Posted on September 03, 2021
While the countryside is often known for its fantastic beer and cider offering, cocktail masters are shaking up the game and have brought their amazing, creative concoctions to The Cotswolds hills. From cosy traditional pubs hiding an amazing cocktail menu to boujee bars, discover some of our favourite spots to sip on fancy, unique cocktails below.
The Wild Rabbit, Kingham
We’ve mentioned The Wild Rabbit in Kingham before but haven’t raved about their cocktails yet! Part of the Daylesford farm and estate, The Wild Rabbit’s cocktail menu is a celebration of the produce on their doorstep. From spirits and liqueurs that have been copper distilled in The Cotswolds, to milk from their own organic dairy herd, the cocktail experience is truly unique.
Our personal choice from the menu? We love the Wild Rabbit Bloody Mary featuring their signature spice blend.
The Old Stocks Inn Cocktail Lounge, Stow-on-the-Wold
A Grade II listed hotel, The Old Stocks is located in the picturesque town of Stow-on-the-Wold and its newly refurbished cocktail lounge recently opened its doors in July as the perfect spot for drink overlooking the square.
In 2019 they released the first edition of their own cocktail recipe book: The Old Stocks Little Book of Cocktails, so you know their resident mixologists know what they’re doing!
The cocktail offerings are creative and fun, with their cocktail master; Pete Simpson bringing some magical concoctions to the table. For example, The Old Stocks Inn Barrel Aged Brooklyn is a completely unique experience, featuring single barrel bourbon, maraschino and vermouth, all served in your very own hip flask to take home!
The Maytime Pub, Burford
We know this doesn’t quite count as a cocktail bar, but the owners of The Maytime pub in Burford may just be the biggest gin fans and for that reason stock over 150 gins in the their collection to choose from!
From a variety of local Cotswolds gins to bottles collected from across the world, this is a gin lover’s paradise. If the choice is a little overwhelming, check out the gin mirror behind the bar with their continually changing recommendations.
No12 Jazz Lounge, Witney
Every day when the clock turns 12pm, No12 throws opens its doors to transport you to the 20s with jazz playing in your ears and cocktails served up to sip.
Their cocktail range varies from bespoke unique creations like their signature No12 or Cotswold Garden, to classics from the age of Jazz like the Negroni or Espresso Martini. Feel free to ask the resident mixologists what they’ve been working on though as there’s usually a new range of cocktails to sample each week!
Somewhere Else, Cirencester
Dubbed the best cocktails in Cirencester, Somewhere Else offers up a completely new and exciting culinary and sipping experience with every trip.
They have a rotating door of delicious pop-ups and are currently serving up tasty Indian treats from Indian Asha Kitchen as well as chicken, burgers and fries from Munch by Munch. This also means their cocktail menu is ever-changing, currently you can try our some tasty gin cocktails such as the Gin Rickey, made with gin, lemongrass and basil, topped with prosecco bourbon, muddled mint, sugar and prosecco.
Smiths of Bourton, Bourton-on-the-Water
Smiths of Bourton appears as a tasty, boutique burger joint but we assure you that there’s so much more… hidden behind the delicious burger menu is an amazing cocktail offering and a master mixologist with 10 years experience to bring them to life.
Try out their take on the classic Long Island iced tea by ordering a Tokyo Ice Tea, created with midori, tequila, cointreau, gin, Bacardi and Sprite with a good squeeze of lime!