The niche mixology bars in Milan

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If we are talking about fine drinking, Milan is like a holy city. Not only is selection of cocktail bars in all shapes and sizes virtually infinite, but the specialists at work in each of these bars make up an arsenal of excellencies. 

The wide choice we are faced with contains both very popular spots, with doors open on the most crowded streets, and in other places, known by few adepts, discovered by chance during unexpected walks, that have nothing to envy the former ones if not their fame. These cocktail bars, that we define as niche bars, are all places with something special and unique about them. It may be a mixologist with a clear and original vision in their heads, it may be a defined aesthetic, anyways all of these niche mixology bars in Milan are something worth experiencing, one way or another.

This is why we explored a good number of them and decided to tell you about the spots we preferred. They’re all great places, perfect for a night different from the others, that maybe will take you to a new neighborhood for a change. If you’re feeling adventurous and decided to try them out, please do. You won’t be disappointed.

KILBURN COCKTAIL BAR

Via Panfilo Castaldi, 25

A British-themed bar (its namesake is the famous London neighborhood) where the mind of mixologist Ennio keeps giving life to new, bold and, above all, very structured drinks in which high-quality spirits, along with unique ingredients, allow to taste a cocktail the same way you taste a wine. That’s on what Kilburn bets: on simplicity, on quality and on the originality of mix of sophisticated elements with high-end, complex distillates. You’ll see the result for yourself. Kilburn’s style of mixology wants to give bliss to the palate while pleasing the eyes and looks for the true essence of the cocktail in the harmony of refined, contrasting elements.

SURFER’S DEN

Piazza Caduti del Lavoro, 5

You have to buzz a doorbell. At first the look of the bar is shrouded in mistery. You follow a path covered in little and big lights and enter this cocktail club to discover another world: Persian rugs on the floor, surf boards on the walls, vintage furniture and old times posters. The best? The drink list that changes twice in a year and is full of original illustrations, all thematically linked. Their spearhead? The Ape Vigorosa, a cocktail based on grappa with an eatable honeycomb that you can chew on. A cocktail that brought mixologist Yuri Gelmini’s face to the pages of the New York Times.

RUFUS COCKTAIL BAR

Via Alberto da Giussano, 2

A little gem hidden in the Conciliazione area, Rufus distinguishes itself, above all, for its strong personality. It has its own mascotte (a Jack Russell), it has a mixology team headed by Alessandro de Luca that surveys its drink list nad it has a small but extremely nice location, decorated with taste and fantasy. The cocktails? There are the signature ones, in perpetual evolution, and there’s always the possibility of some interesting detour. In both cases, you won’t regret it.  You will also find some gourmet tapas to accompany the drinks that will make you forget the cold cuts and chips of the other bars.

FAB

Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 27

Shiny new place on the banks of Naviglio Grande, FAB is young but already hugely promising. Starting from the concept, that wants to unite mixology to gourment tapas (signed by the young chef Gigi Rana) in a small but extremely refined space. The bottle shelf is the absolute protagonist, packed with rare spirits and liqueurs, lighted up like an altar. Then the carved stone counter, very original, and, of course, the bartenders team that will inebriate you with their creativity even before you start inebriating yourself.