PocketSquare – the east London rooftop bar with skyline terrace – has launched a summer cocktail menu inspired by innovation, botany and sustainability in London. The new menu is complemented by a collection of art installations across the alfresco terrace and bar.
Situated in Whitechapel at the heart of east London, PocketSquare has taken inspiration for its summer cocktail menu from London stories and initiatives that chime with the bar’s focus on innovation, botanicals, organics and sustainability. A diverse mix of influences sees cocktails inspired by everything from gardens and farms to inventors and artists.
Underlying the cocktail menu is the PocketSquare team’s drive for a more sustainable approach to cocktail making. In creating the menu head mixologist Lucrezia Frosutto and her expert team have experimented with processes and ingredients that reduce the waste and environmental impact from cocktail making. The sustainability and innovation ethos behind the menu is reflected in a series of art installations across the bar and terrace.
Cocktails feature seasonal summer fruits and vegetables including strawberries, loganberries and bell peppers; with the team seeking to use the whole of fruits wherever possible. The leftovers from creating juices are used to make fruit leather garnishes, and whole fruits are used to create oleo saccharums. Herbs such as thyme, rosemary and coriander, grown on the PocketSquare terrace, are used to make syrups and bitters.
Drinks on the menu include:
Capsicum which pays homage to the nearby Hackney City Farm where the local community can get up close with vegetables and other plants. The cocktail features rum, yellow Chartreuse, yellow bell pepper juice and a thyme and coriander syrup.
Hive is inspired by London’s bee lovers including The London Beekeeper’s Assocation and their promotion of the city’s bee colonies. This sweet gin cocktail with a kick features a strawberry and chilli shrub in a nod to the importance of bees in pollinating the plants of the British summer berry.
Bloom is inspired by the London Wildlife Trust and their use of wildflowers in bringing nature back to London. A blend of Loganberry syrup, Prosecco and vodka, the striking pink drink features a coral blue edible garnish and is served with wildflower paper; which guests can take home to plant in their gardens or balconies.
Other cocktails on the list include Duality a creamy fruit cocktail inspired by the spirit of reusing waste; and Revol a smoky drink inspired by an early innovator in the steam engine in London.
To go with your cocktails PocketSquare offers a bar snacks and tapas menu from chef Alfio Laudani of PocketSquare’s sister restaurant Sotto Cucina & Bar. Guests can snack on dishes such as Puccia with Burrata, Rocket & Mortadella; Truffle Pecorino Chips and Cod Fritters with Sriracha aioli.
Summer terrace art installation
Across the bar and terrace guests will find an installation of art and soft furnishings from students at Norwich University Of The Arts. Inspired by the relationship between PocketSquare and the surrounding skyline the pieces mix the urban with the natural, exploring the architectural elements of the environment and softening them with natural, experimental form.
The works make use of recycled and repurposed fabrics, keying into notions of sustainable living. Works include:
- Textile artist Annie Gough’s “Glamouflage” throws sourced from deadstock fabrics
- “Ethereal Pleat” a lit ceiling installation by textile artist Freya Monks, made from exclusively found fabrics
- “Soulsearching” a collection of paintings and cushion covers by fashion maker and fine art painter Olly O’Neill
- A collection of cushions made from recycled materials by print maker Joanna Cockrell
Art and supporting up-and-coming artists have been at the heart of PocketSquare since the bar’s launch in 2021.The team at PocketSquare have worked with a range of artists and creators on specially commissioned works for the venue including street artist Jay Kaes and fabric designer Ellen Russell. The bar has also hosted a series of Curated at Hyatt Place exhibitions with photographers Ben Broomfield and David Stetson; street artist Sam Kerridge and renowned cartoonist Bill Tidy.
The summer terrace is now open at PocketSquare, along with the new summer cocktail menu. For bookings and more information visit website here.
