Guest Shift: Raising The Bar At Astor Bar, One Martell Pour At A Time

Astor Bar plays host to a night of cognac-led creativity as Martell takes centre stage—where New York glamour meets modern mixology, and every cocktail tells a story worth lingering over.

There are bars, and then there are rooms that set a mood. Astor Bar falls firmly into the latter. Inspired by the gilded glamour of old New York, it feels like stepping into a well-kept secret—low-lit, intimate, and unapologetically elegant. The kind of place where cocktails aren’t rushed, and conversations stretch long past last call.

Enter Guest Shift: Raising The Bar, St. Regis’ signature series that invites some of the world’s most compelling bartenders and brand voices behind the counter. This edition welcomed Eloi Parent, Brand Ambassador for Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët, who arrived with a clear mission: to show just how expressive Martell Noblige can be when placed in the right hands.

The menu? Thoughtful, refined, and quietly confident.

The Martell Negroni leaned classic but composed—vermouth and Italian bitter liqueur wrapped in Noblige’s smooth, rounded warmth. The Espresso Martini followed with a sharper edge, where cold brew and coffee liqueur met cognac in a surprisingly seamless partnership.

Then came the crowd-pleasers with depth: Martell Lychee-T, a fragrant blend of lychee syrup, black Chinese tea, and citrus, felt playful yet polished. Meanwhile, Penicillin Noir offered a darker, moodier turn—honey, ginger, lime, and tea layered into something comforting, complex, and quietly addictive.

More than just a guest shift, the evening was a reminder of what Raising The Bar does best: spotlighting craftsmanship, encouraging experimentation, and proving that great spirits—when paired with creativity—can still surprise us. At Astor Bar, they didn’t just raise the bar. They rewrote the script.

Opening photo: Alyona Yankovska / Unsplash

Astor Bar, St. Regis KL