From sumptuous parties of the late nineteenth century to the fragrances of today. The St. Regis of Venice offers a special sensorial experience inspired by Caroline Astor, matriarch of the founding family of the hotel brand
The holidays of Caroline Astor they were legend. Matriarch of the founding family of the prestigious hotel brand St. Regis, today part of the group Marriott, Mrs Astor knew how to organize the most exclusive receptions of New York in the late nineteenth century, transforming her own ballroom in a riot of palm trees, quince flowers, white lilies, cherry trees and American roses. All for an exclusive list of 400 distinguished guests, representatives of the highest spheres of society of the time, invited to wear their best clothes and to take part in these thousand and one night parties.
And so today that same magic lives on also in Italy, and to be precise on the Grand Canal of Venice, in the fresh reopening spaces of The St. Regis Venice. Here, in fact, you can let yourself be intoxicated by the new fragrance Caroline’s Four Hundred, obviously dedicated to Mrs Astor and her famous "list of 400", while tasting a menu and a selection of drinks made especially for the occasion. In a wonderful ton sur ton of perfumes that includes plate and glass, thus giving an all-round sensory experience.
The fragrance
"Perfume has the rare ability to transport us to other times and places in the most intimate way possible," he comments Carlos Huber, designer and founder of Arquiste Parfumeur, the brand that created the Caroline’s Four Hundred room fragrance. "Collaborating with St. Regis to enclose the rich history of the brand and its modern refinement in a unique and exclusive olfactory experience was an honor. What we have tried to achieve is a contemporary perfume, very current, but at the same time capable of communicating a timeless charm . The chronicles of the time that told the sumptuous parties of Mrs Astor, extrapolated directly from the New York newspapers, thus suggested the different scents of the fragrance: starting from exotic woods of the ballroom, to get to the palm trees, ai flowers that decorated the corridors and the sparkling essence of Champagne that spread among the crowd. The result, enclosed in an elegant bottle, can also be purchased on the official portal of the St. Regis.
Menu and cocktail pairing
Between a pinch of American rose and some pleasant citrus notes, the scent of Caroline Astor is released into the air and burst into the kitchen. And that's how it is Nadia Frisina, executive chef of the restaurant Gio's, set inside The St. Regis Venice, has developed a special menu on request for the occasion, to be enjoyed in combination with the cocktails studied by the hotel bar manager Facundo Gallegos. Here then the appetizer, a Carpaccio of Amberjack with bergamot, capers and mint, is served with a "Rose Flight", a refreshing gin cocktail with rose liqueur, bergamot and violet. While the second course, a Scottona fillet with figs, Tropea onion and grapefruit, is accompanied with an «Exquisite Woodiness, a revisited Manhattan, with resin liqueur and cedar wood essence. The dessert, a Sicilian ricotta tart with almonds and marzipan with jasmine tea, is then combined with a "Nutty Blossom", a drink inspired by one of the most popular cocktails of the early twentieth century, the Adonise, revisited with a more decisive note of hazelnuts. To celebrate this Scent Dinner with a last drink, finally, the glasses for the top «Golden 400, prepared with Champagne, gold powder and Calvados. A cocktail of sumptuous elegance and a rich olfactory bouquet, which would certainly have delighted Mrs. Astor and her guests.
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