Occasionally referred to as the Paris of the North, Copenhagen is a beacon of great design, world class cuisine and progressive nightlife in Denmark. Although, the Danish capital is by no means a massive city, the amount of bars and other nightlife it manages to pack into its tight quarters is absolutely staggering. Visiting bar flies who think they have seen it all in the bars of the world will be proven very wrong in the hip watering holes and cool dives that call this city home.
Lidkoeb for Whiskey
Located in a backyard in the Vesterbro neighbourhood, Lidkoeb is difficult to find at best. However, for those who keep their eyes open and maybe ask for directions a few times, the hunt is worth it. The interior of Lidkoeb is adorned with wood, leather and fur in a style that could only be described as modern Scandinavian. With a long bar, private booths and a roaring fireplace, Lidkoeb has all the touches of a mead hall while the decor still keeps thing light. Jazz and piano bands rock the downstairs cocktail lounge, but the real attraction is the whiskey bar upstairs that keep a thorough selection of all the finest single and blended malts from around the world.
Vinhanen for Wine
For all its cocktail bars and nightclubs, Copenhagen went for a long while without any dedicated wine bars in their fair city. However, Vinhanen arrived on the scene to fill that void. Functioning as a dedicated wine bar as well as a wine shop, Vinhanen has become a hit among Copenhagen drinkers due to their unique business strategy that keeps wine costs low while not sacrificing quality. The majority of their wines that are not special vintages are stored in large steel tanks behind the bar and tapped right into the glass during service. They usually keep around five vintages on tap that rotate out every week. Guests also have the option of buying their own reusable wine bottle so they can take home their wine of choice.
Ruby for High Quality Cocktails
The drinks at Ruby are expensive, but visitors get what they pay for at this 1920's style establishment. The high quality cocktails are served to patrons as they relax in comfy leather armchairs around low tables in dim lighting, giving the whole place an old apartment feel that makes the space feel like home. While only a handful of cocktails are served all year-round, Ruby specializes in seasonal flavours like the Nettles to Say, a cocktail made of bison grass-infused vodka, homemade nettle cordial, dandelion bitters and vermouth or the Desert Rose made with African gin, rose water and orange bitters. The palate-teasing pleasures brought forth at Ruby are certain to change the way bar flies think of cocktails.
The Bird & The Churchkey for Gin and Beer
It is not every day that barflies will find a bar that is just as famous for its beer selection as it is for its gin. However, The Bird & The Churchkey manage to pull it off with finesse. In this relaxed venue on the hip and beautiful Gammel Strand, The Bird & The Churchkey serves up 40 different Danish beers as well as a wide variety of local microbrews from around Copenhagen. On top of their beer selection, they serve 80 different kinds of gin and 20 variations of the beloved gin and tonic. This is the bar to visit to get acquainted with Danish beer, but visitors will really learn a thing or two about gin.
Ourselves Alone for Speakeasy Style Cocktails
There aren't enough secret bars in the world, or if they are, they are far too secret. Ourselves Alone is an intimate secret bar just off the Copenhagen city centre. Visitors need only find the number 7 building and ring the temptingly ornate golden door bell to be invited in for some of the best cocktails in the city. A butler meets visitors at the door, takes their coat and grants them a welcome cocktail when they take their seats. There is no menu at Ourselves Alone, visitors simple give as vague or detailed description as they want pertaining to what sort of drink they'd like for the evening. The bartenders then fully extend their creativity in making something truly special that fits the criteria.
Mikkeller Bar for Microbrews
Owner of Mikkeller, Mikkel Borg Bjergso, had his ambition realized when he opened this trendy bar - to offer a small, cool place for beer masters and novices alike to enthuse over all the top quality beer that he could gather under one roof. Not only does Mikkeller Bar brew their own small batch microbrews, they gather beer from some of the most innovative breweries around the world. This isn't the average beer hall though; Mikkeller went with a minimalist design in its drinking space so the beer could speak louder about the establishment than any decor ever could. Visiting bar flies can enjoy the 40 brews on tap or choose from 200 different imported brews served in bottles.
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