Ron Zacapa and Zuma create ritual serves
Guatemalan rum, Ron Zacapa, has partnered with London’s Zuma to unveil The Zacapa-Zuma Ritual Serves – a selection of cocktails crafted to signify Zacapa’s heritage.
The serves have been created in partnership with Zuma to create a theatrical drinking experience for guests. The cocktails are presented in a bespoke, pyramid shaped glass box, with a cloud of volcanic-like smoke enveloping the drinks – the cocktails have been created using Mayan ingredients including cacao nib and black corn and sit on an engraved slate base. Crafted from three types of wood, the vessel reflects Zacapa’s ‘Sistema Solera’ ageing process, where the rum is laid to rest in barrels that aged American whiskeys, sherries, Pedro Ximénez wines and Cognac; in the case of Zacapa XO, the final stage of ageing occurs in French oak Cognac barrels. Before serving, the structure will be topped with burning wood chips which produce the gravity-defying ‘smoke’, which flows out in a cloud-like plume once the lid is removed at the table.
The cocktail symbolises the ‘House Above the Clouds’, where Zacapa rum is aged in its home, Guatemala, at an altitude of 2,300 metres above sea level. Zuma’s global beverage director, James Shearer and global bar development director, Jimmy Barrat, were inspired to create the serves after visiting ‘The House Above The Clouds’ to introduce a theatrical Zacapa drinking experience for Zuma guests.
The cocktails will include the Imox Negroni – a twist on the classic negroni – featuring Zacapa 23 rum, Campari infused with cocoa nibs, and vermouth infused with roasted black corn. The Cib Colada, a take on the Piña Colada, will feature Zacapa 23 rum, coconut, vanilla, dried yuzu, pineapple, chili, star anise and charcoal, topped with bubbly sake and gold glitter. The luxury Guatemalan rum delivers lingering hints of spiced oak followed by the complex rich flavour and light finish. The cocktails will be available as single or sharing serves.
Lorena Vásquez, master blender of Zacapa rum, comments: “Drawing inspiration from our Mayan heritage has been key to designing these cocktails. We are telling a story with the new Zacapa-Zuma Ritual Serves, bringing the knowledge behind our distilling and ageing process to the table. These cocktails provide guests with an experience like no other, allowing Zacapa’s deep aroma, full colour and rich flavour to be enjoyed in all its glory.”
Zuma’s global beverage director, James Shearer, adds: “It’s really exciting to see the result of what was an amazing trip materialise into a piece of theatre which can come to life at Zuma. It’s been such an exciting collaboration to work on, and the end result is visually stunning. Our priority in the restaurant is always to deliver something unique and innovative with exquisite flavour, and the Zacapa-Zuma Ritual Serves do just that. We can’t wait for our guests to experience them.”
The Zacapa-Zuma Ritual Serves are priced from £14 per cocktail.