What do the world’s top bartenders order when they’ve clocked off? From low-key nightcaps to unexpected ingredients, discover what 50 Best-listed bartenders reach for after hours.
Wherever they are in the world, most people have an ‘old faithful’ – the cocktail they order without fail, wherever they are in the world. Whether it’s a cosmopolitan, an old fashioned or a negroni, these drinks become a personal litmus test: a sign that, if executed well, the bar programme knows what it’s doing.
But what about the experts? The world’s most celebrated bartenders have plenty to say about their go-to drinks and the subtle cues they pick up from that first sip. Here’s how top talent sizes up a cocktail list and gleans the good from the truly exceptional.
Matteo Cadeddu
Opium Bar, Bangkok
If you had to pick one classic cocktail to drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A negroni, or any of its (many) delicious variations. That sweet-bitter hit of Campari feels like home and instantly takes me back to Italy. I know the answer sounds like a cliché, but there’s a reason why it never gets old.
Is there a drink you can’t stop thinking about?
Absolutely. It was a lassi cocktail made by Agung Prabowo and Saan Dhakal from Penicillin in Hong Kong during a shift in Bangkok. The creamy texture and the bold, spiced tropical flavour floored me. I usually avoid creamy cocktails, but that one stuck with me for years. I even tracked down Saan at his new venue three years later to ask how they made it.
When you step into a bar, what tells you you’re exactly where you want to be?
It’s all about the feeling – how the staff welcome you, the music, the vibe, the back bar. For me, hospitality is everything. We’re in this industry to create memories, to elevate a simple moment into something special, just by how we treat our guests. Sure, the cocktails matter – but if I have a beer or a highball and still think, I’ll definitely be back, it’s because the team made me feel that way.
Which one underrated ingredient would you slip onto every cocktail list?
Vermouth and sherry – no question. Both have such distinctive character and can elevate so many styles of cocktails. They shine in spirit-forward drinks, highballs, and even more refreshing or sour profiles. Super versatile, packed with flavour, and still often underrated. They deserve more time in the spotlight.
Martina Bonci
Gucci Giardino, Florence
You get one classic cocktail to sip ’til the end of time – what is it?
I always drink palomas, especially in the summer. In the winter, I prefer to drink a whiskey sour. They are both cool, sour and easy-drinking drinks.
Name the bar you’d recommend in a heartbeat?
Bar Leone in Hong Kong is a fantastic space that made me feel at home despite being on the opposite side of the world. The venue has positive energy, great staff, food, and drinks – an excellent combination.
Your secret weapon ingredient for any cocktail menu?
I would honestly say citrus because, with the advent of acids, we often forget to use it. Lime and lemon have been the basis of many great drinks that have made history.
And what’s the most overhyped ingredient?
For me, it’s pandan. This ingredient has been used a lot and in every possible form. Let’s let it rest for a moment.
Eswar Yarlagadda
Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru
Your go-to classic cocktail?
My go-to classic cocktail has to be the vesper martini. It’s timeless, elegant and never fails to hit the spot. It’s something I could sip forever.
Tell us about a drink that left a lasting impression.
The Peanut Butter Saturn from Bar Outrigger in Goa, which contains gin, peanut butter, orgeat, and grapefruit, completely caught me off guard in the best way possible – it was creamy, nutty, and super tasty.
When it’s time to truly disconnect and unwind, what drink do you reach for first?
When I’m officially out of the office and in full vacation mode, I always have a Bombay Sapphire gin and tonic. It’s crisp, light, and the perfect way to unwind.
If you could champion one overlooked ingredient on cocktail menus everywhere, what would it be?
Feni, traditionally a double-distilled spirit made from cashew fruit, deserves another look. This heritage spirit has been deeply embedded in Goan culture for generations and can be used to make an eclectic array of cocktails.
Evelyn Chick
Simpl Things, Toronto
Your forever classic cocktail – go!
A 50/50 gin martini with a lemon twist – most people actually know my martini order.
What's the most unforgettable drink you’ve ever had?
It’s not a cocktail, but the Freixenet Cuvée de Prestige Malvasía – a rare dessert cava, where the dosage liqueur is made from Malvasía musts aged in chestnut barrels for 20 years – was absolutely mind-blowing.
Best bar you’d recommend without thinking?
That’s a toss-up because both are in Toronto! Genuinely – not biased – Cocktail Bar and Bar Pompette are both excellent. Every time you go to either of them, it’s a lovely environment. The drinks are world-class but not boastful, simplistic but beautifully thought out, and the hospitality is always perfect.
The one secret ingredient that every cocktail menu needs?
Akvavit. It’s so beautifully herbaceous and layered – it brings depth without overpowering, and it’s so underused outside of classic Nordic drinks, and I want to put that [expletive] in everything. I’d also champion Manzanilla Sherry En Rama, with minimal filtering straight from the cask, so you get this wild, saline, pure expression that’s way more alive than most people realize sherry can be.
Manja Stankovic
Rikas Group (including Mimi Kakushi), Dubai
What’s your ride-or-die classic cocktail?
Definitely a dry gin martini. For me, it’s timeless, classy and not too heavy – a very elegant approach.
When you walk into a bar, what makes you want to stay?
When I walk into the bar, the people are the most important thing to me. I think people make bars and restaurants. Without them, it’s just four walls and a space. For example, let’s say there is a fantastic bar, but then there is a pub next door that I walk into for the second time, and the bartender recognises me and he’s like, ‘I remember you. You had a drink.’ For me, that’s already a great spot, so people make the difference.
What’s the bar you’d recommend without blinking?
In Dubai, I would recommend Honeycomb Hifi. It has a nice vibe, good food and a great bar team. You can always have a good chat, so Honeycomb is one of my top spots.
What’s the one under-the-radar ingredient that every drinks menu needs?
I love and use sherry in many of my recipes. Its flavour profile ranges from dry, which is nutty and pandan-like, to sweet, which is more like marzipan, dark fruits, and raisins.
Caitlin Brown-Crockart
Sin + Tax, Johannesburg
Your favourite classic cocktail?
A classic daiquiri – when made correctly, it’s also a good way to gauge the skill level of your bartender.
What’s the first drink you order when on holiday?
When I’m off the clock or OOO, it’s a brandy and coke. I definitely get that from being South African, and it’s my favourite drink of all time.
How do you know a bar is great?
It’s the hum of energy and excitement you can feel as a bartender or someone who works in a space like that. You hear a bartender slam a shaker to start shaking, and there’s this beautiful rhythm. You immediately know all the drinks will taste nice.
Beyond your own bar, where else would you recommend without thinking?
If you want to just have fun and let go, I would say Smoking Kills for Johannesburg. But other than that, my heart belongs to the Cape Town bar scene. I would go to Fable, Drinkery, or Anthem.
If you could secretly champion one underrated ingredient on every cocktail menu, what would it be?
Tea, for sure. Whether you’re making an actual tea and mixing it in or infusing something with it, I think it needs to be everywhere because it creates a comforting flavour that many people recognise.
Laura Prabowo
Penicillin and Dead & HK, Hong Kong
Your number one classic cocktail?
I always love a dark and stormy.
Which cocktail has lingered in your memory?
The Original by Agung Prabowo. It’s the only cocktail with so many different layers, and it blows my mind. Ingredients include Rotovap shells vodka, clarified spicy tomato, coconut and oyster. It’s umami, sour, sweet, salty and bitter, all perfectly layered in one sip.
What’s your go-to vacation drink?
A glass of the finest dark rum.
Which under-the-radar cocktail ingredient is a game-changer?
Pandan, because it adds a little sexiness to either taste, texture, or overall presentation.
Miguel Angel Mora
Alquímico, Cartagena
What’s your forever classic?
That’s a complicated question, because it always depends on the moment, the city, the weather, and the mood. But if I had to choose one, I would choose the daiquiri.
Tell us about the cocktail that still haunts you (in the best possible way).
In 2024, I had the opportunity to visit Lady Bee in Lima, and there I tasted, without a doubt, the best cocktail of that year: Acholado Cacaotal, a mixture of pisco acholado of the house and a blend of Peruvian chocolates. A simply delicious cocktail.
Name the bar you evangelise.
Jardin Tragos y Pasteles, a cocktail bar located in Bogotá. Its design, equipment, cocktails and desserts are memorable. A great surprise and an experience to repeat.
What’s one overlooked ingredient you’d sneak onto every cocktail menu if you could?
That ingredient would have to be a fruit. In Colombia, we have some of the best in the world, and feijoa is one of my favourites. Its aroma is incredible, and the flavour balances sour and sweet. It works great as a cordial or distillate.
Which trendy cocktail ingredient should be relegated?
I think it's time to give citrus solutions or citrus blends a rest. When they aren’t well balanced, they can unbalance the drink and negatively affect the result.
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