Boasting the original whiskey tradition, unrivalled pubs and beer – so much great beer – Ireland has to be one of the world’s most bountiful drinking cultures.

This richness has, in a paradoxical sort of way, overshadowed Ireland’s efforts in the cocktail bar space. Its capital, Dublin has never been the first pin placed in Europe’s map of cocktail destinations and even the keenest of visiting cocktailians follows due process – the pub comes first. 

Yet, once you’ve had your fill of the black stuff, there are a handful of cocktail bars that demand your attention. Dublin doesn’t just do vertical drinking – it does elevated drinking too. And what’s great about some of Ireland’s best bars is that they don’t go in for bland internationalism – the off-the-peg cocktail bar, where the drinks are the same as in any other city. A little of their surrounds is seeping into the offering. 

The Sidecar at The Westbury 

Perhaps this is just the Londoner in me talking, but a cocktail city needs a top-notch hotel bar. It is the bar scene’s anchor, the venue that’s there for the long haul, whatever the weather – consumer or otherwise. The Sidecar, the flagship of the five-star Westbury Hotel, is that bar in Dublin. It’s classical in approach, from the Art Deco décor to the bartenders bedecked in smart jackets and the over-sized Martini trolley. Sidecar is that little bit of comfort that you can’t find anywhere else. 

Classical but not a museum to old recipes and yesteryear traditions. Steering the ship is Oisin Kelly, a man for whom the role of bar manager could well have been invented – he’s been bartending since he was a teenager. Alongside him is head bartender Maroje Milosevic, who heads up a team of white-jacketed bartenders befitting of any grand American Bar, and brings a certain élan to proceedings. Not least the operation of the Martini trolley, which is four stories high. On it are your choices of spirits, but also four homemade elixirs that, for want of a better phrase, allow you to subtly flavour your Martinis. There’s Coffee, Peach & Basil, Pickled and Oyster & Cacao,  but these are more accessible entryways into the Martini world – let’s not forget that a glass of almost-straight booze isn’t for everyone. 

There’s not one but two menus here. The Taste of Ireland list introduces local flavours and spirits to classics, then there’s the kind of thematic menu you’d expect from a five-star hotel bar.  

Dublin Unfiltered looks inwards, not outwards, for inspiration, drawing on the work of street photographers of the late 19th and 20th centuries, with accompanying cocktails.  

This is Sidecar bar so some sort of twist on the eponymous classic is never missing from any of the bar’s annual menus. This time it’s called The Page Turner with Hennessy VS, apricot brandy, citrus-infused Cocchi Americano and rinsed with Grand Marnier and it’s a notable improvement on the classic. The New Trick, meanwhile, has Paloma vibes, but straight up, with Don Julio, grapefruit, lemon, Lillet Rosé and rose cremant cordial. Risky Business (Method & Madness Irish whiskey, Martini Fiero, Mango, rose cremant, hibiscus spiced cordial and lemon) is actually more of a dead cert – red, off-dry and quaffable. With an approachable profile and a deep red, siren charm, it’s one of the bestsellers here and another reminder that this bar finds balance between credibility and accessibility.   

 One more drink? 

There are other spots to check out in Dublin. First among them is Dave Mulligan’s 1661 – an independent bastion of cocktails, across the River Liffey into D7. It’s been at the forefront of the cocktail scene since it opened in 2019. Mulligan takes over former pubs, creating spaces defined by period features, dark walls and soft lighting. His one-man-brand of Irish cocktail culture is an ode to Irish ingredients, with whiskey, gin, vodka and poitín – lots of poitín – the only spirits featuring on his menu. After all, he owns a brand of the Irish moonshine – Bán poitín. Which is exactly what you’ll find in his chilled spin on an Irish Coffee – the Belfast Coffee (Bán poitín, cold brew, cream, demerara, nutmeg), which at this point must be considered a neo-classic. 

You’ll find renditions of it as far as The Garrick in Belfast, and as near as Mulligan’s other bar The Sackville Lounge. Jet-black wood panelling and a wrap-around marble bar, this renovated old pub off O’Connell Street is not where you’d expect to find refined classics, poured – as the Black Manhattan is – from frozen bottles, but is another strong addition to the Dublin cocktail map. If you have more than a night in Dublin, Collins Club also comes recommended, as does 9 Below.