London boasts a plethora of elegant, sophisticated, and high end cocktail bars.
The most famous of which is the historic American Bar at the Savoy Hotel where a mixed drink starts at £20 and tops off considerably higher. But, travel outside the city, as I did on a trip to England and Scotland this summer, and it’s certainly possible to cocktail like a Londoner throughout Great Britain without too much damage to their travel budgets. Here’s a trio of recommendations when traveling north in Great Britain.
Evil Eye Lounge
42 Stonegate, York, North Yorkshire, England
Almost encircled by a medieval stone wall, a walk along the top of which allows wonderful views of the city and its towering cathedral, York is a labyrinth of winding streets that beg to be explored. Down one of these is a hip cocktail bar mixing a more than 100 drinks (£7.50- £8), the selection of which will please any palate. The interior is a riot of colorfully painted walls. Tattooed bartenders carefully craft each of their creations behind a bar that almost stretches the length of the room. Out back is a courtyard from which the tower of the York Minster can be seen.
What to Drink
The menu is divided into Classics, Mojitos and “Evil Creations” based upon base alcohol ingredient. The gin-based tart, but perfectly balanced, English Martini which employed apricot brandy, elderflower liqueur, apple, lime and the Blue Valentine, a sweet and sour concoction used blackcurrant liqueur, pomegranate, blueberries, and lemon.
Devil’s Advocate
9 Advocate’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
Edinburgh is a mostly vertical city. Steep hills and steeper staircases often must be scaled when in search of refreshment. It’s worth the climb to arrive at the Devil’s Advocate both for the top-quality pub grub – including smoked fish and charcuterie boards, fish & chips, ribs, and burgers – and the cocktail lists.
What to Drink
Priced from £8.50 to £10, the house creations include Getting Figgy with It (Tanqueray, Crème de Cha?taigne, fig, lemon, crémant) and Smoky Colada (Laphroaig 10, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Banane du Bre?sil, coconut, pineapple, lime. Being traditionalists, my party settled on Old Fashioneds made with whisky. (You don’t order “Scotch” in Scotland.) There are also more than 300 whisk(e)ys from around the world. We tried a flight with the whimsical name, I Barley Know Anything, an introduction to styles – blended, single malt, unpeated, peated.
Johnnie Walker House
145 Princes Street, Edinburgh, Scotland
Not off the beaten path since the sits on a corner of very busy (and relatively flat) Princes Street. But having only opened in September, 2021 many whisky lovers may not yet know about the ultra-modern Johnnie Walker House, which occupies more than 71,000 square feet in a former department store. In addition to a huge retail shop stocking virtually every available brand and expression of whiskey from parent company Diageo, there is a rooftop bar and a restaurant overlooking Edinburgh Castle and another bar with windows looking out in the direction of the Firth of Forth.
What to Drink
Whisky, of course. The whisky list is arranged by distillery with helpful tasting notes. Drams start at under £4.50 and climb into the hundreds of pounds for rarities, but most are priced reasonably.
“In addition to a huge retail shop stocking virtually every available brand and expression of whiskey from parent company Diageo, there is a rooftop bar and a restaurant overlooking Edinburgh Castle and another bar with windows looking out in the direction of the Firth of Forth. ”
— Johnnie Walker House
Former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal, Susan is bourbon columnist for Food & Dining and Covey Rise magazines and also writes for Bourbon+, LEO Weekly, and American Whiskey (tasting notes and ratings). Susan has authored or co-authored six books including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, The Kentucky Bourbon Cocktail Book, The Bourbon Tasting Notebook, and The American Whiskey Tasting Notebook, and Which Fork Do I Use with My Bourbon? – Setting the Table for Tastings, Food Pairings, Dinner, and Cocktail Parties. Susan is a member of the Order of the Writ, former president of both the Bourbon Women Association and the Kentucky chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, an organization of women culinary professionals.
