An iconic landmark in St. Petersburg, for over a century the Hotel Astoria has embodied the sophistication and opulence of Imperial Russia and its proud history. 24 hours a day, the softly-lit Lichfield Bar offers a range of delectable drinks featuring typically Russian ingredients, the newest of them our signature cocktail, the Birch Spritz.
An unofficial symbol of Russia the birch tree, or bereza, is heralded in song, art and literature and its sweet sap is the key ingredient in this brand-new cocktail. Created by Head Bartender Mr. Daniil Minchin to pay homage to a tree synonymous with purity and light, the Birch Spritz is both refreshing and uplifting.
Ingredients
20ml Beluga Noble vodka
20ml lemon juice
20ml sugar syrup
80ml Prosecco
100ml Birch juice
A redcurrant raceme
Method
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the Beluga Noble vodka, lemon juice, sugar syrup and birch juice and shake well.
Add ice cubes to a glass. Strain the shaken cocktail mixture over the ice.
Top up the glass with Prosecco, and garnish with a redcurrant raceme for effect.
To book a table in the Lichfield Bar at Hotel Astoria, please email reservations.astoria@roccofortehotels.com or call +7 812 494 5770.
The soul of a destination – that special something all travellers yearn to glimpse – is really the soul of its people. It is timeless humanity refracted by a place’s unique qualities, by its bounty and scarcity, its landscape and climate.
Florence becomes the most compelling creative retreat when you fall in step with the city’s pace. In Milan you might ‘get your hustle on’ and Rome leans into a meandering walk or Vespa ride, this city, the birthplace of the Renaissance, draws us more towards strolling.
Few things evoke nostalgia quite like food. A single flavour or familiar aroma can transport us across years and continents in an instant. Long after we've forgotten the route we walked or the sights we saw, it is often that taste that stays with us.
