10 Cocktails to Navigate the BarbienHeimer Weekend
This is the cinematic weekend to end all cinematic weeks. You could even call it the saviour of cinema.
The silver screen will be graced by two distinct yet equally compelling protagonists – Barbie and J. Robert Oppenheimer. Like Yin and Yang, we are all more one than the other, but one can not exist without the other. So we compiled a list of Barbie-Heimer-aligned spots to hit up for a few cocktails this weekend.
Barbie Cocktails
If Barbie resonates with you then step into a world painted in shades of pink. Here the allure of Barbiecore is sweeping across stores, screens, and most importantly drinks. Barbie has brought a surge of hot pink e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g into the spotlight. And truth be told, it’s hard not to embrace the trend. In a world that can sometimes feel dark and gloomy, why not infuse a little more rosy delight before we embark on our journey to the Barbie mansion in the cinema?
To add a touch of pink glamour to your weeken here’s a list of 5 pink cocktails in Dublin that perfectly embody the essence of Barbiecore.
1661
We all know 1661 is the best cocktail spot going. While it doesn’t exactly scream Barbie, there is something pink enough to make the boys wink. This is the Y2K and it’s giving artisinal alcopop. You know it’s going to be a banging cocktail because 1661 would never serve anything less. So this mix of Titanic Distillers vodka, yuzu sake, rhubarb, hibiscus, lemon, sarsaparilla, meringue & soda is perfect if you want a little pink pep in your step without sacrficing on quality juice.
Lemon & Duke
This pink on pink on pink with pink is Lemon & Duke’s special to celebrate the release of what w know will be the most iconic movie since mean girls. We have no idea what’s in this pink drink, but lets be honest who cares? You know it’s going to taste as pink as it looks. And let’s be fair, it looks pretty good, especially in those kitsch little flamingo glasses. Perfect for the glam, and the gram.
9 Below
Pink power! 9Below’s Mademoiselle cocktail combines Ketel One Vodka, Pineapple, Berry Cordial, Lemon & Vanilla to get Barbie night swinging from the below ground rafters. The spce isn’t ouvertly pink but it is very pink art deco fusion. Perfect if you align more with the 1920’s Flapper Barbie Doll which was released in 1993 as part of The Great Eras Collection. It’s sheer luxury and you will be feeling your oats and your fantasy if you trot up here for pre Barbie aperitif.
The Sidecar
The Prima Donna, a cocktail that brings BBE – Big Barbie Energy. Made with a delicious combination of Whitley Neill Rhubarb Gin, rhubarb liqueur, Crème de mûre, apple, lime, Rosé Crémant and garnished with homemade blackberry leather this little ditty is dainty but packs a punch. The perfect prop for a little Barbie role play with the girlies.
Jackies Dublin
The Calpol Cocktail needs no introduction. It landed and and swept Dublin off her proverbial feet but just being herself. Barbie for most is nostalgia to the max so adding in a second layer of it can only heighten the expereince. A pre or post Barbie Calpol Cocktail is sure to make you feel all the rose tinted joy of childhood while you enjoy all the perks of being a fully grown adult.
Oppenheimer Cocktails
Oppenheimer knew how to throw a party! His gaff in Los Alamos was the place to be for all the lads, with soirées and hangouts happenin’ left and right. By all accounts, he had that undeniable charm that could stop a clock. The 1940s witnessed the rise of the martini as a cultural icon. So it makes sense that, like literally everyone at the time, he was mad for a Martini. They were seen as the height of cool and sophistication. He was so into them that deep within the confines of Los Alamos, he concocted his very own martini recipe. So you can live, laugh love your Oppenheimer dreams, here are the 5 most bomb cocktails in Dublin for the weekend that’s in it.
The Sidecar
There are many debates that rage on in the underbelly of Dublin, and aside from where does the best pint, nothing stirs controversy quite like where does the best martini. In CHAR’s opinion, it’s The Sidecar. Why? Well, not only does it serve martinis made right at your table, but it offers every permutation on a martini you can think of. And according to conventional wisdom, there are twenty-two different types of martini worth noting. The Sidecar never get it wrong, but one will set you back, ironically, twenty-two euros. That said, they are Loreal level of ‘worth it’.
1661
If, like Oppenheimer himself, you are a dry dirty martini person who is never impressed unless you’re drinking a high-end version of your go-to, this will change your mind. This little ditty assembles avengers in the guise of Redbreast 12, rum, pineapple, black cardamom, aromatised wine, and oloroso. It is also barrel-aged to a “hot damn, that’s tasty” level. The zingy savoury flavours are genuinely next level. Finally, the much argued-over garnish ties it all together. It’s the perfect cocktail if you want to honour Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece but still really want to drink whiskey.
9 Below
Nothing feels as much like the 1940s as 9Below. The Stephens Green spot is certainly one of Dublin’s most luxurious ‘I-know-a-place’s. 9 Below is all about sleek, stylish, and opulent cocktails. Set in a converted basement on St. Stephen’s Green, the bar has original vaulted ceilings, Art Deco velvet seats, and moody lighting. Making it the perfect place to cosplay a Manhattan project meeting with your mates while sipping on classic martinis.
1824 Bar
The Shelbourne obviously has a reputation that precedes it in many ways. But the 1824 Bar is something else. It definitely gives the sort of conspiratorial air that you can almost see Oppenheimer’s crew in the corner. Is there a more whimsical way to pay homage to Oppenheimer than by sipping a Manhattan and scheming on some project or other in a building that was well and truly established at the time of the Manhattan Project? Plus, you’ll feel very fancy if you’re dressed for the occasion in your best 1950s garb.
Blind Pig
This is more like a martini made with tequila. If there’s one thing I know, there is always an exclusive tequila drinker in every cocktail group. The Blind Pig’s Benedictine Conversion is made up of Tequila Riposato, Mezcal, Benedictine Dom and Fresh Thyme. It looks and packs a punch like a martini but is a little more refreshing. What’s great about The Blind Pig is it’s a proper speakeasy. Speakeasies are what led to the Martini becoming the icon it is to this day. In the 1940s, easily-made bathtub gin was a mainstay in speakeasies in post-prohibition America. So nothing could feel more apt than sitting in Dublin’s best one, sipping on a little drink or two with a fedora on your head and some jazz on the stereo.
