How Restaurants Turn Classic Cocktails into Signature Drinks: Lessons from Bun House Disco

Turn Classic Cocktails into Signature Drinks — Fast, Local, and Memorable

Strapped for time, overwhelmed by conflicting recipe advice, and hunting for trustworthy ways to make bar-quality drinks at home? You're not alone. Restaurants have solved this problem by turning well-known cocktails into unmistakable signatures using local ingredients and reproducible techniques. This article unpacks that creative process — using Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni as a working case study — and gives home cooks clear, step-by-step methods to adapt cocktails and mocktails with the flavors in their neighborhood.

Why this matters in 2026

Through late 2025 and into 2026, three trends reshaped how bars and restaurants craft signature drinks:

• Hyper-local sourcing: Chefs and bartenders increasingly use regional botanicals — think pandan, rice gin, yuzu, cacao husk — to build stronger local identities and reduce supply-chain risk.
• Non‑alcoholic innovation: The zero-proof segment exploded, creating realistic mocktail frameworks that borrow the structure of classic cocktails.
• Collaborative creativity: Restaurant teams are sharing techniques and iterating faster. Even TV formats like the renewed Culinary Class Wars (2026) emphasize team-based, restaurant-level innovation, mirroring how menus evolve in real-world kitchens.

These forces make now the ideal moment to learn how to make a timeless cocktail your signature — and to convert that process into home-friendly recipes and mocktails.

Case study: Bun House Disco in Shoreditch, London’s pandan negroni (what restaurants are doing)

In 2024–2025, Bun House Disco in Shoreditch, London, captured attention with a pandan-infused take on the negroni. Created by Linus Leung and featured in The Guardian, the drink uses pandan leaf and rice gin to transform the classic bitter-sweet balance into something floral, green, and regionally resonant.

“Pandan leaf brings fragrant southern Asian sweetness to a mix of rice gin, white vermouth and green chartreuse.” — Linus Leung (Bun House Disco), as profiled in The Guardian

Why this works as a signature:

• Local flavor anchor: Pandan immediately signals Southeast Asian culinary roots.
• Textural and aromatic shift: Rice gin and pandan change the mouthfeel and scent profile, not only the color.
• Menu storytelling: The drink connects the restaurant’s concept (Hong Kong late-night energy) to the cocktail’s sensory identity.

How restaurants build a signature cocktail: the repeatable framework

Restaurants follow a consistent, methodical process to convert a classic into a signature drink. Translate these steps to home use:

1. Concept & origin story — Pick a local ingredient with a clear cultural link. Ask: What story does this drink tell?
2. Choose the structural model — Match the ingredient to a classic template (e.g., negroni = spirit + vermouth + bitter). The template maintains balance while the local ingredient changes character.
3. Flavor mapping — Break the classic into taste axes: bitter/sweet/acid/texture/aroma. Decide which axis your local ingredient will influence.
4. Technique selection — Decide how the ingredient is introduced: infusion, syrup, cordial, muddle, or fat-wash. Restaurants often create concentrates for consistency.
5. Testing & scaling — Make small-batch tests, adjust ratios, and record formulae so the drink can be reproduced for service.
6. Service & garnish — Choose glassware, ice, and garnish that enhance the story and sensory impact.

Step-by-step: Make Bun House Disco–style Pandan Negroni at home

The following recipe is adapted for home cooks — no commercial rotovap required. It mirrors the approach used by Bun House Disco: pandan infusion plus a negroni template, swapped to white vermouth and green Chartreuse for herbaceous brightness.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 10g fresh pandan leaf (green part only)
• 175ml rice gin (or other neutral, grain-forward gin)
• 25ml pandan-infused rice gin (made below)
• 15ml white vermouth
• 15ml green Chartreuse (or herbal liqueur substitute)
• Ice for stirring

Make the pandan-infused gin (simple blender method)

1. Rinse and pat dry pandan leaf. Chop roughly (green section only), about 10g.
2. Place pandan and 175ml rice gin in a heatproof blender or jar. Blitz briefly to bruise but not puree to foam excessively.
3. Let steep for 20–60 minutes at room temperature for a bright, green infusion. For a stronger, cooked aroma, place sealed jar in a warm water bath at 50°C for 30 minutes (sous-vide style).
4. Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin into a clean bottle. For a clearer appearance, let the gin rest in the fridge for 12 hours and decant clear gin, leaving particulates behind.
5. Yield ~150–160ml pandan gin. Label with date; store refrigerated up to 2 weeks (alcohol preserves aroma but freshness drops).

Assemble the drink

1. Combine 25ml pandan gin, 15ml white vermouth, and 15ml green Chartreuse in a mixing glass filled with ice.
2. Stir for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube.
4. Garnish with a thin strip of pandan leaf or an expressed orange peel, depending on desired aroma.

Home-friendly variations and substitutions

Not every pantry has rice gin or Chartreuse. Use these swaps without losing the drink’s intent:

• Rice gin alternative: Any clean, floral gin works. For stronger rice character, use a Japanese or Asian-style gin if available.
• White vermouth substitute: A light, dry vermouth or a 2:1 mix of dry vermouth + a splash of elderflower liqueur for floral lift.
• Green Chartreuse substitute: Use an herbal liqueur like Benedictine or a mix of herbal amaro + simple syrup; adjust to taste.

Turning it zero-proof: pandan negroni mocktail (structured approach)

Mocktails succeed when they preserve the original cocktail’s structure: base (spirit replacement) + modifier (vermouth/cordial) + bitter/complex element. Here’s a reliable mocktail adaptation.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 30ml pandan tea concentrate (see method)
• 20ml non‑alcoholic gin alternative (e.g., unsweet, botanical spirit), or seedlip-style spirit
• 15ml white grape & chamomile cordial (as vermouth substitute)
• 10–15ml gentian syrup or non‑alc bitter tonic (for bitterness)
• Ice and garnish

Pandan tea concentrate (quick)

1. Chop 10g pandan leaf and steep in 150ml near‑boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool and strain.
2. Reduce the pandan tea in a small saucepan to concentrate flavor (simmer gentle to about 50–60ml). Chill.

Build the mocktail

1. Combine 30ml pandan concentrate, 20ml non‑alc gin, 15ml white grape cordial, and 10–15ml gentian syrup in a mixing glass with ice.
2. Stir until chilled. Strain over fresh ice. Garnish with pandan or citrus twist.

Adjust the gentian syrup to match the original negroni’s bitterness level; start low and build.

Restaurant techniques you can use at home (and why they matter)

Restaurants often use slightly advanced methods to control flavor and consistency. You can replicate many at home with modest equipment.

• Batch infusions: Make larger volumes of infused spirit to save time and ensure consistency over a week of cocktails.
• Sous‑vide infusion: Use an immersion circulator to speed extractions (safe and consistent). 50°C for 30–60 minutes is a good home guideline.
• Clarified syrups: Clarifying syrups with gelatin or filtration yields clean, long-lasting mixers (useful for clear serving presentations).
• House bitters & vermouth: Make a simple house vermouth by infusing dry vermouth with local botanicals; keep small-batch bottles refrigerated for 2–3 weeks.
• Batching & scaling: Multiply the single-serve formula and adjust water content to account for dilution during stirring.

Balancing flavors — a quick tasting grid

To make any classic into a signature, use this quick tasting grid. Taste and score each axis 1–10.

• Bitter: From Campari or gentian. Raises backbone.
• Sweet: From vermouth, syrups, or fruit concentrate. Counters bitter.
• Acidity: From citrus or vinegar‑based shrub. Brightens.
• Aroma: Herbs, spices, or floral notes (pandan, yuzu, basil).
• Texture: Alcohol warmth, viscosity from syrups or fortified wines, effervescence.

Goal: Achieve balance where no single axis overwhelms; your local ingredient should shift one or two axes enough to read as distinct.

Practical testing routine (what restaurants actually do)

1. Create three versions: subtle, moderate, bold. Change only one variable between versions (e.g., pandan intensity).
2. Label, blind-taste with friends/family, and gather notes on aroma, first sip, mid-palate, and finish.
3. Record exact measurements and service conditions (glass type, ice size, garnish) for reproducibility.

Cost and sustainability considerations (2026 landscape)

Using local botanicals can reduce costs and environmental impact — but there are trade-offs. In 2026, supply-chain resilience and sustainability are top of mind. Restaurants now:

• Partner with urban farms and foragers for small-batch botanicals.
• Use whole-plant techniques to avoid waste (e.g., citrus peels used for bitters or garnishes).
• Batch-prep mixers to reduce single-serve plastic and energy use.

At home, preserve freshness by making smaller infusions, freezing excess concentrated pandan tea in ice cube trays, and composting scraps.

Advanced creative moves — signature touches restaurants use to stand out

• Color as identity: The pandan’s green tinge is a visual hook. Consider natural colorants from local herbs.
• Textural contrasts: Add an effervescent touch (top with soda water) for contrast, or a silky mouthfeel using a small egg-white foam for brunch menus.
• Narrative garnish: A dehydrated pandan crisp, a smoked pandan sprig, or a branded pick can tell the drink’s story.
• Limited runs: Rotate seasonal variations to keep your signature feeling fresh without overcommitting ingredients.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

• Over-infusing: Too much pandan can make a drink vegetal or soapy. Start light and build.
• Ignoring dilution: Stirring and shaking change concentration. Restaurants factor in dilution; you should, too.
• Forgetting temperature: Serving too warm mutes aromatics. Chill glassware and ingredients for optimal aromatics.
• Skipping documentation: If you don’t record ratios and methods, you can’t reproduce the result consistently.

Real-world example: from idea to menu at Bun House Disco

Bun House Disco’s pandan negroni illustrates the arc from concept to signature. The team started with a cultural anchor (pandan) and chose a classic that would benefit from aromatic lift (the negroni). They swapped components (rice gin, white vermouth, green Chartreuse), tested infusion methods, and finalized a formula that aligned with the restaurant’s late-night Hong Kong narrative. The result is both a reinterpretation and a strong identity signal — exactly what restaurants aim for when they craft signature cocktails.

Actionable cheat sheet — make your own signature in 60 minutes (home version)

1. Pick a local ingredient (e.g., pandan, lemon myrtle, applewood smoke).
2. Choose a classic template (negroni, old fashioned, daiquiri).
3. Do a 20–60 minute infusion using blender or warm water bath.
4. Mix a 1:1:1 or classic ratio; taste and adjust one axis at a time.
5. Document your final ration, garnish, and service temp.

Where to go next — 2026 trends to watch and try

Over the next year, expect continued growth in:

• Rice and grain-based local spirits as Asian distilling traditions expand globally.
• AI-assisted menu personalisation: Tools that predict what guests will prefer based on local flavor profiles and past choices.
• Zero-proof craft: More botanical, bitter-forward non‑alcoholic spirits that make mocktail adaptation easier.
• Sustainability rituals: On-menu declarations about sourcing and waste reduction will become differentiators.

Final practical takeaway

Restaurants transform classics into signature drinks by anchoring a cocktail in a local ingredient, respecting the original structure, and applying consistent techniques for flavor control. You can do the same at home with simple tools, a disciplined testing approach, and a little storytelling. Start with a pandan or other local botanical, keep accurate records, and iterate in small batches — that’s how a good drink becomes a memorable signature.

Try it tonight

Ready to experiment? Make a pandan-infused gin, build a single-serve pandan negroni or its mocktail counterpart, and share results with friends. Record what you change and how it affects balance — that documentation is the professional secret chefs use to scale great ideas.

Sources & further reading

• Linus Leung, Bun House Disco pandan negroni recipe — featured in The Guardian (recipe influence and method)
• Industry trends and restaurant creativity — as reflected in recent 2026 hospitality discussions and media (e.g., team-centered restaurant contests like Culinary Class Wars season 3)

Call to action: Try the pandan negroni or the zero-proof version and tag us with your creation. Want more seasonal signature-drink guides with regional ingredient swaps and menu-ready techniques? Subscribe to our newsletter for monthly chef-tested recipes and bartender-backed methods.

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