Orchid Aberdeen says:

Welcome to Orchid, the granite city’s home for discerning drinkers. At Orchid we are dedicated to raising the standards for mixed drinks and cocktails in Aberdeen and Scotland. We aim to provide you with a stylish and relaxed environment in which to enjoy our range of classic and contemporary, unique or sometimes even ‘quirky’ cocktails, individually made from the best ingredients.

Social and Cocktail says:

You could easily walk past Orchid the first time, it’s black exterior masks gorgeous bright innards and the amazing talent within. First impressions were excellent, with a bustling bar and vibrant yet classy music greeting you upon entry. Forcing our way to the bar, we asked the impressively moustachioed gent behind the bar for a cocktail list, and he obliged, asking if we needed any help.

Feeling adventurous, and as the night was young, we picked the Margarita. Associated with many a messy night, and rather a few headaches, it’s not the tamest of drinks, especially if you’re not massive tequila drinker. One thing we have learnt is that the secret to the perfect Margarita is the balance of sweet and sour, and much to our delight, Orchid delivered. A generously salted rim and it’s balanced contents made us particularly pleased. The tequila was the lovely El Jimador Reposado, a one hundred percent agave liquor, particularly suited to the cocktail.

Delighted to see a Manhattan on the list, we pressed on with our next choice. A combination of Woodford Reserve bourbon, vermouth and club bitters, stirred together to perfection and served with a slice of orange peel. But this was not all, oh no, the bartender produced some form of piped device, and a bottle. It turned out he was going to create cherry wood smoke to add to our cocktail.It was all rather exciting, and as the smoke infused in the bottle with our Manhattan, we marvelled at the novelty. About thirty seconds later, as we sipped the drink, we almost dropped it out of shock; it was absolutely immense.I don’t think we could describe it any other way, this is arguably one of the best cocktails in Aberdeen, a must try!

Next up on the bar top was a Mint Julep, we chose Woodford Reserve as our weapon for this drink, and watched as it was churned vigorously with mint and sugar. Served in a quintessentially American Julep Cup, and adorned with a white napkin, this proved to be a delightfully refreshing choice. The smooth whiskey was well matched with the amount of mint added to the cocktail, as was the sugar. One of our personal favourites, without a doubt, Orchid has mastered this drink.

Lastly we sampled the Bramble, a very British drink first mixed in the heart of London.Refreshing in taste and if made correctly, visually exceptional.Following the original recipe, the bartender mixed Beefeater 24 gin with lemon juice and sugar, floating a blackberry liqueur on the surface of the drink.We loved reclining at the top of the bar, watching the hustle and bustle as the drink developed over time, it was an utter delight to slurp away on.

Open on Saturdays until three in the morning, you can start, and finish the night here, albeit with a decidedly empty wallet; it’s certainly not cheap! However as with most bars, you do get what you pay for, and in our opinion, you get plenty of bang for your buck at Orchid. Like we said, you could easily walk past Orchid without noticing the first time, but walk past a second time? Not a chance! We’ll see you by the bar, and by the way, ours is a Smoked Manhattan…

Rob

@barobsta