Santa Chupitos says:

Cocktail emporium on the corner of the cobbled streets in the rope walks area of Liverpool. Look hard enough and you will be rewarded. Home of the original five dollar shake.

Social and Cocktail say:

Tucked away down a quiet street just off one of Liverpool’s major bar areas, you can find a small, inconspicuous building with an even smaller sign. As the Santa Chupitos website states, “look hard enough and you will find”.

Inside, the walls are bare save for the occasional graffiti-art skull, and a handful of wooden bar stools skitter across cracked tile floors. If you’re looking for a fancy cocktail lounge, look elsewhere – Santa Chupitos exudes an urban cool that makes it popular with the arty, bohemian crowd, students and anyone looking for amazing cocktails in a more relaxed setting. Bottles spin and liquors splash over a worn wooden bar, behind which you will find a staff that look like members of an underground band (you won’t have heard of them). They are however some of the most experienced and competent bartenders in the city, mixing drinks with skill and flare without so much as a peek at the menu. Want to go off menu? Whatever your poison, these guys probably know how to make it and make it well (probably setting fire to the bar at some point in the process).

Santa Chupitos is actually a bar of three parts, two of which are only open on busier days and at the weekend. The main bar is open all week and serves up a mixture of signature cocktails and seasonal specials. Infusions and fat-washes are widely used to give a unique spin on classics, whilst a Passion Fruit Zombie utilises four different rums to produce a strong contender for the title of best zombie in Liverpool. I’d also be amiss not to mention one of their most popular cocktails; the 5 Dollar Shake. Vodka, Chambord, blueberries and ice cream are blended and served in a milk bottle, topped with whipped cream. It’s far too sickly for my taste, but goes down a storm with fans of sweet or creamy cocktails. The second bar is located up a few steps, in a small and intimate back room where the adventurous cocktail aficionado can sample some of Santa Chupitos more daring and original creations (like an Old Fashioned made with duck infused rum, or Jack Daniels with smoked cola). Last but not least is El Bandito, a basement tequila bar serving up a wide range of top quality and bespoke tequilas, along with a range of tequila based cocktails with the usual Santa Chupitos twist and flare.

No matter which of the three parts you choose, Santa Chupitos is simply one of the best cocktail bars in Liverpool, so do look hard, and do find, because you will be rewarded.

Chris

Raspberry Brulee