Every now and then, a group of Montreal’s media and bloggers are invited to congregate for a special night out. Getting us all sharing the news on social media, there’s no better way for a brand to announce a new product, especially when that brand is Bombay Sapphire Gin. For the launch of the new Star of Bombay gin, a select group of us were invited to a cocktail driven, haut-gastronomic experience at HVOR in Griffintown.
We gathered to mingle at HVOR in the early evening this week where we were the first in the city to taste this new gin. No sooner did we have our coats put away when we were served a refreshing gin and tonic. Decorated with an orange twist it was a delicious way to ease into the evening. As the guests trickled in, canapés were served. This being HVOR, the canapés were not your ordinary hors-d’oeuvres. Foie gras filled Brussels sprouts, goat cheese samosas, speck soup and garnished trout we gladly devoured by the evenings guests. There no doubting that HVOR is one of the most creative kitchens in the city.
After about an hour of chatting we were invited to take our seats at the U-shaped table that was adorned by beautiful floral arrangements, containers of spices used to evoke the flavours found in Bombay’s fantastic new gin. The company’s ambassador, English-born, Gary Hayward briefly introduced the spirited new gin that pops with flavours of citrus, pepper and Italian juniper, Spanish almond, Moroccan coriander. Before digging into our food, we were invited to concoct our very own cocktails! We blended equal parts Star of Bombay with Martini, a splash of bitters and a twist of orange. The result was a superb cocktail fit for any taste. For the rest of the evening we let the professionals at HVOR blend the drinks.
After playing table bartender we took our seats and were served a main course of roasted duck breast with a braised duck ravioli. I’ve raved about the food here before and they continued to impress with both this and the chocolate mousse and cake dessert that followed. Each service was paired with a different Star of Bombay cocktail. The main course came with the Constellation, a blend of Star of Bombay, fresh lemon juice, sirop de the, café St-Germain, prosecco and lavender. My favourite cocktail of the evening accompanied the dessert. The Galaxy Espresso Negroni packed a punch with Star of Bombay, Martini Rosso, Campari and espresso. Garnished with an orange slice and a coffee bean, this cocktail was a flavourful delight.
Gin lovers will be excited to try Star of Bombay. It’s available now across the providence and will add a lot of festive flavour to your holiday cocktails.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.