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TOTC’s 10 best new international cocktail bars

From Melbourne to Mexico City, there were a number of venue openings that attracted much-deserved attention last year. These are the drinking dens that swiped a spot in Tales of the Cocktail’s Best New International Cocktail Bar category.

Stillife in Montreal, Canada, was named one of TOTC’s top new bars

Earlier this month, Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) revealed its top 10 Spirited Awards nominees, including the venues in the Best New International Cocktail Bar category.

From all-day drinking destinations in Mexico City and Singapore to sleek cocktail venues in London and Toronto, bar owners really upped their game when it came to unveiling new haunts over the past year.

The Spirited Awards shortlist (top four) will be released on 1 June. In the meantime, we take a look at each recently-opened drinking den that grabbed a highly-coveted spot in the Best New International Cocktail Bar category.

To see a profile of the 10 bars nominated in the Best International Cocktail Bar category, click here.

Click through the following pages to see the venues in alphabetical order.

Bar Margaux – Melbourne, Australia

Michael and Zara Madrusan’s Made in the Shade group was responsible for bringing Bar Margaux to Melbourne in July 2019.

Bar Margaux is described as “a late night bar and brasserie serving cocktails, wine and French comfort food until the early hours”.

The drinks are executed by a team at the forefront of the booze scene in Australia’s food‐and‐drink capital.

Byrdi – Melbourne, Australia

Founded by couple Luke Whearty and Aki Nishikura, Melbourne venue Byrdi puts an emphasis on the local environment to create its drinks.

Described as “uniquely Australian”, Byrdi is said to create experiences reflective of the seasons. The drinks menu features a selection of Highballs, as well as fermented drinks, while the food offering consist of small plates and a seasonal tasting menu, paired with drinks.

Whearty and Nishikura are behind trailblazing Singapore cocktail bar Operation Dagger. Whearty has previously worked at the acclaimed Tippling Club in Singapore, while Nishikura trained under her father at Melbourne sushi restaurant Shira Nui.

Café Ocampo – Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City’s Café Ocampo is an all-day drinking destination that evolves from coffee and lunch to aperitivos and after-dinner cocktails.

The minimalist space is inspired by Italy and features a menu of Spritzes, European liqueurs, mezcal and gin.

Kwānt — London, UK

Bartender Erik Lorincz left his role as head bartender of The Savoy’s American Bar in 2018 to open his first solo venture in London the following year.

Based in Heddon Street, 19th‐century‐style cocktail den Kwānt is described as a “relaxed haven” that pays tribute to “traditional British elegance”. Kwānt is the phonetic spelling of ‘quaint’.

Lorincz joined forces with Mourad Mazouz, owner of the three Michelin‐starred Sketch restaurant in London and Andy Wahloo bar in Paris.

The cocktail menu focuses on Highballs, bespoke glassware and bar‐grown garnishes.

Mother Cocktail Bar – Toronto, Canada

Toronto drinking den Mother uses fermented ingredients foraged from various parks to make its drinks.

The venue’s cocktail menu is split into three categories and follows the theme of ‘time’. The ‘yesterday’ section features twists on classic cocktails such as a Salted Negroni and a Galangal and Lemongrass Piña Colada.

The ‘today’ segment features serves such as a Woodland Old Fashioned and a Re-visited Mule, while ‘tomorrow’ allows visitors to select two or three ingredients from a list for the creation of a bespoke drink.

No Sleep Club – Singapore

Operation Dagger and 1880 alumni Juan Yijun opened No Sleep Club last year, an experimental cocktail bar and kitchen in the Keong Saik neighbourhood.

No Sleep Club is a day-to-night concept that offers coffee and delectable cocktails. Its space is hard to miss on the bustling road as it features two emojis on its signage – one of a cross and the other of a sleepy face.

Stillife – Montreal, Canada

Stillife bar in Montreal focuses on low waste, multiple-use ingredients and locality in a bid to “change the way people imbibe”.

The cocktail menu is divided by taste profiles and ingredients, including Pineapple, Pear, Strawberry, Tomato, Spritz, Classics and No-ABV.

Cocktails on the list include Nothing is Real, a refreshing serve made with rum, vermouth, amaro, spices and strawberry, while the “light” Céline Dijon is made with vermouth, Sherry, rose, lavender, absinthe, tomato and mustard seed.

Supernova Ballroom – Toronto, Canada

Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths, founders of waste‐reducing pop‐up Trash Tiki, opened their first permanent bar in September 2019.

Located in a 1920s‐style building in downtown Toronto, Supernova Ballroom offers a “dazzling disco party” with a 1970s colour palette and artwork by Kisira Hill. The drinks offering at Supernova Ballroom champions Ramage and Griffiths’ conscious approach to cocktail making, with a focus on sparkling drinks.

Celebrating Ontario’s seasonal produce, the menu is divided into four sections: Toppers, featuring light fizzy drinks; Wild Airs, which includes house‐fermented cocktails; Seventy Fives, which comprises French 75 variations; and House Bubbles, offering house‐carbonated drinks on tap.

Tayēr + Elementary – London, UK

London venue Tayēr + Elementary is the brainchild of bartenders Alex Kratena and Monica Berg, and is the duo’s first venture as bar owners.

The Old Street site, which opened in June last year, also features a collaboration with Tātā Eatery’s Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng.

The venue features two bar concepts – Elementary, a “casual all-day” bar serving simple drinks and snacks and Tayēr, a “progressive bar focused on what’s inside the glass and on the plate”.

Tres Monos – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sebastian Atienza, owner of late night bar Tres Monos, has worked at legendary venues such as Bar Termini in London’s Soho area and Two Schmucks in Barcelona.

The lively bar situated in the heart of the Palermo neighbourhood comes with fast service, good music and high-quality drinks.

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