Looking to go off-piste on your next sipping safari? These bars are going bigger and bolder in their pursuit of creative cocktails, from jellyfish infusions to bone-ash absinthe
Weirdest cocktail ingredient in the world? A toe. Yes, really. Served at the Sourdough Saloon in Dawson City, Canada, the Sourtoe Cocktail does what it says on the tin: one ounce of 40 per cent alcohol, one dehydrated human toe and a ‘garnish’ of courage.
Reassuringly, it’s all perfectly legal, with the ten toes on rotation kept on salt so they stay mummified. Luckily, they’re donated by a local hospital, rather than snatched from customers propping up the bar.
Thankfully you don’t have to go as far as a human appendage to try something a bit different in the world of cocktails, as this raft of delicious and creative drinks demonstrates – not a toe in sight.
Kink, Berlin
@kink.bar.restaurant
Booze and curry go together famously well… but curry in a cocktail? That’s the idea at Kink Bar & Restaurant, which serves up the Lucky Flaeming: 12-year-old scotch whisky, clarified mango juice, rye whiskey, orange blossom and curry. The cocktail’s fiery component is a mix of orange blossom honey, Ceylon curry spice and coconut flakes blended until smooth. Adding subtle heat and earthy notes, it complements the fruitiness of the mango and whiskey perfectly. Like a Rusty Nail with added fire.
The Clumsies, Athens
@the_clumsies
A rarity in the fact it’s only grown on the mountains and in the gorges of Crete, dittany is a wild and aromatic herb known for its restorative and healing properties. The mixology maestros at The Clumsies – the drinking den ranked No.47 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list – have managed to get their hands on some as the star ingredient in their Aegean Negroni: gin, vermouth, amaro, lemon and orange essential oils, plus fennel and dittany extracts. Served on the rocks, it’s a Mediterranean twist on the traditional negroni with Sicilian lemon and lavender on the palate.
Opened last year in Singapore, Fura (winner of Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2024) is doing things differently with innovative drinks that champion sustainability and creativity. The Jellyfish Martini is no exception, as you’d expect from the name, infusing one version of gin with its eponymous ingredient and another with fish leaf before vacuum-distilling, mixing with spirulina-infused dry vermouth and finishing with a roasted kombu oil for an oceany, savoury flavour. It’s not just for shock factor, either: because of rising sea temperatures, there’s a proliferation of jellyfish in the oceans right now, making them something of an invasive species, so whizzing them into a drink is Wijidessa’s way of redressing the balance.
True Laurel, San Francisco
@truelaurelsf
Things don’t get much more unexpected than the redwood tips – sourced from their namesake coniferous trees – found in the signature cocktail at True Laurel (currently No.30 on North America’s 50 Best Bars list). For just US$18 a pop, you can enjoy their earthy flavour profile in In the Pines, Under the Palms, a short drink that also combines toasted coconut rye, gin, vermouth, maraschino and absinthe over ice. Served tableside from a flask-shaped glass bottle, it’s like your usual martinez, albeit with toasty flavours and a piney finish. Sure to warm your cockles.
Super Lyan, Amsterdam
@super.lyan
The brainchild of Ryan Chetiyawardana – AKA Mr Lyan and all-round drinks don – Super Lyan is a strikingly modern bar set within the historic surroundings of a 17th century Dutch house. In the same way, its cocktails play with contrast and challenge the senses. The Gabber Community is one such concoction, which blends goji cognac and bone-ash absinthe – yes, you heard that correctly – with tropical falernum, citrus and a rum blend to create a serve you never knew you needed until now. Expect deep, smoky flavours, zesty, spicy notes and a bold, boozy finish.
Scales, London
@scaleslondon
Secreted away in Mayfair, relative newcomer Scales prepares all its drinks in a high-tech lab where fruit and veg are extracted and clarified to achieve next level flavours. Among their creations is the Goat, which pushes the envelope by blending whisky with goat’s cheese, cold-brew coffee and orange. The cheese makes it a robust, rich drink that puts a contemporary twist on what’s essentially a coffee old-fashioned, with the latter keeping things balanced and the cheese from curdling. Like a drinkable version of your favourite buttery popcorn, if you will.
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