The Best Cocktails in the World

Bartender Thomas Waugh of the Pool Lounge meticulously micro-planes a baby cucumber and then lines the entire coupe glass with its extra-thin slices. The artful accoutrement creates a geometric pattern meant to mimic the iconic metal-chain curtains still hanging inside this former Four Seasons restaurant space. He then muddles cucumber-infused absinthe (which softens the anise flavor) with lime juice and sugar to create a balanced and refreshing drink.

The simplicity of a martini is what makes perfecting the iconic cocktail so nuanced. At the Connaught Bar, the white-gloved bartenders know this, so they roll out an elegant Art Deco cart for you to oversee every element of its production. Using a fine gin or vodka of your choice with a selection of house-made bitters, the drink is stirred (never shaken) with gleaming silver utensils in a dazzling crystal mixing jar. It’s then poured to the very top of a beautiful crystal glass. Don’t worry, these dexterous mixologists won’t allow a single drop to spill over the rim.  

If you can’t get your hands on a bottle of Thomas H. Handy rye, try sipping it in the Reserve Sazerac at the Nomad Bar. Thomas H. Handy rye comes from the Antique Collection of the Buffalo Trace Distillery (same producers as the legendary Pappy Van Winkle bourbon) and only comes out once a year in extremely limited quantities. To boot, the Reserve Sazerac also uses Navarre Vielle Reserve cognac, which is another rarity prized for its purist production process (hand-harvested fruit, no added water in the evaporation process, and aged for an average of 40-50 years). The combination of these two spirits makes it the most luxurious—and complex—sazerac that you will ever have.

If you can get inside Paradiso, the wildly popular bar hidden behind a Barcelona pastrami shop, the Mediterranean Treasure cannot be missed. Using a seashell for a drinking vessel, bartender Giacomo Giannotti combines Ketel One vodka, oyster-leaf-infused fino sherry (a drier and lighter style of the fortified wine), elderberry liquor, lemon juice, agave syrup, and cilantro before fluffing it all up with foamy egg white. It’s a rich concoction, so there’s no better way to serve it than inside a treasure chest. The seashell arrives in a wooden chest with smoking rosemary and thyme embers providing a complementary aroma.

The Treasure Chest at the Chicago tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash is truly an embarrassment of riches. The oversized drink, which serves 6-8 people, is a trunkful of Venezuela’s Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva (an award-winning blend of rare rums) mixed with a medley of tropical fruit juices (pineapple, guava, passion fruit). Servers then ceremoniously top it off with an entire bottle of Dom Perignon, which gives it a light fizz. Tropical orchids and fresh fruit line the Treasure Chest to make for a festive presentation while dry ice billows out for dramatic effect.

The classic gin-based cocktail Corpse Reviver No. 2, known for its power as a hair-of-the-dog hangover cure, has taken an elevated turn at the Manhattan Bar inside the Regent Singapore hotel. The number 47 in their version refers to a gratuitous use of Monkey 47 Gin combined with Monkey 47 Sloe Gin from Germany’s Black Forest Distillers. Monkey 47 is made using 47 different botanicals to create one of the most sought-after and expensive gins currently on the market. Manhattan Bar, which has the first in-hotel rickhouse (barrel-aging facility) and a fascinating Ingredient Room of herbs and garnishes, is often ranked among the best bars in the world, making this the perfect setting for such an indulgent drink.

The Hôtel Ritz Paris claims that bartender Frank Meier created the Sidecar in 1923 inside what is now its Bar Hemingway, where the invention became the first “most expensive cocktail in the world” according to press at the time. As with most cocktails, the Sidecar's history is often disputed, but Bar Hemingway certainly makes one of the best. That’s because they use their Ritz Grande Champagne cognac from the 19^th century (meaning it predates the phylloxera pest that destroyed much of Europe’s vineyards during the fin de siècle), making their version unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere.

At José Andrés’s Barmini in Washington D.C., the Andrés & Cooper cocktail celebrates the chef’s collaboration with Ron Cooper, founder of Del Miguey Single Village Mezcal. Andrés worked with Cooper to create a mescal expression called Del Maguey Ibérico, which is made using Ibérico de Bellota ham, a Spanish delicacy. For the smoky Andrés & Cooper, the pricey mescal is blended with sweet vermouth, amontillado sherry, and cynar, then garnished with an actual serving of savory Ibérico de Bellota ham.

The Aviary is known for quirky, Instagram-worthy cocktails that often look like they came straight from a science lab. Less known is that beverage director Micah Melton is an avid collector of rare and obscure spirits with a particular fondness for chartreuse. Currently, he’s shaving 75 grams of fresh Perigord black truffles into bottles of green chartreuse and allowing the flavors to infuse for two months. The bold and herbaceous liqueur is often served straight, but tell Melton you want to use it for the most luxurious cocktail he can imagine and trust his expertise.

Chef José Andrés is a partner of the American Express® Global Dining Collection, a benefit for Platinum Card® Members offering access to reservations around the world, exclusive culinary events and special experiences at celebrated restaurants. To learn more, visit americanexpress.com/globaldiningcollection.