If a few months from now you’re sipping a cocktail at one of London’s trendier cocktail bars and you notice a few squishy gold flecked bubbly pearls floating around in your glass, don’t be alarmed; that’s just Cointreau Caviar. Yes, Londonist has seen (and sipped) the future of booze, and it’s ridiculously over the top, rather tasty and derived from a scientific molecular mixology process.

Last night saw Cointreau’s London launch of what it has dubbed Cointreau Caviar: solid iridescent pearls of Cointreau liqueur with edible flakes of 24-carat gold inside. The pearls have the look and consistency of, well, caviar and add a nice little burst of ‘ooh’ to a drink. The process to make the Cointreau Caviar involves a simple laboratory-style technique and a few natural ingredients … and turns bartenders into mad scientists. As of yet, no London spots are serving what Cointreau calls an “innovative and startlingly transformation set to create a whole new wave of cocktail culture,” a claim Londonist finds a bit difficult to swallow. However, our sources suggest that come summer, a few drinking establishments of note will be adding these morsels to their line up. We hope to keep you posted. Cointreau reckons their caviar can be added to a range of cocktails such as cosmopolitans or used to enhance even the bubbliest glass of champagne. Hey, why not?

Photography by Chris Osburn.