highlightCategory: Drink

Creative cocktails, cool brews and local haunts

Handshake Speakeasy

Forget the usual bar-ridden hotspots of London, New York and Tokyo. The best bar in the world, as crowned by The World’s 50 Best Bars, is a clandestine gem in Mexico City called Handshake Speakeasy. But you won’t easily find it.

This bar isn’t on full display, it’s hidden behind an unmarked door tucked away on an unassuming street in the country’s bustling capital. But once you get inside, the place is anything but subtle.

Handshake Speakeasy screams old-school sophistication thanks to the 1920s art deco building it’s in – the kinda place where all the bartenders wear suits and there’s high-concept cocktails on offer that’ll blow up your tastebuds with a flavour combination you didn’t even know existed. Probably featuring some liquid nitrogen.

But while you might feel as though you can’t let your hair down properly here, this isn’t a pretentious bar. Yes, it’s sleek and intimate, but it’s also cool and relaxed. And it might only just be getting the worldwide recognition it deserves, but Handshake Speakeasy’s been shaking (and stirring) the globe’s cocktail elite for years.

It’s just that now, everyone knows about it. Which is great for the bar, but bad for you considering there’s almost certainly going to be a very big line to get in. We can’t tell you how to to pass the time, but we can say this bar is definitely worth the wait. Salud.

The Newsroom

Welcome to The Newsroom in New York, where gossip swirls around the space quicker than the bartenders can whip up their intoxicating cocktails. Located just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of the city, this salacious bar is the perfect blend of classy, quirky, and chaotic—much like your favourite Daily Mail headline.

As you walk through a 1920’s newsstand (the entrance), you’re immediately transported into a world that feels like a cosy yet scandalous press conference. There’s vintage newspaper clippings strewn around, a neon-lit bar ready to serve up some piping hot tea (your new favourite cocktails) and aerialist performances starting from 7:20pm for those able to drag themselves away from the writing desk.

Try “The Front Page” where the vodka/matcha combo packs a punch strong enough to knock your socks off. Or how about a “Columnist Quencher”, a botanist gin and chambord concoction that’s way too easy to drink. Of course they have classic cocktails too but who wants a cosmopolitan when you can have an “Editors Punch”?

And we haven’t touched the snack menu yet. Straight from the brilliant culinary mind of celebrity Yankees chef Ricardo Cardona, these Latin-European fusion dishes could easily make the front page of your tastebuds— think filet mignon taquitos, chickpea dusted sautéed-shrimp and triple pork pizza.

Okay, we’ve flogged the news angle to death but this place is so cool. Which is really saying something given New York City is home to more cool bars than Times Square has LED lights.

So, whether you’re looking to unwind after a long day in the office or are just in the mood for some spirited banter, The Newsroom has got you covered.

A Bar with Shapes for a Name

No, we’re not trying to be funny. This Bauhaus-inspired London hotspot actually has shapes for a name: a yellow triangle, a red square and a blue circle.

There’s not a single word on the bar’s exterior to help tell it apart from the dry cleaners on its left and the public library on its right and it’s that creative mystery that sees A Bar with Shapes for a Name (or Shapes for short) sitting at number 61 on The World’s 50 Best Bars extended list.

Its love for primary colours aside, this bar’s focus on all things functionalist and minimalistic makes it a pretty cool spot to hang out – think long communal style seating, a stripped-back studio-esque design and only 20 bottles that make up the bar’s 12 cocktails on offer.

Out of those 12, there’s a few must-drinks. The ‘Pastel’ is an obvious choice thanks to its carbonation, vodka base and complex flavours of lime, rhubarb and raspberry but if gin’s more your thing, try the ‘Loop Light’. A nod to the bar’s artistic roots, this cocktail has only three ingredients (gin, citra hops and pipacha oolong tea) and is dangerously easy to drink.

You know what else is dangerous? The prices. The cocktails range between 8 – 12 pounds, and when you couple that with the bar’s closing time of 4 am, you might find that you and your bank account aren’t on speaking terms when the sun comes up.

Amaro in London’s west and Viajante87 in Notting Hill also make the annual list, sitting at 90 and 99 respectively, so who’s up for after-work drinks?

Valiant Bar

In an unassuming car park is Melbourne’s newest, and definitely glitziest bar – with no less than 200 disco balls to prove it.

To reach The Valiant from Collins Street you’ll cruise down a little laneway which goes past Melbourne’s oldest pub, and onto Little Collins. Here you’ll find one of those extortionate car parks which charge a small house deposit for a car park each day, which seems as mundane as the rest of them until you clock the painting of Mona – a beautiful AI-inspired woman surrounded by disco balls.

Follow her longing gaze and head up the stairs, and you’ll find a glitzy cocktail lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows.

There’s incredible cocktails, including get lost’s favourite, the Mona’s Secret: gin, muscat, orange blossom, strawberry, raspberry, lemon and pink pepper. It’s pink, its sweet, and it’s got a V for Valiant .  smoothed into the top layer of the cocktail…and it’s god damn delicious.

Others included the Butter Dill Martini – Grey Goose vodka, noily prat, butter and dill – and the Marine Martini – voir, gin, white vermouth and tonic.

If you’re looking to hedge your bets, there’s a bunch of half-cocktail, half-shots, which is an interesting concept. It’s probably less hedging your bets – our own bet is you’d get absolutely obliterated doing this.

The food is great – unique dishes like burrata and mortadella with crushed pistachio focaccia; poached prawn with fennel celeriac remoulade and Saucisse en Croûte, which is essentially a sausage roll with a fancy name.

We were stoked with bumps of Siberian caviar – a refreshing change from doing bumps of something else in a cocktail bar – served straight off the back off your own hand.

And there’s disco balls…there are apparently 200 on the roof. You’re more of a 400 disco ball or more sort of operator? Say no more – apparently there’s another 200 on the way.

Valiant is an upmarket, centrally located place ideal for date nighters, promotion celebrators, after-work drinkers and disco ball and car park enthusiasts.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF SHOEY

Roses are red, violets are blue, to have a drink at this pub, you’ll need to give up a shoe.

That’s right. Dulle Griet, located in Ghent’s famous Vrijdagmarkt square, demands beer-seekers take off one of their shoes in exchange for a 1.2-litre glass of their house beer, the Max.

To stop you from doin’ a runner with the glass, they hold your shoe hostage, place it in a basket and hoist it to the ceiling. They only give it back to you once you’ve drained every last drop of the flavourful frothy stuff.

Don’t get too carried away though. If you break the glass, it’ll set you back 90 euros (AU$146). That’s one expensive beer. And they only take cash.

We’re used to putting our best foot forward, but this isn’t the place to debut the new shoes you just spent your hard-earned pocket money on. Or to care about the germs and general stickiness that usually grace the floor of any decent drinking establishment.

It’s still worth a visit though. More than 500 different types of beer line the pub’s dusty shelves, from traditional blonde abbey ales and full-bodied quadrupels to dark Trappist beers you’ll definitely feel in the morning.

Not a huge beer drinker? Go for the vibes.

The pub’s delightful décor features wooden beams, beer barrels, church decorations, old alcohol ads, dolls, cart wheels and pig bladders (not weird at all). They even have outdoor seating for those brew-tiful sunny Belgium days. See what we did there?

GABS is back, baby!

Time to get your paddle out. Not that kind of paddle, we’re talking about a beer paddle. Specifically, one at the Great Australian Beer SpecTAPular. A much-loved fixtured for ale enthusiasts since 2011, it is one of the best ways to enjoy the craft beer you love and discover some new favourites. With about 120 ish unique beers, you won’t be able to get through all over them (don’t take that as a challenge – it won’t end well) but keep an eye out for Banana Blueberry Pancake Smoothie beer, Sushi Beer, and possibly one for Eminem fans – Spaghetti Beer.

The world’s oldest brewery, Weihenstephan, will be out in Australia joining in on the fun and showcasing why their brewery has been at the top of the beer game for over 1,000 years. You can even enter a competition while there that could see you winning a trip to Weihenstephan, Germany to check out one of the most renowned beer festivals.

It’s not just beer that you can enjoy at GABS, there’s also cocktails, wine, whiskey and plenty of food bars at the three locations. With all this and over 500 beer taps under one roof, it’s no wonder that GABS is globally acclaimed as one of the best beer festivals in the world.

You might even be able to take part in a new World Record attempt in Melbourne with Stomping Ground Brewery looking to have the most amount of people in a beer tasting. Barcelona currently has the title, so if you want to be part of the 1,400 beer-strong crew, make sure you get a ticket.

All ticket purchasers will receive a GABS Beer Safaris booklet with over $250 in post GABS beer offers. T&Cs apply.

We’re giving away some tickets to subscribers, so make sure you’re signed up to be in the running. Must be subscribed to get lost by Sunday 27th May 11:59pm AEST

A Late Great Night in Nashville

Wanna know about prohibition in the States? Just go to Tennessee, they’ll tell you all about it. Probably because whisky is their thing and that was taken away from them for a long time. We can only imagine the celebrations back in 1933 when prohibition was repealed for the state. If you believe that every cloud has a silver lining, then for prohibition it would be speakeasies. These fun, hidden gems provided an outlet for those keen on a drop or five, all the while (hopefully) going undetected from the authorities.

Nashville is home to many speakeasies however one that oozes history and cool all at once is The Late Great. Located by a secret door at the back of Virgin Hotels Nashville, this cosy club is rich in Nashville history – starting with its designer Hannah Crowell, granddaughter of Johnny Cash. Music aficionados would know that Hannah’s musical roots also run from her parents, Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell.

Tasked with creating a space that felt as intimate as someone’s living room, Hannah drew inspiration from her own family and the wider music scene of Nashville to pay homage to some of the greats like her grandfather as well as Dolly Parton and Hank Williams to name a few. Named after Townes Van Zandt’s 1972 album, The Late Great serves as a nod to the ghosts of Nashville.

The venue features Carter and Cash family photos – including a stunning portrait of Johhny Cash, which was the last photograph ever taken of him. Throw in the eclectic range art and superbly-chosen interiors by Hannah Crowell, it is easy to see why The Late Great has been the talk of the town since opening in 2021.

At the bar you can choose from a range of carefully crafted cocktails that are not only inspired by country’s biggest stars but have ingredients to match the mood of the songs they’re named after. Enjoy the Patsy Cline inspired ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’ with rum, amaretto, coffee, cinnamon and white chocolate. If you want to stick to what you know, go the ‘Seasonal Old Fashioned’ with Tennessee whiskey, apple butter and bitters. Delish. When you’re ready for bed, think of Hank Locklin and order ‘Send Me the Pillow You Dream On’ with anejo tequila, appalachian nocino, toasted coconut, walnut, chocolate and with some popcorn to nibble on. Perfect late-night snack.

When you’re in Nashville next, be sure to make a reservation. And even though this will feel like the cosiest living room you’ve ever been in, make sure you dress to impress.

Flinders Street’s tallest bar

A brand new rooftop bar in the city of rooftop bars – and this one looks like it’s a beauty.

Soaring 68 metres above Melbourne’s iconic Flinders Street, Fleet will be the street’s newest, and easily it’s tallest bar when it opens in April.

The bar is set on the rooftop of The Vibe hotel, and looks like it will be an absolute vibe, if early renders are to be believed.

The bar looks modern luxury to us; one of those places that is a safe bet when you’re looking to go somewhere trendy and upmarket, with a nice view. We reckon lots of hot people will go there.

As its seafaring name would suggest, Fleet will feature a nautical themed cocktail list, plus local and international beers and wines. Negronis, spritzes, martinis and fun nostalgic drinks – like the seafarers Hurricane made of gold rum, navy rum, pineapple, orange, lime, and passionfruit dominate the menu.

And for something a little different in the CBD, a barrel-aged Tequilla Manhattan with barrel aged reposado tequila, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, angostura bitters and maraschino, will warm the cockles on a cool Melbourne day (plenty of those). Local producers will feature heavily on the food menu, which will mostly be a snack sort of operation.

The bar opens in April – we’d be fleet of foot in getting here when it does.

Caretakers Cottage

Can I get an AMEN!?

Sitting adjacent to the hulking, gothic-style, protestant supporting Wesley Church on the fringes of Melbourne’s CBD is a charming little cottage. And inside that charming little cottage is an even charming-er little bar called Caretaker’s Cottage.

Originally the living abode of the church grounds caretaker, it has been there since 1858, but likely never served a Penicillin Milk punch (Johnny Walker black label, fresh ginger, lemon, salted bush honey, camomile, Talisker 10 year float) nor had cracking Guinness on tap, nor had The Avalanches spinning on vinyl.

The cottage was probably lit by candlelight and some stage, but it probably did not illuminate trendy 20, 30 and 40 somethings on date night whispering sweet nothings into each other’s ears, which this intimate space seems to be perfect for.

It’s more than that though; outside, perched slightly above the rest of the Melbourne CBD, you are sandwiched between skyscrapers and elegant 19th century architecture –a contrast of new and old. It’s a space conducive to conversation.

In its first year of trading, Caretakers placed number 60 on the longlist of the Top 50 World’s Best Bars list, the only Australian bar to make the cut. This week, they went one better and placed 23rd in the 2023 list. Onwards and upwards.

Click here to see the rest of the World’s Best Bars.

Level 8 Los Angeles

We separate travel experiences by category on this website: do, stay, drink and eat. Level 8 probably ticks all four of these boxes, and then some.

It’s the new behemoth that has transformed downtown Los Angeles.

 

It’s sprawled across 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space on level 8 of the brand new Moxy Hotel and AC Downtown Hotel, right across the road from where the Lakers play.

It’s a labyrinth that includes a Japanese restaurant, a South American restaurant, burlesque, an opulent poolside party area that looks like a modern Great Gatsby scene, and a luxurious Mexican church-themed bar that includes a confessional booth, which you’ll surely need to visit more than once. There’s even a 24 hour supermarket downstairs.

The cool thing about Level 8 is that it’s everything you need in one – a night out from dinner to a raucous party, to a filthy club boogie and right through to kick ons – without ever leaving the building.