Back by popular demand, Fairmont Empress announces the return of ‘Sunset Sips’ for the spring and summer season. Guests can once again indulge in the elevated night-time experience that puts a twist on tradition with tea-infused cocktails and mocktails presented in elegant glass teapots.
Drawing inspiration from the hotel’s world-renowned afternoon tea service, signature beverages will brim glass teacups alongside tiers of savoury bites to nosh on in the Lobby Lounge. With this touch of sophistication, the spirited teatime will transport guests back in time to the glamour of the roaring twenties. As the sun sets over the Inner Harbour, the Lobby Lounge transforms into a prohibition-style haven making it the ideal venue for any social or special celebration.
This year’s Sunset Sips signature cocktails includes ‘Tiffany’s Breakfast’, a chamomile tea-infused breakfast martini featuring Empress 1908 Oaken Gin, mixed with marmalade and garnished with dehydrated oranges. The name of the cocktail pays tribute to the disco ‘Tiffany’s’, which resided in the basement of the hotel during the seventies. Also on the cocktail menu is the ‘The Capone’, a gunpowder green tea-infused Canadian Club, blended with Makers Mark and Maple bitters, served with classic cola and a plume of smoke. Spirit free offerings are also available, and the menu can be viewed online, here.
In addition to the tantalizing cocktail selection, guests can savour plates of appetizers that complement the evenings libations. Priced at $48 per person, the Sunset Sips culinary menu features heirloom carrots with whipped tofu, Albacore tuna tiradito, locally smoked and candied salmon, and slow roasted prime rib Yorkshire pudding. Executive Pastry Chef Gerald Tan presents his dark chocolate espresso mousse, raspberry profiterole, and banoffee pie.
Sunset Sips will be available Thursday through Sundays in the Lobby Lounge from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. Beginning June 19 – September 30, 2024, the offering will be seven days a week. Reservations can be made online here.
As an added treat for International Tea Day on May 21, a special Sunset Sips offering will be available for guests in Q Bar and on the Veranda.
With a nod to tradition, Sunset Sips invites guests to participate in an innovative twist on the beloved English ritual of Afternoon Tea. Fairmont Empress has been serving Afternoon Tea to royalty, celebrities, and dignitaries alike since the hotel opened in 1908. The hotel serves more than 250,000 cups of tea annually and during the summer months it serves over 400 guests per day, more than most hotels in London, England.