Reflections at the end of the year | LA VILLA
The year 2021 is coming to an end and with it my first two years as General Manager of LA VILLA, in the new management constellation with Margarete Schultes, our wonderful Hotel Director
20.05.2022 | Blog post
Sustainability, which means among other things, the use of regional, seasonal and organic products, is at the forefront of our concept in LA VILLA at Lake Starnberg.
Just as in the kitchen, care is taken to ensure that every creation of our dishes is oriented towards sustainability, the same is true for our beverages. For example, our beer comes from the Starnberger Brauhaus in Feldafing and our juices from NATÜRLICH Ammersee. But what most of our guests may not know: Our cocktail menu also features various products from the region and from organic production. For example, our mountain pine liqueur "Zapfenstreich" from AlpPine Spirits, which is extracted from a nature reserve that makes it so special and valuable, or our whisky from HeiligenBergFeld Distillery from Andechs.
Luis Decker is successfully responsible for our fancy cocktail menu in our event location and is always looking for new inspirations for his creations, with and without alcohol.
For the development of a new cocktail a few months ago, Luis involved all trainees in the development, which was very exciting. All chef, hotel and event management trainees, had the task to create their own cocktail, oriented to our values and to our already existing cocktail menu. At the end Luis could choose a "winner", whose drink, in a similar way will be on the menu.
After a short time, this was chosen: "Laurins" by our trainee Magdalena.
Magdalena had the inspiration for the delicious cocktail during a skiing vacation.
The drink consists of a touch of gin with a splash of cranberry syrup, refined with fresh mint. Our cranberry syrup comes from Bolzano, and so Magdalena and Luis were inspired by the South Tyrolean legend about King Laurin, his mistress and a rose garden.
According to legend, Laurin abducted his beloved "Similde" from a May ride of all nobles to his rose garden. But his rival and his knights followed him and finally captured him. Enraged by his fate, he put a curse on the rose garden that had betrayed him: neither by day nor by night should a human eye ever behold him. King Laurin, however, had forgotten about twilight, and so it came to pass that the enchanted garden even today lets its blooming roses shine for a short time.
The red glow of the rocks at dusk is known today as Enrosadira (alpenglow), and its color has become the inspiration for the name of our signature drink.
Text: Apprentice Sofia & Magdalena
Photo: LA VILLA Cocktail Creator Luis
