A lot of thought went into the drinks for Wednesday night’s state banquet, put on in honour of president Donald Trump. No more so than with the cocktail, a whisky sour infused with marmalade and garnished with a toasted marshmallow and a star-shaped biscuit.
It was served at Buckingham Palace to “evoke the warmth of a fireside S’more” and pay tribute to the UK’s special relationship with the US. A spokesperson described the tipple as one that “blends the smoky depth of Johnnie Walker Black with the bright citrus of marmalade”.
The cocktail continued a tradition established by King Charles whereby important guests are honoured with a personalised beverage at state dinners. The detail and consideration might have impressed Trump: a whisky sour is a classic American cocktail, while the use of Johnnie Walker black label and marmalade denote Trump's Scottish heritage.
Johnnie Walker hails from Scotland and was founded in Kilmarnock in 1820. Marmalade, with roots in Portugal and Britain, has existed since the 1700s and it was the Scottish who first added water to the preserve to create the texture we know today. They were the first to make marmalade a breakfast item, too.
I do wonder whether the use of marmalade was added to also reflect the colour of the president’s face.
Though Trump is a teetotaller, it is understood that the White House was made aware of the careful preparations made for the feast, held on a grand, 47-metre table in St George’s Hall adorned with 139 candles, silver cutlery and fresh flowers.
Were he not abstemious, I suspect he would have enjoyed the cocktail — a smoky, sweet drink that packs a punch.
I went over to the Ned in the City of London to try it for myself. My bartender, Jed, made one to the recipe — though without the star-shaped biscuit — mixing a whisky sour with Johnnie Walker with an infusion of marmalade and a pecan foam. I enjoyed it — a little sweet, but an ideal digestif after a long dinner. It would probably work with soft cheeses and would certainly work well by an autumn fire.
The Ned won’t be putting it on the menu, but does serve a long roster of other American classics at its ground floor Nickel Bar. The Manhattans are especially good, so too the Boulevardiers.
Will I have Trump’s cocktail again? No. I have little interest in honouring the US President. I would’ve liked to have been at the banquet, though. The King and Queen, who hosted, made good use of the Palace’s cellars. Toasts were carried out with an English sparkling wine, while an American red wine from the Californian Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello 2000, formed part of the menu.
The royals went further. Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite champagne, Pol Roger, extra cuvee de Reserve 1998, was chosen because of the president’s love of the wartime prime minister; guests were also served Warre’s 1945 vintage port, a Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne, and a Bowmore Queen’s Cask whisky from Islay, which was a gift to the late Queen Elizabeth in 1980 and bottled for her Golden Jubilee in 2002.
Household staff spent an entire week setting up the antique mahogany dining table, finishing building it on Sunday before finishing its setting about three hours before the 160 dignitaries arrived.
Guests were “representative of Atlantic relationships” with the list drawn up by the Government, the White House and the Royal Household. Music played by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra included Nessun Dorma, a James Bond medley, Ave Maria Schubert, Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want, and Sir Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.
With thanks to the Nickel Bar at the Ned for the cocktail and service; 27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ, thened.com
