New York — Whether you consider yourself a martini man or prefer an old-fashioned, there’s a good chance that no matter where you are travelling, you’ll be able to find a memorable place to have a drink in just about any city in the world.
Sometimes the atmosphere of a place can turn a good drink into a great one — and sometimes the quality of the drink transcends its environment. For the 35 cocktails below, we found both: a great drink in a great bar. Some of them are classic destinations, some are hidden-away hot spots. The only rule? Don’t order a beer.
Amsterdam: Be Kind Unwind at Door 74. A twist on the Martinez — a sweeter, maraschino-cherry-inflected precursor to the martini — made with Tanqueray Malacca gin, Saint-Raphael aperitif, Toschi Nocello, maraschino liqueur and bitters. Address not listed, e-mail for more information
Buenos Aires: Transatlantico Fizz at Florería Atlántico. Egg whites and soda give this whiskey drink, dosed with yerba maté bitters, its foamy character. Arroyo 872.
Chicago: The Porthole at The Aviary. Try out the bar’s custom-made infuser, which instantly gives any spirit the flavours of fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. 955 West Fulton Market.
Copenhagen: Clover Tea Club at Oak Room. Licorice-tea-infused Beefeater with homemade raspberry syrup, lemon juice and an egg white. Birkegade 10.
Denver: Sundance Kid at Williams & Graham. Coffee-infused Rittenhouse rye adds a caffeinated boost to cognac, sherry, Amaro Montenegro, and bitters. 3160 Tejon Street.
Dublin: Old-Fashioned at The Green Hen. Legendary, and not only in Ireland. Cherry juice sweetens the bourbon and bitters served in a cut-glass crystal tumbler. Look around and admire the movie-star photos and mirrors, some of which have the day’s specials written on them, a clear indicator of the type of French brasserie that Green Hen aspires to be here in the heart of Dublin’s fanciest shopping district. 33 Exchequer Street.
Florence: Negroni at Caffe Rivoire. The chocolatier, which started in 1872, is always popular with tourists. Get a couple of single-origin chocolate bars to go, and stay for the classic version of the Italian cocktail: equal parts gin, vermouth rosso and Campari, with an orange peel. Via Vacchereccia 4.
Hamburg: Gin-Basil Smash at Le Lion Bar de Paris. Le Lion isn’t simply one of the best bars in Germany — it’s one of the best in the world. The drink that put it on the map? The Gin-Basil Smash, a cocktail as simple as it is ingenious, combining gin, lemon, simple syrup and basil in a botanically infused tipple that’s nearly too easy to drink. Rathausstrasse 3.
Hamilton, Bermuda: Rum Swizzle at Swizzle Inn. Use the paper umbrella to stir this icy party starter of rum, orange juice, lemon juice, pineapple juice, and Falernum at the island institution where it was invented. 3 Blue Hole Hill.
Havana: Mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio. If you want to drink like a famous writer in Havana, head to La Bodeguita del Medio, a low-key hangout for Pablo Neruda and Gabriel García Márquez in decades past. Whether or not it’s truly the birthplace of the mojito remains a matter of debate, but the minty Cuban highball has been made here since 1942, and few do it better. Empedrado No. 207
Honolulu: Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian’s Mai Tai Bar. What else would you order at the historic Waikiki Beach hotel but the bar’s namesake drink? Go with the classic version composed of pineapple juice, orange juice, orange curacao, orgeat and rum, and listen to the waves crash on the beach. 2259 Kalakaua Ave.
Hong Kong: Gin Martini at Butler Bar. A precise touch of Japanese perilla liqueur adds a bittersweet, herbal note to the after-work basic. 5-6/F, Mody House, 30 Mody Road.
Istanbul: Toucan Brogue at The Bar With No Name. Expats (and locals) gather here for this particular blend of tequila, single-malt scotch, lime juice, pineapple juice, with a splash of Campari. Gönül Sokak No 7B, Beyoglu.
Johannesburg: Dawa Cocktail at Sir James van der Merwe. An iconic cocktail in Kenya, the Dawa, which means "medicine" in Swahili, is a refreshing mixture of vodka, fresh lime juice and honey. A favourite of game hunters, today you can find it at the antique-stuffed, warehouse-like space of Sir James, served with a dawa stick to squash the limes. 6 Desmond Street.
Lima: Chilcano at Mayta. Mayta is among Lima’s most imaginative restaurants, reinventing Peruvian cuisine one colourful dish at a time. It’s also a destination for the chilcano, a classic, thirst-quenching Peruvian ginger-ale-and-pisco highball, inspired by Italian immigrants who mixed grappa and ginger ale. 28 De Julio 1290.
Lisbon: Jumping Jessica at Cinco Lounge. Tequila and green Chartreuse buoyed with ginger and grilled bell pepper. R Ruben A Leitão 17A.
Lech, Austria: Mandarin Gimlet at Hotel Rote Wand. After a day on the slopes, stop at this longtime favourite hotel in the Alps for some après-ski refreshment: citrus-flavoured vodka, passion fruit syrup, lime cordial, and lime juice, for a sweeter take on the classic drink. Zug 5.
Los Angeles: Big Sur at The Walker Inn. An eau de vie infused with springtime buds of a Douglas fir lends a legit central-California-coast flavour to this drink made with vermouth, Laphroaig and absinthe. 3612 West 6th Street.
Melbourne: Blue Collar Cocktail at the Everleigh. Consider it a more potent take on the Manhattan: along with the usual rye, sweet vermouth and orange bitters used to make the drink, this Aussie version includes the digestif Amero CioCiaro and maraschino liqueur. 150-156 Gertrude Street.
Mexico City: Michelada at Salon Tenampa. Things can get a little wild at this cantina, which stays open till 4am on the weekends. Sip a michelada, made with beer, lemon juice and salt, while mariachi bands serenade you. Plaza Garibaldi No. 12.
Minneapolis: Scoville at Marvel Bar. Tucked away beneath Minneapolis’s acclaimed restaurant, Bachelor Farmer, this sleek, underground bar is a Midwestern mixological haven. Habaneros, ginger, and kombucha spice up a bold gin-and-rum-based drink. 50 North 2nd Avenue.
New Orleans: St Rose Sour at Cure. At New Orleans’s superlative cocktail bar, bartenders riff on classics brilliantly. This drink takes a basic egg-white sour and soups it up with pisco, sherry, grapefruit juice and galliano, making for a foamy, delectable springtime sip. 4905 Freret Street.
New York: Shark Eye at Mother of Pearl. Curacao and bourbon, brimming with passion fruit, lemon and maraschino, all served through the jaws of a shark spotted with crimson-coloured bitters. 95 Avenue A.
Paris: Bloody Mary at Harry’s New York Bar. Pouring since 1911, this Parisian landmark claims to be the birthplace of that restorative brunch classic, the Bloody Mary. Join former patrons such as Ernest Hemingway and George Gershwin in pulling up a bar stool, and order the signature vodka-based drink made with tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. 5 Rue Daunou.
Rio de Janeiro: Caipirinha at Bar dos Descasados. Here, Brazil’s national cocktail — cachaça, muddled lime, sugar — comes in a glass big enough for two. Rua Almirante Alexandrino 660.
Rome: Improved Aviation at Jerry Thomas Project. Named after Jerry Thomas, the 19th-century American bartender who helped inspire today’s cocktail renaissance, this Rome speakeasy is at the forefront of Italian mixology. Sink into one of the brown leather couches and order a classic like the Improved Aviation, a light, floral gin-based drink brightened with rose bitters. Vicolo Cellini 30.
San Francisco: 12 Angry Men at Third Rail. An extra-large ice cube softens a stiff mix of rye, Chartreuse, and Gran Classico. 628 20th Street.
Seattle: Coraje at Canon. Similar to a Spanish rum-and-coffee carajillo, but with Bonal instead of sweet vermouth, plus Kahlua midnight. 928 12th Avenue.
Shanghai: English Mule at Speak Low. Like the Moscow Mule but with Earl Grey-tea-infused gin. 579 Fuxing Middle Road.
Singapore: Singapore Sling at Bar & Billiard Room at Raffles. In 1915, bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created the Singapore Sling — a juicy, pink, gin-based cocktail made with pineapple juice and cherry heering — at the Long Bar of the opulent Raffles Hotel in Singapore. The Long Bar is currently closed for renovations, reopening in 2018, but you can order it at the Bar & Billiard Room in the meantime. 1 Beach Road.
Stockholm: The Wagon Wheel at Corner Club. Pimm’s — punched-up with bourbon, lime juice, ginger syrup and soda water. Lilla Nygatan 16.
Tel Aviv: The Don Juan at Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar. A crowd-pleasing mix of rum, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, agave syrup, Champagne and spicy ginger. Ha-Yarkon Street 66.
Tokyo: Japanese Garden at Bar High Five. Green tea liqueur, Japanese whisky, and Midori with a round ice cube. Efflore Ginza5 Bldg BF.
Vienna: Bobe Special at Roberto American Bar. A potent base of gin is diffused with a tart combination of Peachtree liqueur and lime juice. Bauernmarkt 11-13.
Venice: Peach Bellini at Harry’s Bar. Home of the Bellini, a mix of peach puree and sparkling prosecco. Calle Vallaresso 1323.
Bloomberg
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.