In many ways, how we approach January in the West is a little misguided. It’s the dead of winter, the days are short, the trees are bare, yet after the indulgence and excess of Christmas so many of us impose deprivation on ourselves. Really, January is the time for cosy nights, hearty stews and, yes, if it makes you feel better, alcohol — not diets and detoxes. But in any case, Dry January is over (yay!) so now we can really embrace 2026, and what better way to do it than with the mixology masters at Soho House. We sat down with Cyril Françoise, Head of Bars for Soho House in the UK, Europe and Asia, to talk shaking and stirring as we step down from our self-inflicted wagon.
Of course, we can’t really consider Soho House’s cocktails without paying homage first to the mighty Picante de la Casa, the bestselling break-out star you can order at House bars around the world. It was created in 2012, at a cocktail conference (fun) where bartenders and managers arrived in London for two weeks to standardise the group’s offering and decide on what the signature cocktails for the coming decade would be.
At Soho Beach House Miami, beverage manager Chris Hudnall had concocted the Margarita Picante, but this was deemed too complex for busy bar service. It was streamlined into the recipe we know and love (chilli, coriander, reposado tequila, agave nectar, fresh lime juice) by Chris Ojeda, bar manager of Soho House LA. A hit in the US, it took a while to catch on in the UK — but the drink has surely played a part in the growing appreciation of tequila over the Pond. For Françoise, the now iconic status of this cocktail is pleasing — photos might be officially banned, but he appreciates how images of a glass with a chilli top or slice of chilli in it are instantly identifiable.
But, the Picante can share the spotlight — each House has a signature cocktail that reflects its location, something that’s very important to Françoise. He takes a locally approved spirit as the starting point and considers what the punters like in that particular destination, which gets granular by neighbourhood. ‘In London, Shoreditch House is really different from White City; same for 180 The Strand and Greek Street,’ explains Françoise. ‘I tell the team to be like a local hotel where our members will appreciate these local touches.’
This year, the group will reach a landmark 50 Houses, with fresh outposts arriving in Los Cabos, Tokyo and Sonoma, plus a new Farmhouse in Rhinebeck, New York. The latest House to open in the UK is in Manchester and Françoise has been enjoying his time in the North of England: ‘It’s the first time I’ve been to Manchester and the people there are just incredible. The members are so nice, as are the team members. The people are just so warm.’
The group takes mixology so seriously, it hosts an annual Cocktail Cup, inviting bartenders from around the world to compete to create a winning drink, which will be served at every House. This allows the cocktail lists to remain new and seasonal, too — and keeps the all-important creativity flowing, something he’s keen to cultivate in his staff. Françoise gleans inspiration from bars in London, where he lives, and abroad. ‘I really want to create cocktails that people can understand with simple wording, simple names, they already know which direction they’re going in,’ he says. ‘A lot of bartenders create cocktails for bartenders. It’s very interesting, all that fancy stuff, the smoke coming out, the little skins. I love to try things. But our members are always going to go for a classic like a Picante or an Espresso Martini. I always follow what members want.’
If members want an alcohol-free beverage, there are no sickly gallons of fruit juice in sight. ‘We’ve banned the word “mocktail”,’ says Françoise. ‘We prefer “non-alcoholic cocktail”. We wanted to remove this image of fruit juice and syrup, cartons you have in the cupboard, mixing their contents together and serving with big garnishes and a straw. We have partners who are creating excellent non-alcoholic or low-alcohol spirits. We balance the drinks with vinegar, for example, for more complexity. We serve them in the same glasses, with the same garnishes. We don’t want anyone to feel excluded.’
Another key concern is sustainability. ‘It is something we work on a lot,’ explains Françoise. ‘I don’t use paper straws, because the quality is not great, but then alternatives like avocado-seed or agave straws — even though they’re more sustainable and compostable — still have drawbacks, so I don’t put them everywhere. I only add straws on request or on certain drinks. Same for coasters; I don’t put them everywhere, because they’ll be thrown away after one use. I’ve got more than 30 Houses in my region — that’s a lot of straws and coasters going in the bin. I’m from the countryside in France, [from] a small village next to the sea in Brittany. So, for me, sustainability is a huge pledge.’
As for what’s new in 2026, the Picante’s supremacy is set to continue, with more variations following last summer’s popular menu of alternative flavour combinations, such as the Green Smash with basil and pineapple. At UK Houses, Picante trolleys are wheeled around, bearing 16 types of chilli, fresh herbs and a selection of tequilas, for added drama and more daring spice thresholds. Françoise has also introduced mini cocktails — a ‘one for the road’ concept — priced at a more wallet-friendly £7 each.
Despite what Françoise’s job entails, he doesn’t spend every day half-cut. His drinks of choice are a Negroni, Manhattan or Irish Coffee, enjoyed with some Nocellara olives or pan con tomate. ‘I’m a mindful drinker — I really don’t drink that much. I drink with family and friends, really moderately,’ he says. But when he does indulge, you can be sure it’s in something expertly muddled.
THREE HOUSE FAVOURITES TO TRY AT HOME
TOKYO’S HIGHBALL 50
Tasting notes: refreshing and complex, with floral jasmine, botanicals, sweet cherry and green shiso, balanced with shoyu (for umami) and black pepper (for spice)
Ingredients
– 16g fresh green shiso leaf
– 175g caster sugar
– 665ml Bombay Sapphire gin
– 3ml Amarena cherry syrup (from a can of cherries)
– 2ml soy sauce
– 75ml soda water
– 1 shiso leaf and black pepper, to garnish
To make the shiso infusion
In a container, combine the sugar and shiso leaves. Gently muddle the leaves until softened, then cover and leave at room temperature for an hour and a half to allow the sugar to extract the flavour of the shiso.
Add gin to the infusion and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Do not heat. Double strain, then transfer to a clear glass bottle and label. Use 50ml of this infusion for each cocktail.
To make the Highball 50
Build the cocktail in a crystal highball glass. Add the shiso infusion, cherry syrup and soy sauce. Fill with ice cubes and top with soda water. Stir gently to mix and garnish by placing the shiso leaf inside the glass and three twists of black pepper on top.
MUMBAI’S BOMBAY SMASH
Tasting notes: a twist on a classic, with tequila, pineapple and curry-leaf (for heat), balanced with saline
Ingredients
– 50ml Patrón Silver Tequila
– 500ml fresh pineapple juice
– 500g caster sugar
– 7g fresh curry leaf
– 20ml lime juice
– 20g salt
– 100ml water
To make the pineapple and curry-leaf syrup
Put the pineapple juice, caster sugar and curry leaf in a pan and bring to the boil for five minutes. Let it cool and allow the leaves to infuse. Strain and bottle the syrup. Use 20ml per cocktail.
To make the saline solution
Dissolve the salt in the water, then pour into a bitters (or dash) bottle. Add three drops per cocktail.
To make the Bombay Smash
Mix all of the ingredients in a shaker, then add ice and shake. Double strain and serve in a rocks glass full of ice. Garnish with a curry leaf or lime wedge.
SÃO PAULO’S CASA VERDE
Tasting notes: sweet and spicy, this is Soho House’s stamp on a classic Brazilian caipirinha
Ingredients
– Half a lime
– 250g passionfruit purée
– 175g caster sugar
– 20g green chilli, gently crushed
– 35ml sake
– 15ml Leblon Cachaça
– 10ml Bacardí Coconut Rum
– 1 green chilli top, to garnish
To make the passionfruit and green chilli syrup
Warm the passionfruit purée and sugar in a pan over a low heat. Once the sugar is dissolved, add the chilli. Allow to cool, remove the chilli and store the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
To make the Casa Verde
Add the lime to a shaker, muddle and remove.
Then add the rest of the ingredients to the shaker, including 20ml of the pre-made passionfruit syrup, reserving the chilli top. Shake with four or five cubes of ice. Pour into a rocks glass, top with extra ice and garnish with the green chilli top.
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