For the most inventive cocktails imaginable, head to GŌNG Bar at The Shard…

At Seen in the City, we’re big fans of the Shard, not least because it offers some of the most magical views of the beautiful city of London. Its host of bars, restaurants and the Shangri-La Hotel are among the best in the country, while GŌNG Bar is the highest bar in Western Europe. Now there’s an even better reason to visit, with the “reinvention” of its delicious cocktail menu.

Created in-house by GŌNG’s talented team, including head bartender Christian Maspes, every new cocktail is inspired by an invention, in a celebration of great ideas that have changed our world. The Miscellany of Inventions menu offers 15 new cocktails across 5 different flavour groups, ranging from Floral & Delicate and Fruity & Citrusy to Bitter & Sweet and Punchy & Long. There’s also a trio of non-alcoholic tipples to tantalise your taste buds.

We headed up the 52 floors to try a selection of the new additions and figure out our favourites. The amazing thing about the new menu is it really makes you think about some of the most tiny, common creations that have in fact revolutionised the way we do things, like the humble bar code, which is honored in “Scan Me”. This twist on a whisky sour is served in a stylish black coupette and finished with an actual edible bar code printed on sugar paper.

Meanwhile, The Cure, delivered in an out-sized chemical jar, recognises the amazing medical feat achieved by Alexander Fleming, who discovered Penicilin. This long drink combines hard liquor like Monkey 47 with Kamm & Sons Aperitif and is sweetened with a hint of licorice and maple.

One of the winners has to be Over the Rainbow. Served in the basket of an actual model Hot Air Balloon, this delightfully colourful cocktail takes you on a flight of fancy, celebrating the first successful air-borne human carrier. Sweet, long and intense, it muddles mandarin, lemon and pomegranate with cognac, sherry and Braulio Curd.

Other new entrants marking their debut with a Miscellany of Inventions include Director’s Cut, served with a side of butter popcorn, honoring the dawn of motion picture with the birth of the first cinematic projector and Look, No Hands, once again celebrating one of the most popular modes modes of transport – the two-wheeled bicycle. 

Every cocktail in the beautifully-bound Miscellany of Inventions is mixed with top shelf spirits and tell its own little story as you imbibe each concoction. What’s more, at GŌNG Bar you can luxuriate in the surroundings of the Shard, taking in the panoramic views of the capital. You can even sip your cocktails pool-side by the bar’s infinity pool, 52 floors up in London’s very own dreaming spire.

www.the-shard.com