I KNOW cocktails are fun all year round, but there’s something just a little extra fantastic about Cocktail O’Clock in the summer sunshine.
I like my cocktails to be bold, punchy, original, and not shy with the liquor bottle! It’s got to be a balanced ensemble, and if it can make good use of Cork’s brilliant larder of artisan drinks producers, all the better.
Columnist Kate Ryan. Picture Dan Linehan
But, where to go for a cheeky li’l drink with your very best gal pal, work bestie, or other half? I’ll tell you where…
By day, The Collector is a purveyor of off-beat teas and coffees all created with the essence of mixology at its heart. Makes sense then that a plan would be hatched to extend that vein of creativity to a brand new NoLo menu that makes the most of summer evenings as a warmup gig for evening plans.
Shannon Healey, owner, at The Collector, Concept Store & Coffee(ish) Bar, Kinsale.
Launching Friday, May 31, this menu of No and Low alcohol crafted drinks will be available at the bijoux venue on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings from 5-9pm.
Let’s just say, if you’re looking for a pre-event venue that’s gorgeous, well-considered, with delicious beverages that will set you up for a great night without the slump, this is going to be the spot for you!
Monk Cocktail Bar have revealed a stunning new interior in this hidden bar above the much-loved FranWell. Deep moody colours, high tables and stools, a rejigged bar area and subtle lighting… and this place is almost unrecognisable.
Practice your local lingo by ordering up an ‘I’m Allergic’ with Rebel City Distillery Maharani Gin and Cork Rooftop Farm micro-coriander; ‘I’m In Bits’ with Boatyard Vodka and Terra Ignis Lemon Verbena Vinegar, or ‘Your Wan’ milk punch with Hennessy, Disaronno, Lady Fingers and White Chocolate.
(Wondering if I can arrange the signature cocktails into a sentence…?)
Paladar, Cork. Picture: Miki Barlok
A hub of South American spirit in the heart of Cork, like, multi-award winning Paladar serves up cocktails, bites and beats all in perfect harmony. It’s the perfect place to escape to and just enjoy the ride.
I’m heading straight for the Món Cherie with Pisco, Cherry, Muscat Wine and Dark Chocolate. Additions on the signature include a vegan take on a decadent-sounding pina colada, Days of Dunder, or go alco-free with El Santo’s bright hues of orange and turmeric.
Boulevardier from Cask.
What good fortune do we Corkonians have to say we have not one, but two, multi-award-winning cocktail bars in our city?
The original that started it all is Cask, and it continues to stick to its ethos of keeping the drinks seasonal and as Irish as possible.
Right now, the Red Rover looks tempting indeed: Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Killahora Ice Wine, Geranium, and Shandon Sweets Apple Drop Distillate.
The sign of a good restaurant is how much attention they pay to everything else as well as the food.
In the case of Rare, the cocktails are the entire reason for turning up to dinner early, or just sliding in for a glass of something good in an equally beautiful space.
It gives rise to my favourite cocktail on this menu, Fashion Is (Pea)Nuts. Black’s eight-year- old whiskey aged in maple syrup casks, washed with peanut butter and zhuzhed with a final flourish of bitters. Yes, it really is as good as it sounds. Unforgettable, even.
It’s the speakeasy that’s not really a speakeasy, but still Upstairs remains the best thing to happen to Arthur Maynes since…well, Arthur Maynes!
A décor practically untouched to preserve the authentic feeling of this snug little hidey-hole, the cocktails here are always carefully thought through with cheeky names and changing seasonally.
It’s open until the very wee hours, making it the best one-more-for-the-road spot!
Solstice at The River Club
Continuing in its series of visually stunning seasonal transformations, Solstice at The River Club is the latest creative installation on the popular riverside terrace at The River Lee.
I’m excited about The River Club’s collaboration with Peroni this summer. Beer cocktails are hugely underappreciated, and this new season cocktail menu seeks to set the record straight on that!
The Sunset Sparkler (Aperol, pink grapefruit juice, prosecco and Peroni Nastro Azzurro) and refreshing Solstice Serenade (Campari, sweet Vermouth and Peroni Nastro Azzurro) sound perfect to me, plus there’s also Peroni’s full range of gluten-free and 0.0% options to substitute with for a lighter experience.
