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Interesting house rules include no hats, no hitting on
other guests and no screaming
BARCHICK
WHETHER YOU’RE A HARDENED
party animal or serious cityphile,
you’ve got to love Amsterdam. I
don’t even blame you if you can’t
get past the red-light soul of this
city – but try, because beyond
the brown cafés, expressionist
architecture and pancakes, there’s
a quiet revolution going on.
The Dutch capital is home
to a growing number of secret
speakeasies – and that means
awesome cocktails. With all those
tourists looking for another kind
of fix, it makes perfect sense that
these have emerged under the
radar, influenced by bars in New
York, Copenhagen and London.
Take The Butcher (
the-butcher.
com
), a wicked burger restaurant
with an even better dive bar out
back. Its setting might be more
minimalistic metallic cube than your
usual 1920s-style speakeasy, but
with Fabulous Shakerboys (one of
the city’s first professional mixology
companies) behind it, you know
your drinks are in safe hands.
First you gotta try and get
in, though. This can be done
by befriending a member
(recognisable by a numbered
leather wristband). If not, then
dress provocatively, beg, borrow
and steal or you’re unlikely to make
it beyond the door.
If you don’t make it, though, who
cares? Amsterdam isn’t short of
prohibition-style establishments –
so long as you know where to look.
Pay attention, especially around the
north side/near Central Station.
Door 74 (
door-74.com
) was the
original speakeasy and this bar has
some interesting house rules: no
hats, no hitting on other guests and
no screaming. BarChick still got hit
on, but who’s complaining when
the cocktails are this good?
Get your lips around a White
Zombie Doctor, then move on
to HPS (Hiding in Plain Sight;
hpsamsterdam.com
). This bar
is new and it’s awesome. Ignore
the ground-level and head to
the leather-clad upstairs for jazz,
bookshelves, curiosities, free snacks
and amazing potions. Our favourite
is Walking Dead, which is served
in a glass skull hiding three types
of rum and set on fire. It’ll pick
you right up, although you’re only
allowed one and we’d recommend
leaving the bike at home.
Finally, don’t miss intimate
Vesper (
vesperbar.nl
), one of this
city’s finest bars in the super-trendy
Jordaan area. With its fabulous
drinks (high-tea cocktails, anyone?)
and kitsch décor, it’s a place where
the living – and speaking – is
undeniably easy.
barchick.com
It’s tough following the network’s hot bar trends, but someone’s got to do it.
Thismonth our secret drinks columnist goes underground inAmsterdam
’Dam secret...