It may sound almost silly to say that nostalgia is having a moment, but it’s true. We live in a culture obsessed with bright, shiny novelty—always chasing what’s next. For many (this writer included), the idea of an increasingly technologized future, with bigger digital footprints and less human interaction, feels deeply unsettling.
In response, there’s a growing tendency to look back with yearning toward simpler, slower, less-wired, more-connected times. You can see this wistful longing for in the streamlined ’90s silhouettes returning to the runway, the resurgence of “dumb phones,” and the comeback of classic dishes like beef Wellington.
Further underscoring the pull of the past, analog travel experiences are on the rise, with jet-setters choosing to trade devices for board games and books. Literary tourism—whether that’s tours that follow in the footsteps of renowned novelists or checking into hotels where authors penned great works—is gaining momentum as well.
As tableside service rolls back into style at restaurants, diners are once again delighted by the showmanship of cacio e pepe spun in wheels of cheese, and Caesar salads tossed just so, mere inches from their plate. That same sense of performance and personalization has made its way into bars, where a nod to the romance and refinement of yesteryear has brought martini trolleys back into fashion.
“The cocktail trolley, or ‘strolling bar,’ first came into vogue in urban America in the late 1800s. However, it gained renewed popularity in the decades following the repeal of Prohibition in 1933,” explains Jared Brown, Sipsmith co-founder and master distiller. As nightlife evolved, bartenders embraced more theatrical forms of service, preparing cocktails tableside.
Around the same time, across the pond, drinking dens in London and other cities welcomed locals and thirsty Americans keen to escape Prohibition-era restrictions. “In the UK, trolleys landed in the libraries of gentlemen’s clubs, country houses, and in London’s posher private residences.”
Jumping ahead to the early 2000s, as New York and London emerged as hubs for bar innovation and the comeback of classic cocktails, drinks trolleys began to spring up. Perhaps most notably, The Connaught Bar introduced its signature version in 2008.
The martini trolley at The Connaught Bar.
Photo: Lateef Okunnu
Flash forward to today: the spirited tableside ritual is captivating a new generation of drinkers, both at places with well-established trolley culture and at a wave of upmarket watering holes that are hopping on the train, err, trolley for the first time. The tables at The Connaught Bar are more packed than ever with patrons seeking out a level of theatricality that turns a martini (an excellent, ice-cold one at that) into an experience. The signature recipe—75ml of Connaught Bar Gin, 15ml of a secret vermouth blend, and an aromatic bitter of choice from the in-house selection (either lavender, coriander seeds, black cardamom, ginseng and bergamot, or tonka beans), which each guest chooses after a sniff test on a paper card—is stirred and poured from great heights (think: Moroccan mint tea at a high-end hotel in Marrakech) and garnished with a twist. “It’s a very engaging and dedicated service that guests love in its entirety, and has created a truly timeless attraction,” Giorgio Bargiani, assistant director of mixology of The Connaught, tells Vogue.
