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Hottest bar openings in January 2017

A dessert-inspired cocktail den, an arcade bar hidden behind a walk-in fridge, and a ’70s-themed party pad top our pick of the hottest global drinks destinations to open last month.

London’s Disrepute opened its doors in January

New year, new openings… Though some struggled to stay booze free for Dry January, others sought to balance their good intentions by opening an impressive range of cocktail hangouts.

While Edinburgh welcomed its “first” booze-free pop-up in the form of Dry, serving up twists on classics and contemporary libations, across the pond in Downtown LA hidden speakeasy Birds & Bees lured imbibers away from their resolutions with a drinks offering from some of the biggest names on the local cocktail scene.

Click through the following pages to discover some of the hottest bars to open around the world in January 2017.

Bobby Fitzpatrick, London, UK

Last month seventies-themed neighbourhood bar Bobby Fitzpatrick threw open its doors, offering a rum-laden cocktail menu inspired by his travels in The Caribbean and personal history, along with slushy cocktails, shooters, and deep crust American pizzas. The self-confessed party pad has a true 1970s aesthetic, clad with autographed celebrity photographs and fully stocked with whimsical board games.

The Bakery Bar, Orlando, Florida

While dessert cocktails are nothing new, it’s unusual to come across a bar dedicated to crafting sweet libations from the world’s most indulgent nibbles – and the team at The Bakery Bar make sure you can have your cake and drink it. For dessert purists, there’s a spiked pineapple upside-down cake or Creme Brûlée Martini, while chocolate fanatics can satisfy their sweet tooth with the Twix Fun Sized Treat. There’s even an Apple Pie Old Fashioned.

Dry, Edinburgh, Scotland

The trend for low/no alcohol serves is set to continue long into 2017, and Edinburgh’s “first” booze-free pop-up is tapping into fresh demand for social spaces sans spirits. Not only does the bar serve up twists on classic cocktails such as the Pomegranate Mockito, which sees pomegranate juice, fresh lime juice and sparkling water garnished with pomegranate seeds and mint; and the Simple Virgin Mary, which combines tomato juice, Worcester sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, and lemon – but they team have created a whole host of serves to solve the dilemma of what to drink when you’re not drinking. 

Birds & Bees, LA, California

New fifties-inspired Downtown drinking den Birds & Bees is one of the city’s hottest new spots for those in the know. The speakeasy is notoriously hard to pin down – through a car park, along a red fence, descend some stairs to find an unmarked door – but once you’re inside you won’t want to leave. Inventive craft cocktails by some of the biggest names on the local cocktail scene, including Marcos Tello and Nikki Sunseri.

Disrepute, London, UK

Disrepute – or DRP – is a hedonistic hideaway by Barrio Bars’ Ferdie Ahmed and Ani Kyriacou and Sovereign Loss’ Chris Dennis and Joe St Clair-Ford. It takes the place of known sixties venue The Pinstripe Club, and though it will be a members bar, non-members are welcome at certain times. Drinks are presented as stories for imbibers to read through – though a cheat sheet is provided if curiosity piques before the cocktail arrives.

Tongue-Cut Sparrow, Houston, Texas

Celebrated Houston bartender Bobby Heugel threw open the doors to his latest project in January, a bustling downtown bar with a penchant for perfection. Named after a Japanese fable involving a kind old man, a sparrow, and his cantankerous wife, the menu is inspired by Heugel’s travels through Japan. Accessible, exceptional service; emphasis on high quality glassware, and affordable, inventive craft cocktails with free snacks and hot towels? Book us in.

A4cade by Area Four, Boston, Massachusetts

The entrance to Boston’s “first” arcade bar, A4cade, may be somewhat unorthodox – look for an inconveniently-placed walk-in fridge – but the inside is a adult gamers paradise. If you’re gonna try and beat your high score on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deluxe or Mortal Kombat 2, you might as well do it with a grilled cheese and cocktail in hand. If luck isn’t on your side, you might as well go all in and order the Simpsons-inspired Worst.Drink.Ever – a refreshing mix of vodka, St. Germain, cranberry, citrus shrub, and soda.

Greenwood, London, UK

Not only is Greenwood Victoria’s newest and largest pub, the venue boasts a brow bar, sports lounge and a barbershop. A huge stand-alone island bar serves up Long Arm Brewing Co. craft beers and rotating guest ales on tap, an extensive wine list, and a solid line-up of classically-inspired serves. A welcome addition to the area’s pre/post theatre dining backdrop.

Bar De Luxe, Hong Kong

The man behind Tokyo cocktail destination Bar High Five Ueno Hidetsugu opened the highly-antipated Bar De Luxe last month, headed up by his protégé, Yuriko Naganuma. Sixteen signature cocktails grace the menu, including The Hidden Gem, Naganuma-san’s own creation, which combines Nikka from the Barrel, Japanese yomogi herb liqueur, Amaro Averna and sugarcane syrup. Thirty floors up, the bar – Hidetsugu-san’s first permanent project outside of Japan – is found within men’s tailoring and grooming outlet, Attire House on Wyndham Street.

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