80ml water
0.8g (800mg) agar powder
Combine the water and agar powder in a pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the liquid from above. Cool to room temperature, then strain through cheesecloth into a sterilised bottle. Yields 350ml; keeps in the fridge for 3 days.
Basil syrup
375ml water
375g castor sugar
40g basil leaves, chopped
Combine the water and sugar in a pot and bring to the boil. Cool down to 50°C, then add the chopped basil and infuse for 5 minutes. Fine strain through cheesecloth and pour into a sterilised bottle. Yields 700ml; keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Green apple & basil jelly
125g green apples, washed
160g castor sugar
7.5g basil leaves
14g pectin NH powder
Core and chop the apples into small pieces. Combine with the castor sugar and basil leaves in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer the purée into a pot on medium heat, add the pectin powder and stir for 3 minutes. Do not allow it to boil. Pour the jelly mixture into a silicone mould (with 1cm-round holes) and set in the fridge for an hour. When the jellies are fully set, coat them in a mixture of 1:5 citric acid to castor sugar to create a sugary crust. Yields 30 jellies; keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Galaxy Bar Cocktails is published by Quivertree Publications and is available at leading bookstores.
