A Gothic Cocktail Voyage at Kings Cross

I’ve had some bonkers cocktails in my time – all in the name of research you understand. Bee pollen, edible flowers, gold leaf, squid ink, raw eggs, peppercorns – I’ve glugged it all. And quite honestly I don’t know how mixologists keep finding new and innovative ways to shake up (see what I did there) the bar world.

And yet, here we are at the extraordinary Gothic Bar in St Pancras, which could easily be a movie set. In fact, it has been featured in loads of things. Right outside the bar is the famous staircase where the Spice Girls famously strutted their stuff in the video for Wannabe. Scenes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets were shot here too – Harry, Ron and Hermione ran up those Spice Girls stairs to the Gryffindor common room, and eagle eyed viewers might have spotted it in The World Is Not Enough. But we digress…

Back to the booze. The luxury Cognac brand Camus has been in the same French family for five generations, but now they have teamed up with the Gothic Bar to create an innovative new menu. And this pairing makes complete sense to discerning connoisseurs of le cocktail (like moi, of course) Let me explain – the lavish Gothic bar is celebrated for its unique décor and sophisticated ambience, offering more than just a place to kick back and have a beer, while Camus boasts an equally rich heritage. And what better place to celebrate this ‘entente cordiale’ than slap bang next to the station, with its transport links to Paris?

Journey with Camus cognac

Bar manager Jack Porter, not only talented but also rather easy on the eye, has developed a menu of three new cocktails inspired by the famous Voyages Extraordinaires stories by French author Jules Verne. Why? Because the novels were published 160 years ago, at the same time the Camus family began their journey into the world of cognac. Each £17 cocktail uses a different cognac – Camus VSOP, Camus VSOP Borderies, and Camus Ile de Ré to highlight the unique flavours.

First up was Five Weeks In A Balloon using ingredients found in parts of Africa, the continent explored in the namesake book. Peanut enriched Camus VSOP is paired with Ginger Liqueur, Banana Eau de Vie, and Oloroso Sherry, topped with a scented smoke balloon that sits on top of the drink, which when popped spreads a ginger aroma across the drink and table giving a proper wow factor.

Journey To The Centre of the Earth, a blend of Camus Borderies VSOP paired with Lutèce Aperitif, Roots & Spice Liqueur, Citrus Mix, and London Essence Tonic Water comes with a tall ice cube which is quite the feat of engineering. Red syrup has been somehow drilled into the ice and frozen in place to remind us of the lava channels explored in the book.

But for me, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was the showstopper with its salty flavours of seaweed and oysters. Jack explained how oyster shells from the restaurant are sterilised by him personally then frozen, before being filled with layered ice and micro plants to give the perception of an aquatic scene. The cocktail includes Camus Île de Ré, Falernum, Pickled Dulse, Oyster Tincture, and Cucumber. Properly delicious.

• Camus Cognac Voyages Extraordinaires Cocktail Menu will be available at Gothic Bar, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, London NW1 2AR until 30 November. Bookings can be made at www.gothicbar.london but walk-ins are welcomed.