Served at Eau de Vie’s bars in Sydney and Melbourne – which often feature among lists of the world’s best – “Ron Zacapa Blazer” is a rich and warm digestive style of drink, made with Ron Zacapa, arguably the best rum in the world. Flamed with Pedro Ximenez sherry and a dash of house blended bitters, the cocktail is also available as an Old Fashioned.
Artesian, the Langham’s glamorous cocktail bar, offers cocktails with a difference. Even the bar’s ice is special: created with the latest technology, it promises to last longer and keep your cocktails cooler. “Forever Young” features in the Fresh and Sexy spectrum of the menu and is inspired by the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Elaborately served in a metal vessel hidden behind a mirror and scented by opium incense, it is a blend of Grey Goose vodka, Martini Extra Dry, eucalyptus, Maraschino and citrus.
“Cucumber Collins” is featured on the Living Room’s cocktail program, which was unveiled in December last year, and is a combination of Square One cucumber vodka, yuzu juice, fresh lemon and blueberry-stained cucumbers pickled in mirin, sake and rice wine vinegar. Bar Chef Scott Beattie’s cocktail making resembles the workings of a chef, with complex layers of flavors and visuals to stimulate the eye and palate. Image credit: Andres Aravena
“Lady’s Leg Cosmopolitan” is prepared in a vintage, late 1930s cocktail shaker in the shape of a lady’s leg complete with a high-heeled silver shoe. The cocktail substitutes cranberry juice for homemade cranberry sorbet, giving the drink a creamy and soft texture. Served in Eau De Vie’s vintage champagne coupes.
Located in New York City’s East Village, Gin Palace – perhaps unsurprisingly – specialises in serving gin to its punters. “White Negroni”, thought to be one of the strongest cocktails around with a base-spirit proof of 114, is a take on the Italian classic. A concoction of bianco vermouth, Salers aperitif and Perry’s Tot gin, it is lighter than a classic Negroni (since it is missing the Campari), but still maintains bittersweet, citrus flavors.
Served at London’s OXO Tower Bar, which offers stunning views along the River Thames, “Vanilla Chocolate Malt” is an on the riff of a 50s American soda fountain – with a little difference. It combines Absolut Vanilla vodka, almond milk and Mozart dry chocolate spirit, with vanilla sugar and malted milk.
Alongside creative and exciting food, Tippling Club serves up cocktails that take the word innovative and push it to the max. The result? One of the coolest venues in Singapore. “Dropje Daiquiri” is a take on the classic daiquiri, which uses salted licorice from Holland that is infused into a Venezuelan rum and then mixed with orange curaçao and citrus.
“Mulata Daisy” is Connaught Bar’s modern take on the golden age of the 1920s. Combining Bacardi Superior Rum with freshly squeezed lime juice, fennel seeds, dark crème de cacao liqueur and Galliana L’Autentico, the cocktail is served in a champagne coupe glass with cacao powder on the rim.
Served in Eau de Vie’s Absinthe Fountain, “The Versailles Experience” is an elegant and refreshing cocktail on tap, in which Tanqueray Gin and Absinthe are combined with pear, lemon, apple and mint.
Tequila lovers will be in heaven with W South Beach’s “Paloma Hermosa”, which is a cocktail made up of Tapatio Blanco tequila and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, fresh grapefruit, lime, agave and egg whites, served up with lime wheels and edible flowers. Image credit: Andres Aravena