Newcastle bar relaunches cocktail menu with exotic additions

One minute you’ll be strolling down Grey Street and the next you’ll have ducked into the entrance of The Muddler to have your taste buds transported to the Far East.

Fruits, plants and botanicals coming from countries including China, Thailand and Japan are inspiring a new cocktail menu at the venue.

The Muddler already dishes up some of the city’s best Asian cuisine and now the addition of ingredients such as yuzu, pandan and calamansi will create an authentic drinking experience too.

Drinks on offer include Szechuan Peach Cooler which is made with Haku vodka, created from the highest grade sushi rice, and Szechuan peppercorn syrup.

There’s also the Umesh-Who which is created from a blend of Toki Whisky Umeshu Sake, made from plums steeped in wine, and Martini Riserva Rubino.

The East Asian citrus fruit yuzu forms the basis of the Yuzu Coconut Royal, a combination of yuzu sake with coconut and Prosecco.

Elsewhere, the Mabuhay Margarita contains another Asian citrus fruit, the calamansi, along with Altos Resposado tequila and lime leaf.

The menu looks sure to encourage guests to step away from the traditional Pornstar Martinis and Mojitos in search of a new favourite drink.

For those wanting something a little closer to home, The Muddler are also re-thinking the Espresso Martini, adding pandan, a South Asian plant with fragrant leaves, to the mix.

Robert Firth, general manager at The Muddler, said the drinks are the perfect addition to complement the restaurant’s menu.

He said: “It makes perfect sense for our cocktails to echo the flavours of our food.

“And we are excited to be able to offer customers the chance to try ingredients they may never even have heard of before.”

The Muddler is open from 11am to 10 pm Sunday to Thursday and from 11 am to 11 pm on Friday and Saturday and cocktails are priced from £8.50.