Perry Lane's rooftop bar Peregrin reimagined as Adelaide’s Conservatory with new cocktail menu

Beth Logan
·4 min read
The Greenhouse
The Greenhouse

Back in February I highlighted anti-Valentine’s Day cocktails (The Revolver and the Remember the Alimony) from Perry Lane Hotel’s “upscale dive bar,”  The Wayward. At that time, the Peregrin rooftop lounge and bar was closed for a refresh. I returned this month to check out the refurbished space and to sample the new cocktail menu.

Marketing Director Andrea Locorini said the hotel recently partnered with SCADpro, the University’s collaborative design studio, to reimagine the beautiful space on its five-year anniversary. Central to the makeover is the story of Adelaide Harcourt, the imaginary native Savannahian who traveled the world with a dance company, becoming a collector of art, and an aficionado of culture in all its many forms. She would return to Savannah bearing treasures from her travels. Adelaide, as muse, inspired the décor, ambiance, and complete vibe of the Perry Lane from its inception. In Locorini’s words, “She wanted to create a fusion of Savannah and worldliness. Her rooftop conservatory is a celebration of global exploration where the lush greenery and vibrant blooms mirror Adelaide’s spirit of adventure.”

The Perry Lane's rooftop bar, the Peregrin, has been reimagined for its fifth anniversary as the conservatory of the fictional Adelaide Harcourt, who traveled the world with a dance company, becoming an art collector and aficionado of culture in all its many forms.
The Perry Lane's rooftop bar, the Peregrin, has been reimagined for its fifth anniversary as the conservatory of the fictional Adelaide Harcourt, who traveled the world with a dance company, becoming an art collector and aficionado of culture in all its many forms.

Overlooking the Savannah Theatre and Historic District rooftops and church spires, the reimagined rooftop provides an oasis designed to merge the allure of travel with the serenity of a conservatory. Decorative artist Kipper Millsap has painted a lush green botanical mural complete with a showy peacock, and soon the foyer will be home to a commissioned Marcus Kenney installation featuring an immersive projection of birds and butterflies in flight. Hanging baskets and flower planters overflow with greenery and color, and one can easily imagine that one has arrived in the tranquil conservatory of Adelaide’s home.

The new cocktail menu, designed to look like a scrapbook of Adelaide’s travels, is bound in verdant green leather from Satchel. Manager Samantha Bressi mixes me two of the bar’s most popular drinks, which she personally created: the Blissful Butterfly Lemonade and the Ruby Nectar.

The Blissful Butterfly Lemonade
The Blissful Butterfly Lemonade

Topped with Club Soda, the Blissful Butterfly Lemonade is blended from 1.5 ounces Empress 1908 Indigo Gin, .25 ounces lavender syrup, 1.5 ounces lemon juice, and 1.5 ounces simple syrup. A favorite sunset drink, the Lemonade echoes the hues of the evening sky, magically turning from deep violet to a gentle lavender pink as Bressi adds the citrus. Topped with a lemon peel rose and served in an ice-filled highball, the drink is refreshing and light, lavender-forward, and with just the perfect amount of sweetness. I can imagine it is dangerously drinkable on a hot day.

Bressi relates the Blissful Butterly Lemonade is inspired by Adelaide’s travels to the lavender fields of Provence, while the next drink, the Ruby Nectar takes inspiration from her visits to pink sand deserts. She first rims an ice filled lowball with a striking mix of pink sugar and crushed hibiscus blossoms, before mixing 1.5 ounces Western Son Prickly Pear Vodka, .25 ounces hibiscus syrup, .25 ounces lime juice, and four dashes Regan’s No. 6 Orange Bitters. An extremely popular cocktail, the beautifully pink-hued drink was a little too sweet for my palate.

The Ruby Nectar
The Ruby Nectar

Hearing my personal preference for a more Bourbon-forward cocktail, Bressi mixes up a Grandpa’s Garden, modeled after an Old Fashioned. Garnished with a huge chunk of honeycomb, it is made with Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon, honey syrup, lemon juice, fig syrup, and cardamom bitters. Finally, she mixes up the herbal Greenhouse, (a perfect drink to sip in a conservatory!) made from cucumber, mint vodka, Velvet Falernum, simple syrup, and lemon juice. Served in an elegant fizzio coupe, and garnished with cilantro and parsley, this pale green drink was absolutely delicious. I will be back!

Grandpa's Garden
Grandpa's Garden

Locorini explains that all aspects of the Peregrin fit within the story of Adelaide Harcourt: “We are really leaning into this on our social media; everything comes from her story.” Even the flavors of international street food she would have sampled on her travels are echoed on the menu. I sampled the highly unusual and unbelievably delicious Chaat Fries. Flavored with chaat spice, crispy garlic, mango, tamarind, herbs and pomegranate, they are unequivocally, the yummiest French fries I have ever tasted.

Dog-friendly and family-friendly, The Peregrin is located on the rooftop of the Perry Lane Hotel, 256 E. Perry St. Follow on Instagram @peregrinsavannah to learn about upcoming events including Mother’s Day teas; Full Moon evenings (a whole cocktail menu will be developed for the Strawberry Moon, for example); a partnership with Woodford Bourbon for May’s Kentucky Derby; and an art installation in partnership with SCAD to celebrate World Environment Day in June.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Perry Lane rooftop bar Peregrin reopens with new cocktail menu