Stirred Not Shaken: British Airways Introduces One-of-a-kind Martini Experience To Its Concorde Room At London Heathrow As Part Of Wider Lounge Improvements This Year August 24, 2023

• British Airways has created the ultimate martini for customers travelling through its Concorde Room at London Heathrow
• The exclusive Turbine Martini recipe has been curated by mixologist Mr Lyan and is made in a bespoke mixer designed by experts Bremont and CALLUM
• This forms part of the airline’s continued efforts to invest in its lounges, it will complete its London Heathrow Terminal 5B refurbishment in the coming months, and is undergoing lounge refreshes at its London Heathrow Terminal 3, Edinburgh and Seattle lounges this year

British Airways’ customers travelling through its exclusive Concorde Room at Terminal 5 will now be able to sip on the perfect martini ahead of their flight.

The airline has introduced an exclusive martini mixer designed by British aviation and adventure specialists Bremont, alongside British design and engineering company, CALLUM. The specialist mixer has been engineered with exact precision and crafted from machined stainless steel to mix the ultimate martini, every time. An accompanying bespoke moving bar houses built-in scales to ensure the quantity of the martini ingredients are perfectly measured.  

The martini mixer, which features a turbine-inspired design, has a motorised mixing paddle engineered to carefully stir the cocktail at the perfect speed of between 120-160 revolutions per minute, elevating the citrus and floral notes to create a smoother martini blend balancing the ultimate combination of aeration, dilution and cooling, resulting in the Turbine Martini.

The Turbine Martini is a modern take on the classic cocktail and has been designed by the airline’s award-winning partner mixologist, Mr Lyan (Ryan Chetiyawardana). The Turbine Martini takes on the elegance of an original martini with a modern twist, combining classic ingredients such as vermouth, custom bitters and a bespoke garnish, with the airline’s newest gin partner, Aviation American Gin. When martini lovers are ready to enjoy the cocktail, the airline’s Concorde Room colleagues will mix and pour the Turbine Martini seat side.

British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer, Calum Laming said: “We are really excited to work with the very best experts in the world of design, engineering, and mixology, to create a bespoke experience and offer customers what we believe to be the best martini in the world!

“This is one of many steps we are taking to invest in our lounges both in the UK and further afield, with some more exciting news coming later this year.”

Mr Lyan, the airline’s partner mixologist, said: “Over the past couple of years, I have worked closely with British Airways to create a variety of unique drinks that celebrate the motion of flight, and we have taken this one step further to develop a modern version of the ultimate classic cocktail, The Martini.

“Using expertise from every partner, we’ve balanced the perfect combination of ingredients, aeration and temperature to highlight Aviation American Gin’s unique profile. Through our precision-engineered mixer, we created the Turbine Martini to celebrate the bespoke nature and wonder of the classic drink, with a brand-new contemporary twist.”

British Airways is continuing to invest in lounge improvements at London Heathrow and across its network. The airline most recently unveiled its Whispering Angel bar in its London Heathrow Terminal 5B lounge and will complete its full refurbishment later this year, bringing a new feel and look to the space.

The cabana space in the airline’s Concorde Room at London Heathrow is also undergoing a refresh including new day beds and areas for working, with new furniture both in the Concorde Room and Arrivals lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5, as well as in its lounges at London Heathrow Terminal 3.

The airline is also improving its lounges further afield, with new touches to its Edinburgh lounge as well as a brand-new bar and an enhanced menu offering in its Seattle lounge.

British Airways has also introduced the full range of Don Julio Tequilas into its UK lounges and will be the first airline to offer 1942 Añejo on board in First, as well as in its Concorde Room, offering customers a premium tequila when they travel, both on the ground and in the air from September.

British Airways previously collaborated with Mr Lyan in the development of the cocktail menu available in its lounges, with two serves specially created in celebration of the airline’s heritage and iconic colleagues, called the Barton and Lawford, after Lynn Barton, the first female British Airways pilot, and Bill Lawford, the first ever British Airways pilot in 1919. The airline also partnered with Bremont ahead of its centenary year by unveiling a limited-edition watch, featuring metal from one of its most iconic planes in history, the Concorde.