A bespoke transatlantic whisky sour, garnished with a toasted marshmallow and a star-shaped biscuit "evoking the warmth of a fireside S’more", is being served at the lavish state banquet for US President Donald Trump.
This unique creation continues a tradition started by the King, where a new cocktail is crafted for each state dinner to honour its VIP guests.
Buckingham Palace described the tipple, a UK/US twist on the classic whisky sour, as one that "blends the smoky depth of Johnnie Walker Black with the bright citrus of marmalade."
It added: “Crowned with a pecan foam and garnished with a toasted marshmallow set on a star-shaped biscuit, evoking the warmth of a fireside S’more.”
Other touching gestures have been added to charm Mr Trump, whose high stakes second state visit is unprecedented for a US leader.
After dinner hosted by the King and Queen, guests will be served Warre’s 1945 vintage port, in recognition of Mr Trump’s role as the 45th, as well as the 47th, president of the United States and because it is the closest vintage port year to his birth year.
A Hennessy 1912 Cognac Grande Champagne will be on offer in recognition of the President’s mother Mary Anne MacLeod’s birth year.
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, has been chosen to reflect Mr Trump’s Scottish heritage.
Mr Trump is a teetotaller, so will not indulge in sampling the variety of vintage drinks on offer, nor the cocktail.
But it is understood the White House has made him aware of what is being served and the care and thought that is behind each selection.
An American red wine from the Californian Ridge Vineyards, Monte Bello, 2000, forms part of the menu, with an English sparkling wine for the toasts.
Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite champagne, Pol Roger, extra cuvee de Reserve, 1998, has been chosen because of the president’s love of the wartime prime minister.
The sumptuous menu, written in French as is the custom, consists of Hampshire watercress panna cotta with parmesan shortbread and quail egg salad, followed by organic Norfolk chicken ballotine wrapped in courgettes, with a thyme and savoury infused jus, and then bombe glacee cardinal, which is a vanilla ice cream bombe with Kentish raspberry sorbet interior with lightly poached victoria plums.
Mr Trump is known to have a sweet tooth, so is likely to enjoy the ice cream bombe.
The table in St George’s Hall is 47.32 metres long for Mr Trump’s banquet – which equates to 2.7 Marine Ones laid end to end, or 8.6 Beast Cadillacs, or 19.7 golf carts.
It has been decorated with 139 candles and 1,452 pieces of cutlery to serve the 160 guests.
Household staff have spent the last week setting up the antique mahogany dining table, finishing building it on Sunday, laying the cutlery on Monday and the setting on the last of the flowers at around 5.30pm on Wednesday – around three hours before the banquet began.
Guests were “representative of Atlantic relationships” with the list drawn up by the Government, the White House and the Royal Household.
The Palace decides on the seating plan, with the Government and White House also being shown the suggestion and the final decision approved by the King and Queen.
The pink, yellow and purple flowers include handpicked seasonal blooms and herbs from the gardens at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and The Savill Garden in Windsor Great Park.
The grand displays were arranged in silver-gilt centrepieces taken from the Grand Service.
Afterwards, flowers that cannot be reused are donated to Floral Angels, a charity of which the Queen is patron, and delivered to hospices, elderly care homes and shelters.
Music played by the Duchess of Edinburgh’s String Orchestra includes Nessun Dorma, a James Bond medley, Ave Maria Schubert, as well as Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want and Sir Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.
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