Can you taste music? East London bar pairs cocktails with bespoke playlists
Can you taste music? East London bar pairs cocktails with bespoke playlists
Each cocktail is paired with a bespoke playlist inspired by its flavour profile, with genres ranging from neo-soul and Japanese city pop to Bollywood EDM
What if your cocktail came with its own soundtrack? Rake’s Café Bar at Andaz London Liverpool Street has launched The Sound of Cocktails, a new menu pairing ten original cocktails with bespoke playlists inspired by each drink’s ingredients, flavour profile and character.
From Japanese city pop accompanying a delicate blend of gin, umeshu, grapefruit and chamomile, to neo-soul paired with rich bourbon, butterscotch and absinthe serve, the menu invites guests to explore how different drinks might translate into sound.
The concept was created by Rake’s Beverage Manager, Guilherme Vieira, and Andaz London Liverpool Street’s music curator and resident DJ, Michelle Lynn. The two have combined their respective areas of expertise to come up with ten innovative new serves with curated playlists featuring genres ranging from commercial crowd-pleasers to leftfield, obscure cuts.
The concept is designed to encourage visceral and multisensory engagement with new music – asking guests to taste the beats they’re hearing and feeling and listen to the flavours they’re drinking. Exposing guests to selected recommendations from the hotel’s in-house music curator is also an intentional move away from the rise in algorithm-led playlists.
Each drink is served with a garnish tag and collectible coaster featuring a QR code, allowing guests to listen to its corresponding playlist during their visit or stream it at home. Michelle’s selections are also woven into the soundtrack at Rake’s throughout the evening.
The face and reverse of the collectible coasters for the The Aftermath and Kyoto Kiss cocktails, featuring artwork inspired by each playlist and a QR code linking guests directly to it
On the sonic inspiration behind The Sound of Cocktails, DJ Michelle Lynn said: “Guilherme and I have wanted to bring this idea to life for a while. We sat down together to taste every cocktail and talk about the flavours, textures and emotions each one evoked, before translating those into music.
“My favourite pairing is The Aftermath. Its rich herbal notes and buttery finish immediately lend themselves to neo-soul and quiet storm, with artists like Hiatus Kaiyote, Cleo Sol, Sade, and Charlotte Dos Santos creating exactly the atmosphere we wanted.”
Beyond the new concept, Michelle also curates Rake’s popular Brunch Paradiso every Saturday, where a rotating femme-focused line-up of London-based DJs provides the soundtrack to brunch alongside unlimited cocktails or prosecco. Later this year, Michelle will also start hosting DJ masterclasses at Rake’s, giving guests the chance to learn the art of mixing in one of East London’s most vibrant late-night destinations.
Michelle Lynn is the music curator and resident DJ at Andaz London Liverpool Street
Beverage Manager at Rake’s Café Bar, Guilherme Vieira, added: “Michelle has taken these cocktails to somewhere I could never have imagined. Seeing each drink transformed into its own soundtrack has added another dimension to the experience. It’s fascinating how a combination of Tanqueray, umeshu, grapefruit and chamomile can become Japanese city pop, while mango vodka, chilli and elderflower naturally find their home on the dancefloor to Bollywood EDM.”
Guilherme Vieira, Beverage Manager at Rake’s Cafe Bar
Here are the ten new cocktails and their playlists offered through The Sound of Cocktails programme:
- The Aftermath
Butter-infused Bulleit Bourbon, butterscotch, and absinthe come together in a luxuriously rich finish with subtle herbal complexity.
The official Vinyl Sunset playlist features beach house, Balearic, and nu-disco with artists like Lazywax, Be.Lanuit and Nu Genea and is available to stream or download here.
2. Vinyl Sunset
Infused Don Julio Tequila is ultrasonically infused with kiwi and citrus, then lightly carbonated for a bright, crisp serve with exceptional clarity.
The official Vinyl Sunset playlist features beach house, Balearic, and nu-disco with artists like Lazywax, Be.Lanuit and Nu Genea and is available to stream or download here.
3. Smoke & Harmony
Tropical and warming pineapple and cinnamon-infused Bacardí rhum is layered with orange, vanilla and a gentle ribbon of smoke over a subtle saline edge.
The official Smoke & Harmony playlist features reggae and dancehall with artists like Sister Nancy, Dennis Brown, Barrington Levy and Sean Paul and is available to stream or download here.
- Kyoto Kiss
Tanqueray No. 10 Gin meets Japanese umeshu, softened with grapefruit and chamomile for a delicate balance of citrus, gentle sweetness and a quiet savoury finish.
The official Kyoto Kiss playlist features nu-jazith artists like Herbie Hancock, Jiro Inagaki and His Soul Media, Thelonious Monk and Masayoshi Takanaka and is available to stream or download here.
- Rhythm & Rhum
Pandan-infused rhum is layered with coconut, yuzu and aromatic oils, balancing creamy tropical richness against bright citrus and gentle spice.
The official Rhythm & Rhum playlist features deep house, downtempo, and southeast Asian fusion and is available to stream or download here.
- Pink Cassette
Ciroc vodka is lifted with jasmine liqueur, ripe peach and raspberry to create a fragrant and playful serve full of floral charm.
The official Pink Cassette playlist features pop divas like Charli xcx, Chappell Roan, Pink Pantheress, Zara Larsson and Dua Lipa and is available to stream or download here.
- Afterbeats
Bright mango flavours of Desi Daru mango vodka meet warming chilli and delicate elderflower in a spirited cocktail inspired by contemporary South Asian sounds.
The official Afterbeats playlist features Bollywood EDM, bhangra, and Punjabi dance with artists like Farasat Anees, Karan Aujla and Geeta Rabari and is available to stream or download here.
- Liquid Neon
Tanqueray gin and Aperol are brightened with elderflower beneath a citrus foam, creating a vivid serve built to pulse with colour and club energy.
The official Liquid Neon playlist features melodic techno, tech house and electronic with artists like Disclosure, BICEP, Miss Monique and Stephan Bodzin and is available to stream or download here.
- Slow Jam
Ciroc vodka is balanced with delicate melon, tart rhubarb and raspberry, velvety and smooth with a subtly seductive silky texture.
The official Slow Jam playlist features 90s & 00s R&B, soul and slow jams with artists like Qendresa, H.E.R., Victoria Monét, and Ella Mai and is available to stream or download here.
- El Último Baile
Ciroc vodka meets bittersweet Cadello 88, ripe banana and rich coffee to create a bold late-night cocktail built for one final burst of energy, or el último baile.
The official El Último Baile playlist features reggaeton artists like Bad Bunny, Pitbull, Ivy Queen and KAROL G and is available to stream or download here.
Those looking to try Rake’s Café Bar’s new The Sound of Cocktails experience are free to walk in or book a table here.
