Dazzling Citrus, the sweet and sour sparkling cocktail at Le Méridien Taipei Photo: Courtesy of Le Méridien Taipei

 

Summer of Shimei Bay, the themed drink at Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort in Hainan Photo: Courtesy of Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort

Le Méridien hotels in China will offer a special sparkling wine menu in May. Themed Sparkling Wine Journey, the campaign is part of the hotel's worldwide sparkling cocktail program and celebrates the European aperitif culture.

Ten Le Méridien hotels around China will participate in the Sparkling Wine Journey, each showcasing a new and unique drink. Every sip will transport guests, via their taste buds, into a flavorful exploration of select tourist attractions in China.

The destinations include Shanghai, Chongqing, Hong Kong, and cities in Shandong, Fujian, Sichuan, Guangdong, Hainan and Taiwan provinces.

One of the destinations is Qingdao in Shandong Province. The world-renowned Tsingtao Beer dates back to 1903 and has withstood the test of time. The beer inspired the creation of Le Méridien Qingdao's themed sparkling cocktail Tsingtao Sparkling, in which sparkling water is blended in with four lemon wedges added at the end to enrich the flavor. This special offering brings guests a bitterish aroma with an aftertaste of wheat, revealing the impassioned collision of modern craft and century-honored culture and tradition.

Tea tasting is one of the local customs in Xiamen, Fujian Province. The themed sparkling cocktail of Le Méridien Xiamen is named Bitter Sweet Symphonie, in which a French liqueur is ingeniously blended with the aroma of green tea to produce a refreshing, mild and elegant wine.

Dazzling Citrus, the themed drink at Le Méridien Taipei is made in an entirely different way. With sweet and sour grapefruit juice as its base, the drink comprises a romantic rose fragrance and bubbles reminiscent of the omnipresent refreshing feeling of Taipei.

Le Méridien Shimei Bay Beach Resort in Hainan Province mixes cool peppermint water with sweet and sour kiwi fruit and sparkling water to conquer  guests' taste buds. Dubbed Summer of Shimei Bay, the drink is sure to inspire a dreamlike fantasy of the island.

Le Méridien Cyberport in Hong Kong offers the perfect location for productivity and relaxation. The name of its themed sparkling cocktail is Golden Delicious - a refreshing drink similar to a lemonade can help guests cool down in the rising heat.

Guests at Le Royal Méridien Shanghai are invited to embrace the city with a sip of their cocktail Fall in Love with Shanghai. The inspiration for the drink comes from a desire to create a visually attractive cocktail with different layers of color that appeal to the female palate with a sweet touch but is not too overpowering.

The aperitif culture dates centuries back in history. The earliest record was in the 18th century when French pharmacist Joseph Dubonnet invented a wine-based drink seasoned with herbs, quinine, and other spices, which turned out to be a widely praised and welcomed drink among consumers.

Sparkling wine was invented in the late 17th century by a French friar and soon rose to popularity worldwide. Le Méridien, however, integrates aperitif and sparkling wine to create a flavor unique to the Le Méridien brand.

Le Méridien hotels provide guests with a new approach to better understand and feel the charm of Chinese cities and imprint the concept of a modern life into every guest offering. The Sparkling Wine Journey will expand to more cities in China in the near future.