The ‘big three’ cocktail capitals – London, Paris and Amsterdam – are being challenged by bar openings in other cities around Europe as top mixologists are lured away to previously untapped markets, says Claire Dodd.

Pulitzer’s Bar in Amsterdam secured a spot in our pick of European bars to watch in 2017

It’s fair to say that 2016 was a golden year for Europe’s burgeoning cocktail scene, which attracted global accolades galore. And with a number of world-class new openings scheduled for 2017, it’s likely all eyes will be on the continent once again.

From Cologne to Salzburg, Barcelona to Stockholm and down to Marseille, Europe’s bar scene is becoming ever more diverse and decentralised.

Why? Switched-on consumers are increasingly demanding the choice and quality available in the cocktail hubs of London, Paris and Amsterdam for themselves. Second, the lure of untapped markets beyond the increasingly crowded big-city hotspots is proving too hard to resist for some of Europe’s top talents.

Just look at the success of one of The Spirits Business’s tipped bars for 2016, the Clumsies in Athens, Greece, for proof, if it were needed, that best bars of tomorrow are likely to be found anywhere across this cocktail-loving continent.

For 2017, we are particularly excited to see Brönnum, the third bar from Gobo Hansen and the team behind Copenhagen’s Ruby, establish itself after September’s opening.

Moe Aljaff, formerly of Himkok in Oslo (our European Bar to Watch 2016), is planning to bring a unique fusion of traditional Spanish and Scandinavian styles and flavours to Barcelona in 2017 with a new bar in the Catalan capital, though the concept is still in development.

But of course, there is no ignoring the continued growth of the ‘big three’. Alongside those tipped in our list, high profile new openings include Soho House’s new venture, The Ned, due to open in the City of London this spring. Hotel Costes, meanwhile, is looking to bring a taste of Paris to Sloane Square, though an exact opening date is unconfirmed.

Click through the following pages to discover Europe’s top bars to watch in 2017.

Swift – London, UK

Soho’s iconic Lab Bar may be no more. But the site is set to rise from the ashes under the stewardship of High Water’s Bobby Hiddleston and Mia Johansson, and Nightjar and Oriole’s owners Edmund Weil and Roisin Stimpson.

Their new venue, Swift, “will sit nicely between a pint at the pub and a reservations-only or members’ bar” according to Johansson, and is intended as a place “where a quick drink taken at the bar marks the end of the day or the beginning of the night”.

While a ‘swift’ service bar upstairs will focus on just eight cocktails that showcase the range of ‘lighter’ spirits and liqueurs selected for the bar, including interesting grappas and brandies alongside Champagne, classics, wine, aperitifs and digestifs, downstairs a snug bar with reservations will offers an extended 20-strong menu, alongside a whisky library.

“Our ambition is to make the cocktail an essential part of one’s day,” Mia says. Quite.
The bar is due to open in late November.

Linje Tio – Stockholm, Sweden

‘Quirky’ is an accurate description of this restaurant bar, which also houses a barbershop. Opened in 2012, the bar has its own ice programme (called Park Island Ice Department), which sources directly from icebergs.

But the signs are that 2017 is going to be the team’s year. Joel Söderbäck says he and co-founder Andreas Bergman are looking to launch a new members-only cocktail bar in the city next year. Open for just two nights a week, the under-the-radar venue will be an attempt to “bypass old Swedish laws” which dictate hot food has to be served alongside alcohol, says Söderbäck.

“We hope that people will continue travelling to Sweden not only for polar bears, lax and blonde girls but also for quality cocktails in the best bar in the middle of nowhere,” he continues.

Imperii – Leipzig, Germany

Germany is having a cocktail boom as venues such as Cologne’s Little Link set a stylishly high bar. But the newcomer Imperii is not to be outdone. It was recently named New Bar of the Year at Bar Convent’s Mixology Bar Awards, and is garnering growing international recognition.

Bartender André Pintz opened the bar in late 2015 after a stint at Candelaria in Paris, with a menu focused on “flavours, countries and stories” and “almost forgotten classics [shown] in a new light”.

Drinks include the Kung Fu Panda, made with cold dripped black tea, Beefeater 24, Lillet, eucalyptus, apple, and creole bitters.

Pulitzer’s Bar – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Grand but cosy, the Pulitzer Amsterdam re-opened this August after a two-year restoration project to rejuvenate its 25 interlinked Golden Age canal-side houses.

The hotel’s bar returns under the stewardship of Andrew Nicholls, who has created a 14-dish menu that focuses on reimaging the classics, through the use of new techniques and processes.

Drinks include a Manhattan served with a Maraschino Liqueur-infused hazelnut and a Pineapple Old Fashioned with Zuidam Rogge Genever, fermented pineapple syrup and creole bitters.

Dickie’s Bar – London, UK

You cannot blame cocktail imbibers for being just a little bit excited about this one. Gregory Buda of New York’s famous The Dead Rabbit has collaborated with renowned chef Richard Corrigan to open Dickie’s Bar at the Corrigan, Mayfair.

As you would expect from such a formidable duo, the focus will firmly be on flavour. Drinks will be inspired by the time of year, use seasonal ingredients largely sourced from Richard Corrigan’s garden and farm, Virginia Park Lodge in Cavan, Ireland, and will take ideas from both American and Irish drinking and cocktail culture. The bar is due to open before the end of this year.

La Commune – Paris, France

The team behind Le Syndicat made a name for themselves with a menu dedicated entirely to French spirits. It seems there is no rest for the wickedly good, as Romain Le Mouëllic and Sullivan Doh open their second bar in the city this winter.

This time the new bar, La Commune, will focus entirely on punch, punch and more punch. We can’t wait to see what they do with this deceptively simple premise.