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Hottest bar openings in October 2017

A Japanese drinking den in Hong Kong, a 17th century gin palace and a laid-back lounge in London’s Soho are among the hottest bars to open their doors last month.

Perception at W London is among the hottest new bars to open last month

The clocks may have gone back, but that’s surely just an excuse to go out a bit earlier and spend longer in the company of some cocktails. Once again, consumers are spoilt for choice with a collection of new bars.

Unusual ingredients seem to be the go-to option for an array of new places last month. Chicago’s Damen Tavern is making use of dill and curry; there are biscuits and popcorn-infused whisky to be had in London at the W Hotel; and gin spiked with gunpowder tea in Sydney’s Gin Lane.

Click through the following pages to discover some of the world’s hottest new bars in October 2017.

Missed our top openings in September? Check out last month’s list.

The Allegory, London

The Allegory is a new Drake & Morgan bar at Principal Place, Shoreditch. The menu comes complete with a tasting wheel that allows patrons to discover their “perfect combination”. Cocktails include the Bramble Forest (Beckett’s gin, lime, sugar syrup, raspberries, blackberries and coriander) and an Earl Martini (Earl grey-infused Ketel One vodka, Martini Bianco and orange peel).

Damen Tavern, Chicago

Damen Tavern in Chicago held its grand opening on 19 October and serves up craft beers and cocktails.

The menu contains some slightly more unusual cocktails, including Deal Closer (Casamigos, elderflower, yellow chartreuse, gentian, dill, tonic) and Sour Bunny (Absolut Elyx vodka, red wine and sage reduction, agave, pineapple, lime, curry).

Yojimbo, Hong Kong

Designer Ashley Sutton has taken inspiration from Japan, specifically Tokyo’s Ginza district, with his new bar, Yojimbo, now open in Hong Kong and described as a “Japan-inspired fantasyland”. When entering the new club, guests find themselves in a “minimalistic yet intimate cocktail lounge that evokes some of the tiny, hole-in-the-wall bars found in Ginza”.

At the centre of the club is an 248 sq ft island bar that houses an elevated stage for live shows. Performers include geishas, samurai schoolgirls, Harajuku punks, Hannya girls and anime-inspired spirits.

The signature cocktail menu is also inspired by Japan, with offerings including Ninja Shadow (caviar-infused Belvedere vodka, lemon, white port, elderflower, plum bitters and salt) and Yojimbo (sake, gin, yuzu juice, grapefruit bitters, Champagne and edible flowers).

Gin Lane, Sydney

Billed as a place for people who don’t like gin, Gin Lane aims to prove there is one for everyone. The bar is stocked with over 80 different gins, as well as numerous whiskies. As well as providing fishbowls of gin and tonic, the bar also has an impressive array of signature cocktails. These include Blood Orange Margarita (gold Tequila, Cointreau, citrus, blood orange, lime, volcanic rock salt) and Gunpowder Plot (Gunpowder Tea spiked gin, Fernet Branca, gunpowder syrup, dandelion and burdock bitters, fresh citrus; served in a smoking cloche with gunpowder twigs).

There are also a number of specialist G&T’s, such as the Mediterranean, which features smoked rosemary and thyme.

Amazon Bar, Tokyo

Online retail giant Amazon has opened a pop-up bar in the Ginza district of Tokyo to promote its range of alcohol. The bar seats 78 people, and will serve drinks from all over the world, including a number that aren’t yet available to the public.

The ordering system will suggest drinks to customers, but there are also experts on hand.

The Perception, London

Chef Magnus Reid has created a menu for The Perception, inside Leicester Square’s W London hotel. The menu, however, will continue to change as a parade of “emerging and established chefs” will provide an evolving menu. Reid’s menu is packed with flavours from Australia and the Mediterranean, and he said the “bold flavours and sharp plating perfectly pair with the head barman’s new killer cocktail menu”.

Speaking of cocktails, there are some unusual ingredients on display here. For cinema lovers, there’s Enjoy The Show, which is made of popcorn-infused Woodford Reserve Bourbon or Bacardi 8 Years rum, chocolate bitters, a sugar cube and Coca Cola foam. Another sweet option is the Furious George, which begins with M&M-infused Hennessy VS Cognac and is topped with banana foam and a “crumbled rich tea biscuit”.

Rabble, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s Rabble features at its heart: two 500 litre copper tanks “filled with unpasteurised Staropramen fresh from the brewery”. It also possesses a substantial cocktail list with something to suit every taste, from Rabble Posh Tonic Wine (Malbec, Martini Rosso, Chambord, Finlandia, citrus, spice) to The Original Peanut Butter & Jelly Old Fashioned (Woodford Reserve, peanut butter, strawberry jelly, strawberry bitters).

The Racketeer, London

King’s Cross has welcomed The Racketeer, with its “intimate setting” and a tiny walled garden tucked away out the back.

The cocktail menu is a small offering with drinks on the list including Jaffa Collins (Beefeater gin, lemon, orange bitters) and the unusually-named Penicillin In A Storm (Chivas Regal 12 Blended Scotch, ginger syrup, lemon, Laphroig 10, porter float).

PS.Cafe One Fullerton, Singapore

PS.Cafe One Fullerton is the latest opening in the chain of restaurants and bars, described as being perfect for a lunch time cocktail or an evening meal. The cocktail menu is classic through and through, with old favourites like Bloody Mary, Mojito, and Espresso Martini all making an appearance. There are a couple of surprises in store though, such as the blood orange used in the Bellini.

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