Mostly fuelled by cocktails - a few recommendations

Welcome back! Now I am well and truly settled back in England (cat on lap, gin and tonic at my side), I can crack on with writing. Some of my posts will be experiences I have had during my travels, others might be recommendations for a few of the places I discovered along the way. Since my adventures are often fuelled by cocktails, it seems fitting to dedicate this post to my favourite cocktail bars! Spanning across several countries, they provide delicious landmarks for travellers and alcohol-enthusiasts alike.

Rita Blue

This is perhaps the first cocktail bar I entered in Barcelona, located just off the Rambla in the peaceful Plaza San Agustín. Sitting outside in the dappled shade under the trees, next to a 16th-century Catholic Church, one can browse a wide range of cocktails both classic (such as the martini – I’ll get to that later) and original (like the Black Nadia or Ginpera).

For several years, during my visits I was more or less faithful to the Gin Martini – occasionally straying with a Caipirisima (a grape caipirinha) or a rosé wine. The martini’s ingredients are flawless: bitingly cold gin, barely a whisper of vermouth and an olive. The size, admittedly, is almost double that of a martini in England. That’s great on the surface, but after two of these (or depending on your emotional situation at the time, even just one) I can guarantee that any and all inner turmoil, no matter how well-concealed and/or inane, will come to light. In my personal history with the bar, Rita Blue’s martinis have lead the way to melodramatic sobbing probably two out of three times … I now stick to their happier cocktails and keep to slightly smaller martinis at home. But, they are delicious, so if you are of a strong constitution, I do totally recommend them. Just maybe stop at one before switching to something cheerful. Like a daiquiri.

Berimbau

Staying in Barcelona for the moment, one of my all-time favourite bars has to be Berimbau. Cosy and intimate, the Brazilian bar is dimly-lit and often host to live samba bossa nova music. Even during the hours without live performance, the melancholy-yet-uplifting music soaks through the bar, loud enough to offer a sense of privacy but quiet enough for conversation. And this is before even talking about the cocktails.

My love affair with the caipirinha – that simple but exquisite cocktail of cachaça, lime and sugar – goes way back. I had my first at thirteen at a Brazilian festival on London’s South Bank, a gloriously sunny day of colours, music and grilled meats. Shortly after, a Brazilian friend of mine taught me how to prepare on for myself – a life skill I now consider utterly essential. Ten years later, I am still drinking and preparing caipirinhas with as much fervour as I did then. A bad caipirinha is tantamount to heartbreak. So, trust me when I say that Berimbau’s caipirinhas are a knock-out. I am instantly transported to that sun-drenched London day, flavoured with the best of Brazil. The classic caipirinha de Brasil is perfection and, in my opinion, cannot be topped. But don’t let me dissuade you from experimenting. There is a wide variety of tasty fruit-flavoured caipirinhas and mojitos, and even sweet and creamy cocktails for those less enthusiastic about lime. Not that I understand anyone unenthusiastic about limes.

As if the cocktails alone weren’t worth the trip (they are), each round of drinks gets you a free bowl of snacks. Often salted popcorn, sometimes Bombay mix. A sneaky trick – the salt will invariably make you want to drink more, then meriting more salty snacks, so on and so forth – but one I am more than happy to fall for, again and again. And again. I have visited Berimbau time after time, and only once have I ever left after just one drink (due to time restraints, not choice). If you find a heart in one of the bar’s darker corner, that would be mine.

Houlihan's

Now to make a quick trip to the other side of the globe for this next bar. Houlihan's is an Irish bar in the Miraflores district of Lima. I know it sounds a bit suspect, but hear me out. Perched outside the bar (I do like to sit outside), one can people-watch to their heart’s content. Located on Calle Berlin, the bar is a prime location to observe people from all walks of life walk or drive past whilst sipping a margarita or pisco sour. I adore both drinks, and this was my go-to bar almost every time I found myself in Miraflores. The passionfruit margarita (margarita de maracuya) is delicious, but remember to ask for a salt rim! I once accidentally got a sugar rim, and as someone with a very pronounced salt-tooth, was not thrilled. But I may be in the minority there - we are in the country which gave us Inca Kola, Peru’s bubblegum-sweet and vibrantly yellow national soda. The super-friendly (but not cloying) staff, the tasty cocktails and Cusqueña lager, and the ability to chill out and watch Lima’sticotaxis crawl past (in my family, it became a competition to find the worst state of disrepair) whilst being overtaken by pedestrians, make this an ideal little establishment in the heart of Miraflores.

La Rosa Náutica

La Rosa Náutica is, first and foremost, aesthetically wonderful. Also to be found in Miraflores, this restaurant-bar is positioned at the end of a pier reaching out into the South Pacific Ocean. I remember the peace of hearing the waves lapping under the floorboards and looking out of the vast windows to a view of the sun setting over the surfers, paddleboarders, pelicans and us. Admittedly, I only drank the gin martini during the times I came here (oh, poor me), but a fabulous martini it was. It was quite possibly the chicest place I had visited in the city of Lima, with an impressive menu to boot.

I have a long-standing obsession with lights (fairy lights, festoon lights, anything twinkly and atmospheric) – I have a minimum of three sets of lights in any bedroom I occupy, from the classic to the kitsch. So the vision of the bar (and the whole pier) after dark was simply joyous – golden lights visible from the top of the cliff, reflected off the undulating, inky waters below. And that’s without even having set foot in the restaurant.

The martini here holds a particular place in my heart partially because I discovered it at a moment when I was homesick and in need of a touch of luxury. Gin (my normal poison) is not particularly popular in Peru, and I wanted something bitter and bitingly cold, as well as a brief quiet interlude from the sometimes-manic and overwhelmingly loud city streets. This was the answer to my prayers. I recommend bringing a lover, a good friend, or even a good book, and take some time to wallow in the indulgence. A treat, definitely, but one well worthy of the name.

The Cuban

And here we are, back on home turf. The particular branch I am discussing here is in Canterbury (there is also one in Camden Lock), where I studied my undergraduate degree at the University of Kent. This was one of the very first bars I frequented in Canterbury, and I am still a fan five years later. Tragically, my favourite cocktail – the elderflower martini, a just-sharp-enough concoction of gin (surprise), elderflower liqueur, lime juice and cucumber – was discontinued around the end of my second year. Not before I wheedled the recipe out of one of the bartenders, though.

But, I am not one to give up in the face of an obstacle, so I promptly found another favourite drink. Which brings us to the Jupiter Martini. I had dabbled with this creation in the past, but had always found my way back to the Elderflower Martini – now it was time to shine in the leading role. Passionfruit-y, cinnamon-y and served with a half-passionfruit in flames, the Jupiter Martini is a spectacle before even tasting it. Suffice to say, I am very happy with my replacement beverage … yearning for the past is as futile in cocktails as in life.

The bar does become a nightclub after a certain hour, but for my tastes it is preferable during its quieter daytime hours: one can listen to traditional and modern Latin music whilst sipping cocktails, selecting from their tapas menu and cackling with a dear friend or two … at least that’s my way of doing it. The Cuban is a staple in Canterbury’s High Street, and in my list of favourite cocktail bars across the world. Sometimes it is just nice to be home.

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