Uncharted
Vacations In a Glass
Dreaming of exotic escapes? While travel may be limited this summer, a creative cocktail hour doesn’t need to be. You can sip your way around the world from Tokyo to Mexico City to Maui. From a smoky mezcalroasted coffee Negroni in Milan to a blue algae-gin drink served on driftwood in Vancouver, these drinks will give you a taste of somewhere else. Visit Newsweek.com for the recipes. —Kathleen Rellihan
01 Rob Roy
New York City
When you long for the bright lights of the big city to inspire you, the Rob Roy—similar to a Manhattan but made with scotch whiskey—is the next best thing. Invented in 1894 by a bartender at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, this classic cocktail combines scotch with sweet vermouth and a dash of bitters.
02 Deep Cove Cocktail
Vancouver, Canada Dreaming of a dip in the sea? Or a taste of the ocean? In a nod to their city by the sea, Botanist, the chemistry-inspired cocktail bar, concocted this piece of art. The refreshing Deep Cove cocktail mixes Island Gin, sea buckthorn liqueur and blue algae syrup, and it’s served on a piece of locally sourced driftwood. The cucumber garnish evokes kelp ribbons.
03 Merriman’s Mai Tai
Maui, Hawai
We all want to “get off this island,” but you don’t need a flight to be transported to Maui with this tiki twist. Pioneer of Hawaii regional cuisine, Merriman’s take on this “Aloha in a glass” is made with local distillery Hawaii Sea Spirits’ light and dark rums, macadamia nut orgeat syrup, orange curaçao and topped with honey-lilikoi foam which gives it a light touch of sweet and tart.
05 Neutral Ground Side
New Orleans
Neutral Ground is a term for a street median in New Orleans—it’s also a local favorite cocktail. Compère Lapin takes the history and culture of the city and gives it a touch of whimsy with this different “Side”: a colorful mix of King Cake Cachaça, Hoodoo Chicory Liqueur, lemon juice and bitters, garnished with a toasted marshmallow.
04 Aguacate
Mexico City
To drink this strong agave spirit made of mezcal liquor properly, don’t shoot it, smell it before tasting, following up with a bite out of an orange sprinkled with worm salt. Some bars add avocado and top it off with blackberry to sweeten it up.
06 Coco Tostado Mojito
San Juan, Puerto Rico You’ve mastered the at-home piña coladas, and are now looking for a step up. Escape to Puerto Rico with the island’s national spirit: white rum and a mix of fresh mint leaves, lime juice, cane sugar syrup and toasted coconut—blended to a frozen dream. 8
07 Sailor’s Negroni
Milan
Bitter, boozy and bold, the Negroni—born in a bar over 100 years ago in Florence—is being riffed in bars the world over. A fun twist on the threeingredient cocktail of gin, vermouth and Campari is this one by Flavio Angiolillo at MAG in Milan, which substitutes Sailor’s Coffee Liqueur for gin and adds mezcal for an extra smoky jolt of energy.
08 Chacha Sour
Tbilisi, Georgia
Chacha, Georgia’s national liquor, is a strong spirit made from the grape residue from wine making. Lolita bar in Tbilisi blends new and old worlds with their Chacha Sour, a combination of chacha, water, sugar, lemon and a few drops of egg white that smooths this bold, local liquor.
09 Gothic and Lolita
Tokyo
A playful nod to the trendy Harajuku neighborhood in Tokyo, TRUNK(HOTEL)’S locally inspired Gothic and Lolita mixes an unexpected pairing of lemongrassinfused gin and soymilk with chocolate and tops it off with a dusting of kinako soybean powder and edible dried roses. This grown-up chocolate milk is a play on the sweet and dark cosplay trends in one of the world’s most famous fashion districts.