We all know how impressive the Bristol bar scene is, with mixologists in the city creating unreal concoctions to knock your socks off (or knock you off your stool), but we now have even greater confirmation just how brilliant the city’s cocktail bars are. Announcing the winners yesterday evening (February 1), Top 50 Cocktail Bars revealed a number of Bristol cocktail bars had made the cut as some of the best in the UK.
According to the Top 50 Cocktail Bars, the list is compiled by the bar industry, making it a unique list of venues those in the know like to visit. The organisers recruit over 100 industry experts which make up the voting academy, from bartenders and owners, to drinks writers and influencers in order to curate an extra special list which has something for every type of drinker.
Despite the list mainly being dominated by London bars, popular Bristol haunt, The Milk Thistle, managed to knock a few of the capital’s bars down a peg or two by coming in at 27th place. Hidden in plain sight, the Bristol bar is described as “a prohibition-style cocktail bar that exudes style and sophistication”.
The awards team also mentioned The Milk Thistle’s cocktails of the past, which have included the Bristol tea, which has been described as “everything a Bristol bartender loves in a glass”, an old-fashioned style drink with a Bristolian twist. Also on past menus was “a Scottish camping experience disguised as a cocktail” utilising Horlicks for pure authenticity, called The Narrow Quay.
The Milk Thistle was shortly followed by the go-to bar, Filthy XIII, who came 30th in the list. Top 50 Cocktail Bars described Filthy XIII on Cheltenham Road as “one of Bristol’s best-known independent cocktail bars” and “an outstanding venue filled with personality and sensational cocktails”.
Top 50 Cocktail bars added; “For us, the Scotch & Champagne is one of the most exciting drinks on the menu, taking a popular Chinese serve and elevating it with an ultra-lux twist.”
For the full list head to the Top 50 Cocktail Bars website here.