Dive into the world of Oscar-nominated Poor Things with Mr Fogg’s new cocktail menus

Mr Fogg’s has unveiled limited edition cocktail menus to celebrate the release of Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film Poor Things, which releases in cinemas on 12 January. The film tells the tale of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) — a young woman brought back to life by a brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).

In the film, we see Bella grow hungry for the worldliness she lacks, and so she runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer. Together, they go on a whirlwind adventure across the contents where, free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose for equality and liberation.Inspired by this journey and the characters of Poor Things, Mr Fogg’s has designed a four-cocktail menu made with Bombay Sapphire gin variants and Martini Vibrante non-alcoholic aperitivo, which will be available at every venue in London excluding Mrs Fogg’s, Mr Fogg’s Tavern and Mr Fogg’s Hat Tavern throughout January.

The cocktails are inspired by the personality traits of each character, like Bella’s adventurous streak, Dr Godwin’s experimental side, Duncan’s bawdy nature and Max’s lovelorn disposition. And so, we went over to Mr Fogg’s Apothecary to test out the cocktails and their signature offering, Dr Baxter’s Mysterious Libation.Inspired by Dr Godwin Baxter, this cocktail embodies the character by using a flavour blaster cocktail gun, which creates an aroma filled bubble on top of the cocktail — with the resulting serve resembling his bubble-releasing moments in the film. It took a few attempts for the staff to get the bubble just right, but once it did, the satisfaction of popping it into an aromatic smoke made for a fun visual treat. The drink itself was delicious with the rich taste of gin, whisky, and lemon juice all mixed together to form a bitter yet tasty and experimental cocktail.

We also tried Max’s Genius Elixir, which is inspired by Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), who is a medical student and Dr Baxter’s assistant. This cocktail also had an interesting visual flair as it arrived in a giant round beaker with bubbles erupting from the holder below. The drink packed a punch with its zingy and spicy kick, with notes of lavender and absinthe soon following. Our favourite, however, was the drink based on the star of the film, Bella Baxter. Bella’s Enchantment is exactly that — an enchantment. Much like the character, the drink was filled to the brim with a refreshing yet peppery charm, and left you wanting more. Topped with a slice of dried lemon and a rosemary stem, this drink was the perfect accompaniment to the cheese filled peppers we snacked on and was a lovely way to end our evening.

Throughout Poor Things, Bella goes on the journey of freeing herself from the confines and expectation of the world and era she found herself in to achieving true liberation, education and contentment along the way. And the cocktail menus designed by Mr Fogg’s are a great way to celebrate the characters brought to life by Yorgos Lanthimos, who will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema halls.

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