It's recipe is a riff on the original Lucien Gaudin cocktail - a tribute to one of the most decorated French Olympic medalists- itself a Frenchified version of the negroni, which has made quite the comeback in recent times.

When the bartender presents my cocktail, I'm perplexed to see only an empty misted glass served with a hardcover copy of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. Only uponing opening the book do I find the steel hipflask containing my drink cleverly concealed within. It's little flourishes and showmanship like this that make visiting bespoke bars a worthwhile experience. So down the rabbit hole we go.

I like my cocktails to pack a punch and while The Other Room certainly delivers on this front, I never thought I would have uttered the words "too strong", as was the case with my tipple.

Astringent bitterness from the gin, dry vermouth, campari and orange bitters proved slightly overwhelming and might have benefitted from the mellowing effects of Cointreau used in the Lucien Gaudin or perhaps even sweet vermouth found in the original negroni.

Thanks @burpple for the invite and @theotherroomsg for the excellent service!

Taste: 3/5