My specific peeve, and this is centric to Tiki cocktails which I have a fondness for, is being at a bar you would expect to be able to make, for example, a Jungle Bird, or, a 1944 Mai Tai. Almost nowhere in Honolulu can you find either one of these as they should be. Not that Honolulu is the home of Tiki (Oakland, CA & elesewhere).

The bartender should also be knowledgeable about the spirits they have available and be willing and excited to go off menu for you. Two of my best cocktail experiences came from talking to the staff about things. One was to pick out a whiskey for a whiskey sour, and the other was asking for a dessert cocktail with chocolate and orange flavors. It ended up being phenomenal!

My wife and I have been visiting the Top 50 UK bars for the last 3 years. We’ve been to 47 of the 2024 list so we’ve seen some wonderful and varied menus. As we’ve been to so many bars we go straight for the signature drinks but if we are joined by friends (who don’t visit as many bars as we do) they look for classics. In our opinion a menu of c 8-12 signature and half a dozen classics is about right. Each one of these bars will offer continuous free water which will keep the hangover away!!!

Re: Communicating ABV
Off memory, I noted that Double Chicken Please in Manhattan posts the %ABV on their frontroom menu. Of couse, if drinks are of variable volume, something that communicates each drink's strength relative to a standard drink may help, but if patrons have a language for alcohol content understood more by beer and wine, it's interesting to think about what language is used.

Agreed re. classic mixes, Simon. Your analogy with the culinary arts is a good one: the ability to adroitly handle good basic materials is something to be celebrated and definitely enjoyed. Things become classics for a reason. (I'm also minded of the core Buddhist principle of "suffering is wanting things to be different".)

Thank you for continuing to be a scout for good cocktail places.

My pet peeve with cocktail bars is using pre batched ingredients. I can understand it for extracting fruit juices before opening and liquors with infusions or washes, but I don't want a Word that came out of two bottles. I have experienced this most often in New York, but it seems to be spreading.

Further to my 1st post, a couple more thoughts. I absolutely agree about providing water; maybe not exactly the same thing, but in Italy, you would never be served an espresso without a glass of water. As an "ageing" discerning drinker, no point in a menu if there isn't enough light read it. But please, no iPad menus. And now that Covid is "behind" us, no more having to scan a QR code with your phone to see the menu (which I believe should be put away in the company of others anyway!)

There are lots of bars serving cocktails but few decent cocktail bars where I live. I love going to a bar where you know the bar tender really understands the craft of cocktail making. I was in a bar in Newcastle last week when I asked for a classic martini, the young lady who made it for me was keen to hear my views because it was only the second one she had ever made, it was very, very good and we had a great discussion about what makes a perfect martini. I’ve learned so much from using Difford’s Guide!

Maybe at odds with others here, but I don't think it's unreasonable to expert any bar anywhere to be able to make a few classics on top of their signature list. Not expecting a bar to stock every esoteric ingredient, but you hardly need a wide range of items to make : gin or vodka martini; Negroni; Old Fashioned; Margarita; etc

Pretty much any new bar I go to, I ask for a simple martini first; if the mixologist can't do a good job with basically 2 ingredients, it doesn't bode well.........

Totally in accord with this Simon! We have always loved a good cocktail, covid led us to stock up hugely with ingredients and branch out at home (thanks to this website mainly) and we now have a changing "cocktail menu" of our own on the fridge! But...to your point, when going out the treats for us are fine glassware, bar staff who make crafted cocktails from memory, garnishes and atmosphere... all of which make a good bar into a great one.

I have a well stocked home bar and have made 100s of classic cocktails for myself and others. Yet when I go into a bar I seem to be at a loss for what I want without a menu. It is comforting to see that an expert like Simon likes a menu as well. It is nice to have this visual cue to help navigate all the cocktails that may be floating in one's head. I agree with all of the above.

Just one more comment... Satan's Whiskers is an amazing bar and Ollie is a credit to the industry. I first met him in the Discount Suit Company c. 2017. Having an amazing, engaging and talented bartender/server completely transforms the experience.

#1 Hospitality: A warm welcome, glass of water and brief but friendly introduction to the menu.
#2 Drinks: Agree with well curated classics with bespoke specials. Some menus with only bespoke drinks may not cover everyone for more than one drink or maybe intimidating to newcomers. Also many bespoke menus don't change for awhile preventing return visits. Menus should indicate serving, strength and flavour profile, not just ingredients. Glassware and ice are very important.

Popped into Satan Whiskers a few months ago and really loved the vibe there. On my 'to return to' list.

In any bar with the 14 cocktails on the menu above, I think I would always be able to choose a drink that suits my mood. What a skillfully compiled list!

I don't imagine you will have many who disagree with your points. To draw an analogy with wine menus, there is nothing more annoying than being given an elephant folio listing hundreds of wines. The most useful list a few and categorize by style, e.g. fruity, light, etc. Classifying cocktails as sour, sweet, boozy, etc. as you do on this website informs my choice of cocktail and would so do in a bar.