Introducing our MET 125 Cocktail Menu
This year, The Metropole Hotel Cork celebrates 125 years at the heart of the city centre. Over time, we have honed our skills to create a menu of well loved classic cocktails and deliciously imaginative creations of our own. We are passionate about creating delectable drinks that reflect the fascinating cocktail culture of speakeasies, cocktail bars and snugs, but also experimenting with new ideas to incorporate Cork’s 125 year history. After 3-months in the making, we are delighted to showcase this cocktail menu that will tickle your taste buds and sate your senses.
Below you will find an array of extraordinary libations which demonstrate our skill at combining classic cocktail techniques with incredible innovation. We believe that carefully sourced products and the best housemade ingredients result in the finest drinks, which is why you will find homemade and locally foraged produce amongst our ingredients.
1. Tea On The Roof – 1903
Irish Gin – Vermouth Bianco – Honey Tea Syrup – Peach – Butterfly Pea Tea
King Edward VII and his wife came to Cork in 1903, arriving through Cobh on their Royal yacht to visit the Cork Great Exhibition located in what is now Fitzgerald Park. He is reported to have had tea on the roof of The Metropole Hotel overlooking the Lee.
Harutab Batmazian, an Armenian trader who exhibited his famous Turkish Delight at his exhibition, later set up his famous sweet shop ‘Hadji Bey’ on the ground floor of our hotel. Take a sweet moment with this delicious cocktail made with Butterfly Pea Tea, a rare tea known for its colour-changing properties.
2. Once Upon A Time – 1946
Gorse Flower infused Vodka – Wild Nettle Tincture – Blackberry – Aperol – Lime – Prosecco
Inspired by his Irish ancestors, Walt Disney visited Ireland to research Irish folklore in preparation for the famous movie; “Darbie O’Gill & The Little People”, where he reportedly stayed at The Metropole Hotel. He joked about finding the Leprechaun’s Pot of Gold “because {he} could really use that in Hollywood with the cost of production going up the way it is”. 
He fell in love with the Irish landscape, familiar elements of which feature in this cocktail with our own homemade wild nettle tincture and Irish blackberry syrup as well as locally foraged gorse, a well-known native plant with a bright yellow flower from which it earns its floral vanilla notes.
3. Grapes of Wrath – 1953
Beara Aromatic Bitters – Sun bleached Carrageen Moss – Elderflower – Lemon Saline Solution.
“I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping. I’ve lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment.”
Nobel Prize-winning John Steinback stayed at the Metropole Hotel while in Ireland researching his Irish heritage. This “Giant of American Literature” has credited his Irish roots for his creative writing and flair for language, quoting “Only kings & heroes came from this Holy Land”. As an antidote to the themes of drought and scarcity in his Pulitzer winning novel ‘Grapes of Wrath’, this cocktail is our most complex and unique, with ingredients infused with foraged seaweed & saline. The result is an impeccably balanced, floral, yet tart, drink that will ignite the senses.
4. A King in New York – 1957
Smoked Tequila – Clarified Milk Punch – Coconut & Orange Liqueur – Grapefruit – Lime
While promoting her comedy, “A king in New York” in 1957, Dawn Adams, a famous film star, made headlines when she requested a bath of milk to bathe during her stay at The Metropole Hotel. This ancient beauty technique said to improve the look and texture of the skin was unheard of in Cork and as the people of Cork were going through hardship at the time, the then Manager Douglas Vance rejected what he saw as an extravagant demand. 
Our homemade clarified milk punch is a 2-day process, which results in a clear, soft, unique liquor.
5. The Bicycle Thief – 1957
Irish Gin – Campari – Sweet Vermouth – Bitters – Blood Orange
Movies have always been a great passion for Cork people who are avid cinema goers. It was a great coup for the city when the Cork International Film Festival was founded in 1956, bringing stars from across the globe to screenings in Cork. Italian actor and Director, Vittorio De Sica was one such star who made a huge impression with people greatly moved by his portrayal of human compassion and solidarity. 
He stayed at our hotel while visiting Cork for the screening of his Oscar winning movie “The Bicycle Thief” at the 1957 Festival at the Savoy Cinema in Cork. The Metropole Hotel continues our relationship with the Film festival to this day.
6. Roman Holiday – 1968
White Rum – Chartreuse – Pineapple – Citrus Sorbet – Demerara – Lime
One of Hollywood’s leading men, an icon of style and sophistication; Gregory Peck, stayed at the Metropole in the late 60’s. Most famous for his role in “To Kill a Mocking Bird” Mr Peck also filmed in the seaside village of Youghal in Cork for a classic film adaptation of Herman Meville’s Moby Dick, where dozens of locals starred alongside the famed actor.
This particular concoction plays ode to the romance and Hollywood glamour of his 1953 movie ‘Roman Holiday’ where he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn. Fresh pineapple peels are infused in white rum for over 12 hours before being perfectly paired with herbal liqueurs & sweet demerara sugars.
7. Queen of Jazz – 1979
Cacao Nib infused Irish Whiskey – Aperol – Burnt Peach Syrup – Chocolate Bitters
Towards the end of the 1900s a series of events resulted in the founding of one of Ireland’s biggest and longest-running events on the Irish music calendar, The Cork Jazz Festival. Domestic tourism in Ireland was suffering due to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. In 1977, The Labour Minister introduced what is now known as the ‘October Bank holiday’, and following a significant cancellation from a bridge club, the then Marketing Manager at The Metropole Hotel, Jim Mountjoy, set about organising the inaugural Jazz Festival to fill rooms. Since then, over one million jazz fans have visited Cork to hear globally-renowned musicians including Jazz legends: Mel Torme, Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie and Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. 
This cocktail was crafted as an Ode to the First Lady of Jazz, infusing Irish whiskey in raw Cacao Nib for 4 days before the flavours reach the desired level of smooth chocolate notes, paired with our homemade burnt peach syrup – a nod to Ella’s hometown in Virginia.
Whilst it may not be possible to relive the past, it may be possible to taste it. Take a journey through 125 years at The Metropole Hotel Cork, meet exciting new characters, fall in love with Cork stories and enjoy this homage to bygone eras and spirits from the past.
Explore, and please do ask if you would like any suggestions, we love nothing more than helping you find your perfect drink.