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BARS YOU NEED TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE
By Jurgen Lijcops
OVERVIEW NEW YORK THE BAR ROOM............................. 36 THE AMERICAS
CAMPBELL BAR............................. 37 THE DEAD RABBIT......................... 41
CABO SAN LUCAS THE ROOFTOP................................ 10
EMPLOYEES ONLY........................ 42 DANTE............................................. 44 MONARCH ROOFTOP................... 45
CHICAGO
MR. PURPLE.................................... 46
THE AVIARY......................................11 UNTITLED SUPPER CLUB............. 12 BORDEL............................................ 13
SAN DIEGO POLITE PROVISIONS.................... 48 RAISED BY WOLVES...................... 49
HAVANA EL FLORIDITA.................................. 14 SLOPPY JOE’S BAR........................ 15 LAS VEGAS THE CHANDELIER LOUNGE ........ 16
SANTIAGO RED2ONE........................................ 50 SÃO PAULO BAR DOS ARCOS............................ 51 BAR DO COFRE ............................. 52
LOS ANGELES GALLERY BAR................................. 18 THE SPARE ROOM......................... 19 MEXICO CITY LICORERÍA LIMANTOUR.............. 22 FIFTY MILS..................................... 23 XAMAN BAR................................... 24 BRUJAS........................................... 25 MONTREAL
SEATTLE CANON BAR................................... 53
Cocktail Intermezzo 01 Vermouth Rosé................................ 54 Corpse Reviver................................ 55 Mocktail Erasmus Bond................. 56 Moscow Mule....................................57 Normandy Eggnog.......................... 58 Porto Cooler..................................... 59
ATWATER COCKTAIL CLUB......... 26 NACARAT BAR................................ 27 THE CLOAKROOM......................... 28 NASHVILLE
EUROPE
PATTERSON HOUSE..................... 30 ATTABOY.......................................... 31
AMSTERDAM SUPER LYAN................................... 60
NEGRIL
PULITZER'S BAR............................ 62
BLACKWELL RUM BAR................ 32 ANTWERP NEW ORLEANS BEACHBUM BERRY’S................... 34 CAROUSEL BAR............................. 35
DOGMA............................................ 63 HENRY’S BAR................................. 64
OVERVIEW ATHENS ALEXANDER’S BAR...................... 66
KUFSTEIN STOLLEN 1930............................... 96
THE CLUMSIES.............................. 69 LISBON BARCELONA
RED FROG BAR.............................. 97
APOTHEKE..................................... 70 DRY MARTINI BAR......................... 71
LIVERPOOL 81LTD............................................... 98
BIRMINGHAM THE EDGBASTON BAR................. 74
LONDON THE ALCHEMIST.......................... 101
BRUGES BAR RAN......................................... 76
AQUA SHARD................................102 BEAUFORT BAR............................103 THE AMERICAN BAR...................107
BRUSSELS LA PHARMACIE ANGLAISE......... 77 HUMUS X HORTENSE.................. 78
CONNAUGHT BAR........................108 BLOOMSBURY CLUB BAR..........109 CHRISTOPHER’S MARTINI BAR...112 SEXY FISH..................................... 113
COLOGNE SEIBERTS BAR................................ 81
ORIOLE........................................... 115 SCARFES BAR............................... 118 SHANGHAI BAR............................120
CONG PRINCE OF WALES BAR............... 82
69 COLEBROOKE ROW...............122 SKY POD BAR...............................123 WAVE BAR......................................124
DUBROVNIK BUZA BAR....................................... 83
SIDE HUSTLE................................125 LYANESS.........................................128 SWIFT.............................................129
GHENT
▲■● ................................................132
THE COBBLER............................... 84 JIGGER’S......................................... 86
MILAN 1930 MILAN...................................133
GRUYÈRES HR GIGER BAR............................... 88
BACKDOOR 43..............................134 CERESIO 7.....................................135 CAMPARINO IN GALLERIA.........136
HAMBURG BOILERMAN BAR.......................... 89
OFFICINA MILANO.......................137 MAG LA PUSTERLA......................138
LE LION BAR DE PARIS................ 90 MONTPELLIER HASSELT KOKS AND TALES.......................... 93 ISTANBUL
LE PARFUM....................................140 APERTURE..................................... 141 MOSCOW
THE ALLIS....................................... 94
CITY SPACE BAR..........................144
KILIMANJARO................................ 95
NOOR ELECTRO...........................145
OVERVIEW MUNICH SCHUMANN’S...............................146
RED SKY.........................................178 ZOOM SKY BAR............................179
DIE GOLDENE BAR.......................147 DUBAI OSLO HIMKOK.........................................150 PARIS LE BAR BOTANISTE.....................152 LE BAR GEORGE V........................154 LE BAR DU PLAZA ATHÉNÉE.....155 BAR HEMINGWAY ........................156 PRAGUE BLACK ANGEL’S BAR...................159 ROME THE JERRY THOMAS PROJECT..160 DRINK KONG ................................162 THE COURT...................................163 SORRENTO DRY MARTINI................................164 XANTHI BAISER BAR...................................166
Cocktail Intermezzo 02 Daiquiri........................................... 168 Emperor’s Garden......................... 169 Gimlet..............................................170 Gin and Tonic..................................171 Grappa Sour....................................172 Mai Tai.............................................173 ZURICH THE WIDDER BAR........................174
GOLD ON 27..................................182 VAULT..............................................183 HONG KONG THE CHINNERY............................184 J. BOROSKI....................................185 CLUB QING....................................188 DR FERN’S GIN PARLOUR...........189 LOBSTER BAR AND GRILL..........190 MO BAR.......................................... 191 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA .......192 PLEASE DON’T TELL....................194 QUINARY........................................195 STOCKTON....................................197 JAIPUR BAR PALLADIO .............................198 JIMBARAN ROCK BAR..................................... 200 KUALA LUMPUR BAR TRIGONA...............................201 MUMBAI AER LOUNGE................................ 202 NHA TRANG HYBRID BAR................................. 203 SEOUL CHARLES H. BAR......................... 207 PUSSYFOOT SALOON................ 208 SINGAPORE
ASIA
28 HONGKONG STREET............ 209
BANGKOK
EMPLOYEES ONLY.......................214
SKY BAR.........................................175 BAMBOO BAR...............................176
ATLAS BAR..................................... 211 LONG BAR......................................215 MANHATTAN.................................217
OVERVIEW SMOKE & MIRRORS.....................218 PAPA DOBLE..................................219 MO BAR......................................... 220 BARBARY COAST.........................221 LIVE TWICE................................... 222 THE OTHER ROOM..................... 223 SPAGO BAR & LOUNGE.............. 224 CÉ LA VI SKY BAR ...................... 225 ORIGIN BAR.................................. 226 TEL AVIV WHISKEY BAR & MUSEUM....... 227 TOKYO BAR BENFIDDICH....................... 230 BAR HIGH FIVE.............................231 BAR/S............................................. 232 BAR TRENCH................................ 233
Cocktail Intermezzo 03 Strawberry Gin Fizz......................236 Twisted Rum Swizzle................... 237 Gin Fizz .......................................... 238 Vermouth Tonic............................. 239 Rob Roy..........................................240 Sidecar............................................ 241
OCEANIA MELBOURNE ATRIUM BAR ON 35.................... 242 THE EVERLEIGH.......................... 243 BLACK PEARL.............................. 244 SYDNEY ABODE BISTRO & BAR............... 245 BETA BAR...................................... 246 MAYBE SAMMY .......................... 248
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Introduction
by Jurgen Lijcops
Everybody who knows me also knows that my first passion is wine. Until a few years ago, it was also the only thread running through my work. Then along came Bar Burbure, an Antwerp cocktail bar that wants to be different from all others, and things took a new turn. Before then, few people knew about my second passion: anything related to spirits. Not just spirits themselves, but everything surrounding and springing from them. For instance, cocktails and the bars that make and serve them. Also, the unique settings that are often offered by these bars and that make you enjoy your drinks even more. Stepping into a bar is always a unique experience. You often feel the vibe at once, one that says that everything is okay and it is going to be a magical evening. This vibe is created by the people who work there, who attract other people with that same vibe, who, in turn, enhance the vibe of the place. I am proud to have had the opportunity to write this guide. Each and every bar I have selected has a story to tell, which is certainly not always about the drinks. Often, this story is told by the owners and the staff, or by the location. In this book, I am going to take you on a journey around the world. We will be travelling to the US and South America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, and all the way to Australia. Enjoy it. And ... cheers!
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THE AMERICAS
— 01 — THE ROOFTOP MEXICO
Cabo San Lucas The Cape Hotel, Calle 12 entre 5 Avenida y 10 S/N, Centro, 77710 Playa del Carmen, Q.R.
HOTEL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
This place has a unique holiday atmosphere. Combine this with the atmosphere of a rooftop bar and what do you get? A fun time!
The Rooftop sits atop a fantastic hotel in Mexico and is a bar of many talents. You can relax on one of many lounge beds, swim up to the bar in the pool, and sip fresh, refreshing drinks.
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The gigantic terrace – almost 3,000 square metres – offers an incredible panoramic ocean view. In the evening it transforms into a popular open-air discotheque. Need we say more? This is about as close to paradise as you can get.
www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/ cabo-san-lucas/the-cape-los-cabos/restaurant-bars/the-rooftop
— 02 — THE AVIARY UNITED STATES
Chicago 955 West Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607
COCKTAIL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
They serve three-, five- and seven-course cocktail- and food-tasting menus that are to die for.
The Aviary is a three-star bar and treats its guests accordingly. No second-rate imitations here, but fabulous cocktails prepared in a state-of-the-art kitchen. The Aviary is universally acclaimed for its
innovation and molecular preparations. Its famous Rooibos cocktail is made by shaking rooibos tea with cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, vanilla, ground almonds, mint, verbena and lavender.
www.theaviary.com
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— 03 —
UNTITLED SUPPER CLUB UNITED STATES
Chicago 111 West Kinzie Street, Chicago, IL 60654
COCKTAIL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
The whiskey list is super-impressive.
This bar looks a bit like a maze. Walk around and discover something new around every corner. The biggest space has live music and entertainment five nights a week. Next door you have a restaurant – five-times Michelin Bib Gourmand – headed by chef Ryan Pugh, a Champagne Room, Whiskey Room and
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several other bars. Untitled Supper Club boasts one of the largest selections of American whiskeys and has special lockers for regular clients to store their bottles in. The menu lists about 15 knockout cocktails ranging from classics to contemporary mixes.
www.untitledsupperclub.com
— 04 — BORDEL UNITED STATES
Chicago 1721 West Division Street, Chicago, IL 60622
COCKTAIL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
In this place, you really, truly think you are the Great Gatsby.
Bordel is an experience in and of itself. As you might imagine, it conjures up images of a shady brothel, no doubt partly due to the red velvet and erotic posters lining the interior.
Have a classic cocktail while you enjoy the live flamenco performances. This sexy venue, with its equally sexy drinks, is the ideal place to get you in the mood.
www.bordelchicago.com
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— 05 — EL FLORIDITA CUBA
Havana Obispo No.557 esq. a Monserrate , Habana Vieja X5172, Havana
COCKTAIL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
When you have a daiquiri here, you are not just drinking a good cocktail, you are drinking pure nostalgia!
This legendary bar (more than 200 years old), located in the older part of Havana, lies at the end of Obispo Street, across Monserrate Street, known for the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana. El Floridita is said to be the birthplace of the daiquiri and was a regular haunt of Ernest Hemingway. He would drink his mojitos in La Bodeguita and his daiquiris in El Floridita. As Hemingway had diabetes, he would ask for sugar-free daiquiris. The recipe was named after him and is still
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popular among visitors. If you are going to have just one drink, make it a daiquiri. As for the bar’s interior, the long counter is without doubt its most striking feature. Take a seat and let Cuban hospitality surprise you. The bar has a nice atmosphere but its patrons are almost exclusively tourists. Who knows, you might come across Naomi Campbell, Matt Dillon or Paco Rabanne. Besides cocktails, the bar also serves (rather pricy) fish dishes.
www.floridita-cuba.com
— 06 — SLOPPY JOE’S BAR CUBA
Havana Calle Zulueta 252 / E Animas y Virtudes, Havana 10100
COCKTAIL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
The ‘Sloppy Joe’ cocktail – brandy, port and Cointreau with a delicious touch of pineapple – is a cocktail to truly savour.
This bar, founded in 1917 by Spaniard José Abeal, was a hotspot for American tourists for decades. Its avant-garde clientele, long bar and illustrious patrons such as Ernest Hemingway and Spencer Tracy rightly earned it a reputation as one of the most iconic bars of the 20th century. During the Prohibition era, celebrities flooded the bar as enthusiastically as alcohol flowed out of its taps and bottles. However, Sloppy Joe’s was closed down in 1965. Over time the building became more and more dilapidated, but after almost half a century in ruins, it
has now been restored to its former glory in an extensive refurbishment undertaken by the office of the Historian of Havana, headed by Eusebio Leal. Period photographs and accounts were used to restore the bar as faithfully as possible. The spectacular, 18-metre-long mahogany bar top proved to be the greatest challenge. Sloppy Joe’s unique windows, too, were painstakingly restored. Thanks to these efforts, since 2013 Sloppy Joe’s has become one of the most renowned venues in the cocktail business once again.
www.sloppyjoes.org
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— 07 —
THE CHANDELIER LOUNGE UNITED STATES
Las Vegas The Cosmopolitan Hotel, 3708 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV 89109
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
The combination of the bar’s unique interior and perfect cocktails is not to be missed. The Chandelier Lounge, just like the general ambience in Las Vegas, is larger than life. The bar sits in the centre of the casino, right underneath a giant chandelier composed of two million crystal beads. In fact, the bar itself looks like a chandelier. All of this creates an atmosphere you will remember for ever – if you do not drink too many cocktails, of course. Drinks are served on one of the bar’s three floors, each of which has its own, characteristic menu. The signature cocktails include the Whiskey Business – a new twist on the classic Old Fashioned that mixes Knob Creek bourbon with bitters, Amaro Meletti and a home-made syrup – and the Finishing School, which pays tribute to Alice in Wonderland with Ciroc Red Berry vodka, strawberry-rhubarb syrup, citrus, ginger beer and plum bitters.
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www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/lounges-bars/chandelier
HOTEL BAR
150 BARS YOU NEED TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE
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— 08 — GALLERY BAR UNITED STATES
Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel, 506 Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90071
HOTEL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
This bar lives within the legendary Biltmore Hotel, designed by partners Leonard Schultze and S. Fullerton Weaver, probably two of the 20th century’s most important hotel architects.
An elegant hotel bar cum cognac room, the Gallery Bar has a grandeur, with its chandeliers, leather banquettes and wooden furnishing, that is reminiscent of an old library. The granite bar is the perfect place to sip an old-school Martini. This venue sits within the legendary Biltmore Hotel, designed by Schultze & Weaver, probably the 20th century’s most
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renowned hotel architectural practice, responsible for, among other projects, the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The Gallery Bar is an ode to the end of the Prohibition era and the return of publicly served cocktails and other alcoholic drinks. Do try its signature Biltmore 1923, which includes Botanist gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc and absinthe.
www.millenniumhotels.com
— 09 — THE SPARE ROOM UNITED STATES
Los Angeles 7000 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028
HOTEL BAR
TO VISIT BEFORE YOU DIE BECAUSE
Where else can you throw some balls and sip a delicious coconut-infused vodka at the same time?
A bowling alley and hip cocktail lounge all in one? Only in Hollywood ... Brad Pitt and Alexander Skarsgard have been seen bowling at the Spare Room, and it’s for a reason. The place has the finest bowling lanes you’ve ever seen – they are said to date back to the 1800s – and bowling shoes by George Esquivel. Not that everything in the Spare Room is about knocking down pins. To the contrary. The bowling alley is really more like a decor, an excuse for you to end up where you are supposed to end up: the bar. The bar rose to fame with founding father Aidan Demarest’s world-renowned punch bowls, and now it has rising star Yael Vengroff shaking things up at the bar. This young woman is worthy of our admiration not only for making Beverage Director at one of the world’s best cocktail bars, but even more so for the 20 or so playfully surprising cocktails she mixes, including the stunning Bikini Kill and its coconutoil-infused vodka, passion fruit, Campari, velvet falernum, honey and lime. As for recreational activities, bowling is but one of the various games they have lined up for you here. Is playing Monopoly or Scrabble from one of the Spare Room’s velvet lounge chairs hip enough for you or what?
www.spareroomhollywood.com
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