World Martini Cocktail Review

On top of the Unique hotel, one of the best hotels in Brazil and for sure one of the hotels with the craziest architectures in the world, the Skye Bar deserves a visit for the 360 view on the city and for the poshy but still relaxed atmosphere. On weekends you might have to cue to reach the very large terrace on the 30th floor of ones of the hippiest places in town, where you can sit on the side of a pool in a very modern (and noisy) environment, and look at the trendy paulistanos sipping their drinks. Even if they have a martins list, including an interesting wasabi martini, drinks are not the best you can get in town, but still the bar deserves a visit to feel on top of a the Sao Paulo vibe. The Wall Bar in the hotel lobby is also impressive, with the tallest wall of bottles behind the bar in the world, I guess. Classic martini rate: 6/10.

Posted in Brazil, Skybar

The Ubeda is another bar inBarcelona which takes gintonics very seriously. Unfortunately, they don’t do martinis, so why is the bar in this blog? Well, we have some reasons for this. First, the Ubeda, opened in 2006, is possibly the first specialised gintonic bar which opened in town and in Spain. Second, it is a place where gin, traditional food and art mix well together: food is impressive (chistorra of Navarra, cold cuts, farmhouse cheeses and more), and the place is unique (the owner Javier Ubeda is an artist who has designed every single piece of the bar). Third, in Barcelona three Ubedas exist (we visited the one in Corcega), so that you can easily get your gintonic wherever toy are in town. Fourth, as said, they take gintonic very seriously, and they have produced a nice set of tools to produce the perfect drink. Fifth and more important: tis place tells the story of a man who produces his own gin (for sale in the bar, together with some other 30 brands) and who puts love, passion and temptation (sic) in getting you what has been rated as the best gintonic in town in 2010. Enough?

Posted in Barcelona, Innovative, Unique!

The “gin wave” that has submerged Spain is difficult to explain (we might devote an article to this soon…), but it has its own benefits. For example, in Barcelona you can find a few bars which are devoted – I mean religiously devoted – to the spirit of our heart. Of all these, the Bobby Gin in the Gracia area is probably the one which does it better. The Bobby Gin is a temple of ginebra, where you can taste some 60 gin brands, perfectly mixed in an impressive number of gintonics with creative addings (from canela to pomegranate), and choosing – of course – your ideal tonic. Once you are in the bar, words like citric, herbal or vintage become part of you vocabulary, and if you feel like trying something unique, you can go for the ginfonks, which are super gintonics where the gin has been treated (ahumado, macerado, anejado…) before getting to the glass. Sounds complicate? Don’t worry, Alberto Pizarro, the man behind the bar, is as good in mixing (for sure one of the best bartenders in the country) as in explaining the secrets of the gin realm. One of the best gin experiences on the planet. Classic Martini Rate: 9.

Posted in Barcelona, Best Martini Bars, Innovative, Unique!

Finding a good bar in Doha is not easy, being Qatar a drink-free country, still – god bless them – some of the high-end hotel of the crazy capital of Quatar can get you a drink. A serious survey among all expats I could talk to (bars which serve alcohol are not allowing Qatari citizens in…) confirmed that the Sky View Bar al the hotel “La Cigale” is the place I was looking for. Once you have been able to get in, having shown your passport (remember: no passport no bar, they are very serious about this), you are rewarded by a stunning view on the city with its skyline and lights, and you can indulge at the bar or have a seat among a crew of noisy and funny expats, who later in the night will stat dancing and yelling. Quality of drinks is average, staff is polite and funny, socialisation is rather easy. Only negative note: the volume of the music, not bad in itself, is way too high. And you know, sipping a martini looking at one of the contemporary architectural wonders is much better without Madonnas shouting like a virgin touched for the very first time… In any case, if you happen to be in Doha, don’t miss a visit. Classic martini rate: 6,5.

Posted in Skybar, Unique!

 The Pegu Club, named after a British colonial club in Rangoon where a gin-based cocktail called Pegu was invented for the thirsty Brits living there, is rightly considered one of the best cocktail spots in New York. The place is sort of Asian style but not too much, very classy and comfortable, quite at the aperitif time and more lively after dinner. Cocktails are perfect, both if you look for evergreens of for novelties: in this case you should not miss the  infused Earl Grey MarTEAni. Food is also interesting: trout eggs, coconut shrimp and other Asian delicacies will accompany your drinks in a perfect moment of “escape” from the NY bars crowd. Classic Martini rate: 8.

Posted in Innovative, New York

Martini, jazz and history go well together. If this is true, a good martini in an historical jazzclub should be “the” experience you are looking for. You can find this in many clubs in NYC and beyond, but here we are talking of something more. We are talking of drinking your thing in the very same room where Billie Holiday has been drinking her things for many, many nights. And, believe it or not, you can feel this. When you enter the Lenox Lounge it looks like a nice, old-timers cocktail bar, with Harlem faces smiling at you. Then, if you want to listen to the live concert of the night and you feel like paying 15 dollars (do it!) you walk past the door to the Zebra Room and you access a miracle of art nouveau in Harlem, with zebra walls and with scents of jazz, soul food and good music. I read somewhere that people go to the Lennox for the experience because when they enter the Zebra Room they feel the spirits that were there before them. I would just add to this, that in the Lennox, you can do this with a good Martini. Classic Martini rate: 7.

Posted in Best Martini Bars, Classic, New York, Unique!