Martinis are everywhere. A firm fixture in the top five bestselling classic cocktails according to The Cocktail Report, the simple serve is thriving right now – so much so that it demands its own bars.
It’s one thing being famous for a Martini – think Dukes and The Connaught – but what about a bar with nothing else on the menu? The end of 2025 saw London’s Gothic Bar become the Hawksmoor Martini Bar as the restaurant group lent into the idea of dedicating a space to classic cocktails.
Liam Davy, beverage director at Hawksmoor Restaurants told Drinks International: “We spent the last three or four years focusing on Martinis, particularly in the US where they’re the cornerstone of all of our drinks menus. I think people want something a bit more intentional with their drinking, something special and Martinis are customisable and have this ritual around them which you don’t get with a lot of other drinks. In a world where people are drinking less it feels like a bit of a middle finger up to that sometimes.”
As the Martini trend continues to spread outside of the US, it’s clear that momentum isn’t slowing for the classic, and there is still demand for boozy cocktails in a world of more health-conscious drinking. On the theme of steakhouses, Cooper’s Cut at the Four Seasons Tower Bridge, London, offers signature steakhouse dishes with optional Martini pairings.
Specific focus
Davy says the Martini Bar is the “most successful bar we’ve ever done by a country mile – it’s absolutely packed”. He continues: “We sold 20,000 Martinis in the first six months after we opened. It definitely has changed my mind a bit on being more specific about what you offer because I think if you do something and do it really well people will come”.
It’s not just the US and UK noticing this trend. Over in Germany the Rosewood Munich is introducing a new Martini speakeasy behind its Bar Montez, called 100B Martinis, set to open in October. Mario Sel, bar manager, says: “We built a bar just to serve Martinis in a different way because I think they are coming back and people now are drinking them in the beginning to middle of the day.”
What works for a Martini are the subtle variations on the serve, which most cocktails cannot offer. Whether the same concept could work for other cocktails, Davy adds: “I think from an operator’s point of view, unless you have a really good supporting cast of drinks to talk about then you are pigeonholing yourself in what is quite a difficult economy for bar operators.”
The success of Martini bars shows that drinkers can be drawn to venues with a clear point of view. However, the Martini sees results due to its status symbol and flexibility of offerings.
As Davy mentions, drinkers in these venues are more intentional, and that sense of discernment is what will continue to push cocktails like the Martini, and the bars that champion them, forward.
