The 36 best cocktails in the world right now have been revealed by Time Out, and it is a shimmering blue Negroni served in one of Athens’s best bars that takes the top spot, followed by outstanding cocktails created in bars from Singapore and Boston to Melbourne and London.
Time Out’s list of the best cocktails in the world spans 27 cities in 18 countries, featuring everything from classic tipples to extravagant creations, and revealing a trend towards provenance and local ingredients and a renewed interest in reimagining established cocktail recipes.
The countdown coincides with the 2019 DRINK List – Time Out’s comprehensive guide to the best bars in the world’s greatest cities – and has been curated by Time Out’s global network of local expert editors and contributors. Time Out is the global media and entertainment brand that inspires and enables people to explore and enjoy the best of the city.
James Manning, Global Projects Editor at Time Out, said: “It’s thirsty work researching the best things to do in the world’s greatest cities – so it’s just as well that our global network of local editors and experts is well versed in where to find something great to drink. The tipples that they’ve picked for our curated list of the world’s best cocktails show that there’s never been a better time for adventurous drinkers, with local flavours and imaginative spins on the classics dominating the field. It shows that there’s much more to mixology than turning out the perfect Martini – although that’s on the list too.”
These are the top ten cocktails in the world right now, as chosen by Time Out’s global network of expert local editors and contributors:
1. Aegean Negroni - The Clumsies, Athens, Greece
Emblematic of the ongoing revolution in Greek bartending, this refreshingly bitter, shimmering blue Negroni made with local ingredients (including fragrant dittany – a herb that grows only on Crete) is served at Athens’s most famous cocktail bar.
2. Peranakan - Native, Singapore
One-of-a-kind Singapore bar Native leans heavily on the tastes of south-east Asia. This cocktail, which blends laksa leaves, candlenuts and gula melaka (palm sugar), is finished off with jackfruit rum and a garnish made from locally sourced goat’s milk – all this makes the cocktail an homage to the Peranakan Chinese cuisine of Penang, Malacca and Singapore.
3. All Hail The Queen - The Baldwin Bar, Boston, USA
Topped with an intricate portrait of soul goddess Erykah Badu, this smooth concoction of Tanqueray 10, olive oil, lime, chestnut and egg was created by self-taught master Boston bartender Ran Duan.
4. Searching For The Emerald Sea - The Aviary, New York, USA
Served at the home of New York’s most innovative cocktails – the Aviary – this gin-based cocktail is a feast for the eyes. Served in a see-through porthole, the drink changes colour as the seasonal ingredients – which might include peaches, beet slices and celery curls – infuse.
5. No 1 Cup - The SG Club, Tokyo, Japan
A fusion of two classic drinks – the single-serve sake often found at Tokyo izakaya (the Japanese equivalent of gastropubs), and the famous British summer cocktail Pimm’s – No 1 Cup is an effervescent and refreshing tipple served in a glass that looks just like the famous one-cup sake.
6. Omiero - Hotel Casa Awolly, Mexico City, Mexico
For those who want their cocktail with a side of spirituality, the Omiero is the most magical drink on the list. Combining flora and natural ingredients, it is supposed to open the gates of healing and protection, with ingredients including rum, homemade Castilla pumpkin butter, omiero (an aromatic blend of herbs) and lime.
7. Mirror Margarita - Hacha, London, UK
Have you ever seen a completely transparent Margarita? This clear cocktail’s uncharacteristic appearance is deceptive, as it still has the exact same sourness and saltiness you’d expect from a classic Marg.
8. Spiced Rusty Cherry - Red Frog, Lisbon, Portugal
The Red Frog speakeasy has packed Portugal into a punchy cocktail, blending ruby port wine and Lisbon’s signature ginjinha (wild cherry liqueur) with a splash of Venezuelan rum, chocolate bitters and smoked cinnamon.
9. Margarita OK! - Cantina OK, Sydney, Australia
Looking for one of the world’s best Margaritas? Margarita OK! can be found in a mezcaleria with room for just 20 patrons in a former garage. It features tequila and mezcal procured by the owners on their travels through Mexico, served over a mountain of shaved ice from an eye catching bright yellow, hand-cranked machine.
10. The Sun Also Rises - The Old Man, Hong Kong
This spicy, green cocktail from Time Out Hong Kong’s number one bar is named after a Hemingway novel and features sweet vermouth prepared sous-vide with pandan leaves, curry leaf-infused gin, coconut oil-washed applejack and kaffir lime.
11. Tequilini – Eatery Social Taqueria, Malmö, Sweden - A cocktail made by reusing and reinventing surplus restaurant ingredients: cava that’s gone flat and lime wedges that have been squeezed dry
12. Piña Colada – Sweet Liberty, Miami, USA - Featuring a signature blend of unusual ingredients you won’t find in any other Piña Colada, like coffee and sherry
13. Martini – Dukes Bar - London, UK - the perfect Martini, served in an old-world British hotel bar – this was James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s Martini of choice
14. Green Ant Negroni – Wildflower, Perth, Australia - Featuring Adelaide Hills Green Ant Gin, which is distilled using actual green ants, hand-harvested by the Northern Territory’s Larrakia people
15. Tequila Verde – Clooney Kitchen and Bar, Melbourne, Australia - Varying each day depending on what greenery is on offer at the local market
16. Smoked Chai Manhattan – Oak Long Bar, Boston, USA – A twist on a classic served in a theatrical cloud of smoke
17. Martini – Musso & Frank Grill, Los Angeles, USA – America’s own classic Martini, this is a Hollywood staple
18. Tiki Bandit – Frankie's Tiki Room, Las Vegas, USA – A tiki cocktail served in a slot machine-shaped mug in America’s cocktail capital
19. Kimchi – Mace, New York, USA – A cocktail bringing savoury ingredients and NYC’s diverse global flavours behind the bar
20. Cyn Tonic – Florería Atlantico, Buenos Aires, Argentina – A gin and tonic ode to Argentina’s Italian heritage
21. Loos Coffee – Loos American Bar, Vienna, Austria – A take on an Espresso Martini that is also a nod to Viennese café culture
22. Buenos Aires Zombie – Presidente Bar, Buenos Aires, Argentina – A tiki cocktail paying homage to Buenos Aires nightlife
23. Robbery At The Museum – Smoke & Mirrors, Singapore – A modern take on the Singapore Sling in the city where it was invented
24. Explosive – Le Syndicat, Paris, France – A tribute to France’s revolutionary roots
25. Jungle Bird – Omakase + Appreciate, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The best place to enjoy this Malaysian classic
26. Camp Nou – Dr Stravinsky, Barcelona, Spain – Blending gin distilled on site with sherry and a herbal syrup
27. Space Juice For Jered – Punch House, Chicago, USA – A Margarita-like blend served in a punch bowl
28. Bloody Sanluqeño – Angelita, Madrid, Spain – An elevated version of hangover classic Bloody Mary
29. Sgroppino – Swift, London, UK – One of London’s best bars revives the lemon sorbet cocktail
30. Caipirinha Três Limões – Bar Veloso, São Paulo, Brazil - The ultimate take on a Brazilian classic
31. Boulevardier 29 – Cravan, Paris, France – The finest take on the signature drink of 1920s Paris
32. Negroni Sbagliato – Bar Basso, Milan, Italy – The original Negroni Sbagliato, made with Prosecco not gin
33. The Egg – Operation Dagger, Singapore – A sweet dessert cocktail using the trending salted egg flavour
34. Black Velvet – Arthur's Pub, Dublin, Ireland – A blend of Guinness and champagne, best enjoyed at the source
35. Boozy Apple – Peppi's Cellar, New York, USA – An ode to New York’s namesake fruit
36. Irish Coffee – Buena Vista Café, San Francisco, USA – A warming classic at the bar that invented it (and has served five million in 40 years)
Read more about all of the 36 best cocktails in the world right now by clicking here: www.timeout.com/bars/best-