Instagram is a great place to get mixology inspiration from professionals and home experts alike, but there are a few cocktail bars we check in on often because of their beautiful imagery, creative recipes, and quality classics.
1) The Columbia Room, Washington D.C. (@columbiaroom)
The Columbia Room is located in D.C.'s Shaw neighborhood. Over the last year, it has also received "best" recognition from both Esquire and Bon Appetit magazines.
We wrote about Columbia Room in a recent blog post when they were named 2017's Best American Cocktail Bar.
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Not only do they post amazing photos of the classics like this Negroni, but they also have a snack menu to rival the most upscale fine dining establishments. It doesn't get much better than impeccable cocktails paired with equally amazing food. The below image is from their Spirits Library snack menu and features beef and uni tartare with daikon cooked in shio koji, egg yolk, and fish sauce.
// credit:@columbiaroom
2) Death & Co., Manhattan (@deathandcompany)
If you are not aware of Death & Co.'s Instagram account, it's time to get yourself acquainted. Their aesthetic is consistent throughout a myriad of drink displays and their use of pearl ice leaves us thirsty and wanting to crunch into one of these cocktails.
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Remember that saying, all rectangles are squares, but not all squares are rectangles? Well, Death & Co. has something similar to say about the drink below, which is made from Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal and Calle 23 Reposado Tequila.
"What most people don't realize is that all tequilas are a mezcal, but not all mezcals are tequilas. Tequila is a type of mezcal, it is made from a single type of agave plant called tequilana (or blue agave) and is only produced in Jalisco and small parts of four other Mexican states."
Not only do you get beautiful imagery when you spend time with Death & Co. on Instagram, but you might learn a little something, too.
// credit: @deathandcompany
3) Cafe Gratitude, Beverly Hills (@cafegratitude)
While it's not technically a cocktail bar, Cafe Gratitude is definitely worthy of this list. What sets Cafe Gratitude apart is their menu of 100% organic ingredients. This brilliant blue cocktail is not laden with chemical dyes, instead, its color comes from spirulina.
Cafe Gratitude has consistently been ahead of the times when it comes to menu trends and premium organic ingredients in cocktails are no different. Menus across the country have added more organic ingredients and it's just a matter of time before more cocktail menus follow suit.
In addition to spirulina, this concoction boasts gin, lime, grapefruit, and raspberry gomme.
// credit: @cafegratitude
4) Curio Cocktails, Columbus, Ohio (@curioatharvest)
What sets Curio Cocktails apart is their impeccably clear, bandsaw cut ice. And what pairs better with a well-crafted cocktail than clear, clean, beautiful ice? Not only does a cocktail taste better with quality ice, but the presentation suffers when ice is cloudy. A study from Oxford demonstrates that the presentation of food affects how consumers rate its flavor, so it's not a big leap to conclude the same can be said for cocktails.
Pictured below is a photogenic, wintry creation made with root beer leaf infused Ron Zacapa 23 rum, Rittenhouse Rye, and Banane du Bresil.
// credit: @curioatharvest
These are just a few of the accounts we follow and check in on regularly. To see more of what we're up to on Instagram, follow us @perlickcorp and say hello!
Quality cocktails are a core value here at Perlick and that's why we've partnered with renowned bartender, Tobin Ellis, to design a cocktail station that takes the stress out of bartending.
It is our hope to see this unit in the finest cocktail bars to help mixologists achieve their goals.
See what America's bartenders are saying about our cocktail station in this short video.
