AUTUMN, when the cocktails change colour

THE COCKTAILS at Up & Above at the Okura Prestige Bangkok have taken on autumnal colours – and somehow the flavours too – to celebrate the season of transformation right through November.
Head sommelier Marc Bittner specifically has in mind the annual phenomenon that the Japanese call koyo, when the leaves of all the maple trees turn from green to brilliant yellow and orange and finally reddish brown. (Canadians witness the same changes each year, of course – they call it “autumn” or, using the preferred American term, “fall”.)
Along with the snow white and milky pink of cherry blossoms in the spring, the flaming red of maple leaves is the colour most associated with shifting seasons in Japan. Koyo begins in mid-September in Hokkaido in the chillier north, spreading all the way to Japan’s southern coast over the course of about 50 days. As in spring, it’s a time when people trek to the countryside to take in the marvellous spectacle.
For folks who’ve forgotten their Botany 101 lessons in high school, the leaves of deciduous trees change colour when the days shorten and the air temperature drops, shutting off the flow of chlorophyll. The green hue fades to reveal the other colours that have actually been there all along, until the leaves dry out to an earthy brown and fall to the ground.
Absent the substantial dip in temperatures, Thailand and other subtropical countries don’t get to enjoy the same dramatic colour shift in the trees – but consolation of a sort is offered at Up & Above, where Bittner has replicated the wonderful hues and even given his cocktails warm flavours that also evoke autumn.
To render the change in seasons in proper chronological order, you should begin with the tipple titled “Green”, a refreshing cocktail made with Beefeater gin that’s infused with green tea. To this he adds Kitaoka pear sake, fresh pear and vanilla, the ingredients shaken with ice and poured over yuzu sorbet. The sorbet has an unmistakable citrusy fragrance and the sweet pear is there to smooth its tangy aftertaste.
Next you turn “Yellow” with Suntory Kakubin whiskey, salted maple syrup and freshly pressed apricot juice. Smooth and enjoyable, this cocktail lets each ingredient shine in perfect harmony, none overpowering the other.
Finally you go “Red” with Patron tequila, agave syrup and apple cider. The tequila and cider make a lovely match in themselves, and the sweet and slightly smoky agave syrup complements the Patron and adds depth.
The drink is kept cool by a sphere of ice ad garnished with a big slice of candied apple.
Teetotallers can also enjoy the koyo celebration with a pair of mocktails.
The Pumpkin Smoothie is pureed chilled pumpkin, coconut milk and banana in Earl Grey tea syrup beneath sinfully frothy whipped cream and grated nutmeg. Even if you’re no fan of pumpkin, give it a try – it tastes nothing like pumpkin soup, for example. Instead, you first get a whiff of the sweet banana and then taste the slightly sweet, creamy pumpkin puree, minus any hint of pumpkin thanks to the coconut milk.
The Strawberry and Rhubarb Soda is a terrific afternoon treat inspired by the rhubarb pie that Bittner’s grandmother used to make.
He blends an earthy and bitter rhubarb puree with tangy-sweet strawberry puree and lime and |tops it with crushed ice and |club soda.
The cocktails cost Bt475 and the mocktails Bt250.

Up & Above is on the 24th floor of the Okura Prestige Bangkok, adjacent to the Ploenchit Skytrain station.
It’s open daily from 11am to 1am.
Book seats and find out more at (02) 687 9000 and www.OkuraBangkok.com.