Kimpton hotels across North America plan to serve the same holiday cocktail this winter, so a guest in Atlanta can order the same drink as a guest in Santa Barbara. The recipe came from a hotel an ocean away, and it’s only one part of a new food and drink program the brand introduced in October.
Kimpton calls the program The Curious Palate, and it brings secret menus, bartender pop-ups, visiting chefs and new twists on Kimpton traditions to hotels around the world. Founder Bill Kimpton believed a hotel restaurant should be a destination in its own right. As Vicki Poulos, IHG’s vice president of luxury and lifestyle brands, put it, “We want every Kimpton to have something you simply have to try.”
What’s in the Gather ‘Round Cocktail
Gather ‘Round is a spiced rum cocktail created at Kimpton Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, Scotland. Festive syrup, apple juice, black tea, lemon juice, club soda and orange bitters join the rum over cubed ice. The flavor leans on warm spices and bright orange.
You can order Gather ‘Round from Nov. 27 to Feb. 28, 2027, at every Kimpton in North America and at most of the brand’s hotels elsewhere. The company said it has 90 destinations, with 67 more due to open in the coming years.
5 More Kimpton Orders to Know
Individual hotels add their own orders to the program, and at least one never appears on a printed menu. Here are five to look for.
- Kimpton Canary Hotel, Santa Barbara, California: Finch & Fork has an IYKYK combo you can order through room service, even though it’s not on the menu. It pairs a banana milkshake (cinnamon and sugar bananas, vanilla ice cream, a graham crumble and roasted meringue) with crispy french fries and a bottle of bubbles.
- Kimpton Marlowe Hotel, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Bambara Bar pours a Brandy Flight Trio during its daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. The flight pours Pierre Ferrand 1840, Delamain Vesper XO and Germain-Robin Old Havana Alambic. The bar pairs the flight with mini cheeseburgers and oysters.
- Kimpton Mirador Pacific Grove, Monterey, California: The Caledonian serves its new Girl Dinner menu all night. You get martinis with a Caesar salad and bottomless truffle fries.
- Kimpton Fitzroy London: The Lobby Café pairs a martini with unlimited fries every day after 4 p.m. The hotel calls it Fitzroy & Fries.
- Kimpton Surfcomber Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida: The Social Club’s fall cocktail menu draws on South Beach’s coastal culture and runs until Dec. 21. Its featured drink, The Toasted Flame, mixes RumChata with vanilla vodka and cinnamon whiskey.
Ask the Bar Before You Order
If you’re checking in at a Kimpton this winter, ask the bartender whether the hotel has an off-menu order. Kimpton said it will use its Instagram account, @Kimpton, to introduce the chefs and bartenders behind its menus, along with the local makers who supply some of their more unexpected ingredients.