Judith Schrut gets a taste of royalty.
St Ermins Hotel near St James Park has unveiled its beautiful Winter Lodge on the Terrace, just in time for the festive season. I enjoyed the warmest of warm welcomes at its recent launch.
The hotel’s Terrace has been transformed into a cozy paradise, complete with blankets, comfy sofas and chill-blasting food and drink from a specially created menu. This includes some naughtily nice nibbles, hot cocktails, spiced lattes and a collection of signature drinks made with Kings Ginger liqueur.
As a dedicated chocoholic, a yum-heaped mug of Kings Hot Chocolate (Kings Ginger, chocolate, whipped cream and marshmallow, £10) was my personal beverage fave, although Kings Negroni (Kings Ginger, gin, red vermouth and orange twist, £14) went down a treat, as did the Spiked Tea Cocktail (a sizzling mix of tea, rum, lemon, apple juice and cinnamon, £12). To complement such beverages, Winter Lodge has created a unique range of nibbles with a Scottish twist, such as St Ermins’ deep-fried Mars bar, lamb and haggis meatballs in whiskey sauce and a worthy variation on the Scotch egg: creamy, fresh scallops nestled in crispy, black pudding shells.
Apparently, the story of Kings Ginger liqueur goes back to 1903 and the reign of King Edward VII, Queen Victoria’s eldest son and heir. His Majesty’s doctor was concerned about the King’s health, particularly due to his frequent habit of racing around London in his new, open, horseless carriage (a Daimler), whatever the weather. This jolly beverage was invented to energise His Majesty during these outings.
Today’s Kings Ginger is still made with its original recipe, a high strength, invigorating blend of molasses spirit, fresh ginger and zesty citrus oil. The perfect warming drink…for health reasons of course…on a winter’s day.
Winter Lodge on the Terrace is at St Ermins Hotel, 2 Caxton Street, London SW1H 0QH. More at sterminshotel.co.uk.
