High Spirits: Spotlight Whisky Bars
This month, we offer up a few must-try whisky hotspots to help those dram dreams come true
words by The Whisky Exchange
Where should you be heading to if you’re a fan of the malt spirit? Well, whisky fans rejoice, we have rounded up the best whisky bars to lift your spirits this month.. TWE
Cottonopolis, Manchester
Situated in Manchester’s burgeoning Northern Quarter, the Japanese-inspired Cottonopolis Food & Liquor stands as both a proud nod to the city’s industrial heritage and as a key player in the North’s blossoming cocktail culture. Simple, stripped-back and sophisticated by design, Cottonopolis’s award-winning drinks menu is based around Japanese yojijukugo. Do yourself a favour and check out their Nikka-based cocktail, The Weak are the Meat the Strong Eat: a weighty, whisky-forward and duck-fat-washed concoction that boasts bite and balance. It’s both a testament to the bar’s experimental edge and a display of its pan-Asian inspiration.
The Puffin’ Rooms, Liverpool
By turns a jazz-inspired whisky den and late-night cigar parlour, The Puffin’ Rooms is a real commercial district crowd-pleaser. Home to more than 200 of the world’s rarest whiskies, all available to try by the glass, this Liverpool bar is a one-stop shop for whisky aficionados and spirited beginners alike. The guys and gals over at The Puffin’ Rooms even go so far as to offer bespoke whisky tasting sessions, allowing guests to revel in the profiles and provenance of their favourite drams from across the globe. Word on the street is that they even have a bottle of the ever-elusive Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old that they’re willing to share on a dram-by-dram basis.
Sexy Fish, Mayfair
Sexy Fish in Mayfair is an arty, seductive, Asian dining and Japanese whisky specialist with an unparalleled selection of Japanese whiskies (405 at the last count) and is the place to go for very rare and exclusive whisky. With the recent launch of their new menu came the announcement of their own single-cask bottling of the much-sought-after Chichibu whisky. For £30 a measure this is a dreamy dram at a very reasonable price given the rarity, and you must ask to see the bottle: the stunning label design emulates the striking artistic design of their venue. Very chic – a must try.
Bull in a China Shop, Shoreditch
From Mayfair we head east to Shoreditch’s Bull in a China Shop. Brother’s, Simon and Stephen Chan have built a destination for those in the know. Unassuming from the outside, this wonderfully rustic, Asian-inspired restaurant has a specialist whisky bar that’ll knock your socks off with the variety that’s crammed into a fairly small space. With over 30 rare and premium whiskies hailing from Scotland as well as Japan, and some of the most inventive whisky cocktails that you can find in the capital, this is certainly worth a visit. Keep an eye out for limited releases: Simon is fond of going in search of new and limited expressions.
Tried & Tested Tipples
For a fan of Scottish, Irish, American or Japanese whisky, there is a whisky cocktail out there for everyone. Here are two delectable cocktails we have picked out to whet your whistle and ignite your curiosity
Dill with the Devil
50ml Elements of Islay Peat
25ml lime juice
20ml sugar syrup
15ml egg white
1 pinch fresh dill
5 dashes of absinthe
