Hottest bar openings in July 2015

There was certainly no shortage of hot new watering holes that made their debut last month, ranging from an espionage-inspired cocktail den to a sophisticated hotel whisky bar.

An abundance of hot new international bars opened their doors last month

The cocktail craze continued to demonstrate its international reach in July, with innovative new bars popping up in cities including London, Beijing, San Diego, Leeds and more.

The popular London Trading Co. travelled west to open up a suave James Bond-themed bar, meanwhile, back in London, a famed Chelsea restaurant showcased its newest cocktail hideaway and a Breaking Bad-inspired RV pop-up enthralled Walter White fans.

As Melbourne welcomed a new malt mecca, Leeds jumped on the speakeasy bandwagon with an inconspicuous underground drinking den.

Click through the following pages to discover some of the hottest bars to open around the world in July 2015.

Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bristol

Bristol’s newest cocktail bar and punch house is Her Majesty’s Secret Service, inspired by James Bond. Described as a melting pot of themes, using industrial, gin palace and espionage tropes, the venue is based in Clifton and has been created by the team behind London’s popular Cocktail Trading Co. The cocktail menu will be presented in the style of a passport, offering a continually changing selection of drinks. Visitors can expect to sit among upholstered chesterfields, polished oak and gun cabinets.

Tack Room, Chicago

Situated inside historic carriage house of the meticulously restored 125-year-old Thalia Hall, Tack Room is Chicago’s newest cocktail and piano bar. Many of the site’s original artifacts and architectural details have been preserved, giving an authentic antiquarian image which is enhanced by the bar’s selection of classic serves. Cocktails include Cobblers, Juleps and Rickeys, as well as on-tap serves.

The Opium Den, London

Famed Chelsea restaurant Nam Long celebrated the opening of its new cocktail hideaway, The Opium Den, last month. Described as a “destination bar”, the venue has been opened by Nam Long founder Thai Dang’s 29-year old daughter, Dzuyen, after he passed away last year. The dimly lit, stylish bar features a cocktail menu with serves such as the Mr Thai, comprised of rye whiskey, truffle honey, and grapefruit bitters. The Opium Den will continue to serve Nam Long’s famous 90s cocktail the Flaming Ferrari, which is set on fire and consumed quickly through a straw.

Boilermaker House, Melbourne

Boilermaker House is Melbourne’s latest malt mecca, boasting a back bar brimming with more than 700 whiskies. The bar was opened by the team behind Eau de Vie is Sydney and Australia, yet has a lesser focus on cocktails and a greater emphasis on short, dark serves. Featuring a four-metre long marbel bar with a selection of more than 25 cured meats and 30 cheeses that are available to order by weight, Boilermaker House can accommodate 200 patrons with room for an additional 25 in the outdoor seating area.

ABQ, London

ABQ is one of the London’s most talked about pop-up bar openings this summer. The venue is inspired by hit US TV show Breaking Bad and asks visitors to “cook” their own cocktails using gas masks, blue crystals and chemistry flasks. Launched by the brains behind controversial live owl “bar” Annie the Owl, ABQ is based inside a converted RV motorhome with capacity for just 20-22 people any one time. Breaking Bad follows the trials and tribulations of Walker White, a chemistry teacher diagnosed with terminal lung cancer who turns to a life of crime making and selling crystallised meth to ensure his family is financially stable before he dies.

Alcoholic Architecture, London

Food and drink innovation group Bompas & Parr unveiled its latest cutty edge concept last month – a walk-in “cloud bar” allowing visitors to breathe in cocktails and inhale real alcohol. Based near London’s Borough Market, Alcoholic Architecture is described as a “fully immersive alcohol environment” featuring a cloud entirely composed of fine spirits and mixers at a ratio of 1:3. Powerful humidifiers saturate the air, allowing alcohol to enter the bloodstream through the lungs and eyeballs.

Park & Rec, San Diego

With a beverage program helmed by Anthony Schmidt and Trevor Easter, the brains behind Nobel Experiment, Park & Rec is San Diego’s latest innovative cocktail hangout. The courtyard cocktail bar serves a “playful” assortment of cocktails, including summer sips, “Low-Ball” creations an slushies. The bar is comprised of three separate cocktail “houses” that offer unique drinking experiences and also features recreational table games such as ping-pong, darts, and shuffleboard.

Storeys, London

Opened on the rooftop of the former BBC Television Centre, Storeys is described as a pop-up food and drink experience set against a backdrop of panoramic cityscape views. Rum cocktails mixed by expert flair bartenders are served from the Rum Shack, while the TV Bar will serve tropical fruit sharers, ice-cold beer and more. The venue will also feature food stalls serving French-American fusion dishes, Caribbean street food with a twist, Folkestone crab burgers, buffalo wings, and ceviche.

Mei at Rosewood Beijing

High end hotel Rosewood Beijing has welcomed the sophisticated Mei cocktail lounge, accessed via an outside elevator offering breathtaking views of the bustling city streets. Mei consist of three bars: one which specialises in whisky, a main cocktail bar and a small wine bar offering a range of old and new world variants, along with some rare and exclusive editions. The whisky bar stocks varieties spanning Scotch, Bourbon and Irish and has a “debonair gentlemen’s club-style”, while the cocktail bar offers a variety of mixes including the Pisco Punch and Mango Hamingway Daiquiri.

7, Leeds

The speakeasy trend has hit Leeds with the opening of 7, an underground cocktail bar that can only be accessed via a specially installed telephone box. To gain entrance, visitors must dial a specific number to alert the bar staff of their presence, but there are no other signs to indicate where the inconspicuous venue is situated. Promising to “make pretentious drinks, in an unpretentious manner”, the bar serves cocktails including the Soleros! made with passoa, Midori, passion fruit puree, orange juice, pineapple juice, vanilla syrup, cream, milk and sugar.