Wait, you can’t just add rum to something and call it a cocktail?
The bar industry had its lights knocked out in 2020, with many of our cities’ top watering holes shuttering temporarily. Unlike the restaurant industry, which barely scraped by on takeout and delivery, bars were operating under stricter guidelines that all but forced them to close their doors for good. Even now, as the world slowly reopens, bar owners and bartenders are facing the challenge of a lifetime – and we're not in the clear yet.
The truth is, bars have always been there for us – whether we're celebrating or commiserating – and now, we need to show up for them.
Throughout the month of August, we'll celebrate our cities' taverns, rooftop bars, speakeasies and age-old neighborhood joints. We'll raise a glass to the return of the third space. We'll sing about the people who are shaping the industry and relish in the best and booziest new drinking trends. We'll give thanks to the bartenders who remind us what a good cocktail should taste like.
Along the way, we'll introduce you to folks who are shaking things up – both literally and figuratively – and shine a spotlight on the coolest bars around the globe. Plus, our weekly Talk to the Chef! series will be taken over by some of the world's best bartenders throughout the month of August.
And it's not just our editors who will be penning stories about the bar industry over the next four weeks. The bars at Time Out Market – from Lisbon and Dubai to New York and Montreal – are positively buzzing with drinks that are rooted in local flavor and brimming with creativity. It's where we bring our favorite drinking trends to life in real time.
So grab a glass of something cold and join in celebrating and supporting our favorite bars all month long. Cheers to that!
