Adorned in shimmering gold leaf, with twinkling panoramas over the Arabian Gulf, Burj Al Arab’s Gold on 27 is Dubai’s most elegant bar. When it comes to matching the drink to the view, Gold on 27’s mixologists have the Midas touch, creating imaginative mocktails with innovative ingredients and gallery-worthy presentation. We speak to Gold on 27’s head mixologist to learn how to mix the perfect mocktail.

Next level mixology

Mocktails can often just be a sugary soda mix or combination of juices and syrups, but we take them to a new level. When crafting a new soft cocktail, we begin by creating infusions using herbal, floral and regular teas, with varying levels of concentration. Depending on the infusion, we then consider the amount of sweetness or bitterness that the drink should have and start to incorporate ingredients that give the best balance. Typically, we would finish by using a soda, either flavoured or simply a club soda, or alternatively a freshly prepared fruit or vegetable juice.

Unusual elements

Our mixologists work with a variety of ingredients such as exotic teas, unusual herbs, spices, berries, fruits and vegetables. Local ingredients like za’atar leaf and khalas dates are often unknown to our visitors and add a great element of surprise.

All that glitters…

Our mocktail Element 79 is named after gold’s position on the periodic table and is a favourite with our guests. It’s a sophisticated, alcohol-free sparkling grape drink served with a sugar cube and an effervescent golden cloud. The constant bubbles created from the dissolving sugar, combined with the light reflecting into the glass give the impression of liquid gold.

Alchemic perfection

The greatest joy in creating a mocktail is experimenting with the ingredients and the concentration levels of infusions to make something really special. There are endless combinations of herbs, teas, fruits, vegetables and spices available, some of which are rarely used in mixology, and it’s really rewarding when an idea works and comes to life.

The magic of storytelling

Our menu covers three different eras of Dubai – old, new and future  – and through storytelling we try to teach guests something new and memorable about the city. This concept allows our expert mixologists to be inspired by all that the city has to offer.   

For instance, with Old Dubai we are telling the story of Dubai’s rich history. Our Scent of the Souk mocktail represents Dubai’s trading culture. New Dubai draws from the present, with Element 79 – which is luxurious and gold in appearance – a tribute to Dubai’s current glamour. And as Dubai continues to innovate and grow there is much to take inspiration from for our Future Dubai era. Recent mocktail additions like Golden Flower and Burj Garden harness new techniques, ingredients and futuristic presentation.

Savour the wonder of Burj Al Arab’s sublime cocktails by reserving a table at Gold on 27.