Handshake Speakeasy- Best Bar in the World?
and how to make the #1 best eggnog drink in the world
Salud to my one year anniversary writing on Substack!
A little re-cap: I have written 17 long-form articles about drink culture. These include deep dives into some more obscure and wonderous Mexican beverages such as tepache, pulque, atole and ponche navideño, explorations of places where unusual drinks and ingredients can be found such as La Lagunilla and Central de Abastos, drinking my way through events such as Dia de Muertos, Carnaval in Tlaxcala and bullfighting, and extensive explorations of cocktail method in articles about milk punch and cocktail menu creation. I also did a philosophical review of the non-alcoholic drinks offered at Café Avellaneda in Coyoacán, and I intend to finish the year with another review, this time a take-no-prisoners critique of the “Best Bar in the World” Handshake Speakeasy in Colonia Juarez. Can it live up to the hype? I went there myself to decide if Handshake is truly extraordinary…
In 2024 Handshake Speakeasy was named the Best Bar in the World on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. According to this article the ranking is decided by a snapshot of 700 experts from all over the world. This is the first time a bar outside of the US or Europe has won the top spot. It is interesting to note that the owner and beverage director of Handshake is Erick Van Beek from the Netherlands, and he brought a European concept to Mexico with his “laboratory”, “molecular mixology” and "minimalist presentation”. No dig on Mexico, but while Mexico City has always had great cocktail bars, take the Cucaracha Cocktail Club of the the 1930s, Mexico is not at its heart a cocktail culture.
We decided to try to get into Handshake spontaneously on a Tuesday night an hour before closing after the New Order concert at the Auditorio Nacional.
Handshake is found in a hybrid zone between Colonia Juarez and Zona Rosa, not the nicest corner of the city. The unmarked entrance door is along a brightly lit hallway in a lobby of a hotel. There was a cue of about ten people flanking it. A “speakeasy” today doesn’t mean much more than the absence of direct street access or obvious signage. We joined the group in the fluorescent lighting of the hallway. Every person waiting was a tourist who spoke English. Momentarily after we arrived, the host came out and told us that we all had the choice either to wait for another fifteen minutes, and the chance that someone would leave, or we could make a reservation for another day. Here’s a tip. The reservations online are filled quickly, but it is possible to come and make a reservation with the porter for a more immediate date or time. We were the only group which opted to wait, and what do you know, within five minutes a few people had left and we were granted a seat inside.
The entire place seats about thirty people. It is a small rectangle, with stools at the bar, couches along the wall and a single large glass and brass table in the center. The décor is textbook Prohibition art-deco but without real heart or authenticity, was I picking up on a touch of Pier-1? The black and gold palate and unconvincing flourishes did not succeed in disguising the fact that we were in a bland curtained off cube in a 1970s hotel lobby. In Mexico City there are many historical rooms. Many dusty corner cantinas in El Centro come by this faded halcyon days elegance completely naturally and convincingly.
However the reason we are here is for a good drink, and I examine the menu with a distinct pleasure.
The menu is basic in terms of design. Its a letter sized bound volume written in the same outdated serif font the marketing team was always insisting on at Odd Society. Cocktail menus are books, the potential is vast; they can be beautiful and at the forefront of design. I remember stealing Dandelyan’s cocktail menu after my visit because it was so fun (former best bar in the world in London).
Now for the content. Very cute; they offer four mini-cocktails, which is something I also did at Odd Society. It’s a good move at Handshake when people are probably quite careful about how many full-sized drinks they order when they cost between 250 pesos to 700 pesos ($18-50 cad a drink). There are 16 alcoholic cocktails, and 5 non-alcoholic options on the menu, which seems like a good range. As I wrote about in my article exploring cocktail menu method, Handshake lists flavor components without specifying the form they take, such as writing lemongrass, apple or rosemary without indicating whether it is a syrup or tincture or infusion etc. This is common practice in the best cocktail bars. It suggests that the ingredient is in its essential form, whatever that may be, and will contribute to the cocktail’s profile precisely. Three descriptive words are included for each cocktail to describe the flavor and type of pour (either long or short) to give a better impression of the drink before it arrives.
Handshake specializes in unusual flavor combinations with advanced molecular behind-the-scenes techniques. I am immediately attracted to the most expensive cocktail on the menu, the Matcha Martini with matcha, crème de menthe, and coconut. This is my kind of drink, creamy but with a herbal bite and a funky note. The profile reminds me of a Grasshopper version I served at Odd Society, but with tequila and mezcal instead of rye and amaro. I resist the $50 cocktail and order the Olive Oil Gimlet (tequila, olive oil, apple, rosemary, lillet blanc). My companion chooses the Pina Colada (brandy, pineapple, coconut, micro-coriander). I am a sucker for clarified Pina Coladas. I think he will be too.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take great pictures of the cocktails because I didn’t plan on doing this review.
So, the drinks have arrived.
The Olive Oil Gimlet is not actually long as it reads on the menu, but is served short in a beautiful long-stemmed Nick and Nora glass. The citric acid pucker is powerful but not fresh or juicy, the gin is not unctuous and salted like I wanted, and the rosemary doesn’t hit quite right, too green and itchy. I think epazote would have been better, something with a little cheese because its giving martini rather than gimlet. On the other hand, the Pina Colada is excellent, perfectly tropical and buzzy, the coriander placement just right to slightly offset the tropical fruit, with a cute, green alfafa-esque garnish. The clear ice cube is perfection. 10/10 would recommend.
Round two I order the Fig Martini so as to synchronize with the first round. I am expecting a classic martini with a surprise hit from the fig leaf, an ingredient I am not too familiar with, but which I imagine is fruity, nutty and green. My companion orders the Earl Grey. It sounds fun and safe with the floral, herbs, tannins and sake. Again, he wins and I lose. His drink is really complex and pleasing, with a nice heady bergamot layer. Mine is a tad too heavy on the citric again which I think is a dangerous player in a martini style drink if it does not have a substantial sweet element. It takes away from the distinctive character of the spirit, and ends up making everything taste flat and tart. I did prefer the Fig Martini to the Olive Oil Gimlet, but they were too similar, and neither a really great martini. Both had a mouth pucker effect like you are sucking on a weird medicinal candy, rather than an oily slow coating of the tongue, or a sharp lively bite that wakes you up.
Definitely the drinks are not bad. I LOVED the Pina Colada but it was not mine so I did not really get to know it. Looking at the menu writing this article, I would almost want to go back to try one of the milk punches, the Once Upon a Time in Oaxaca or the Matcha Yuzu, which I missed at the time. The phrasing “whey” is used instead of milk to indicate the milk punch, which makes sense because whey is really what is being introduced into the drink with the milk-punch process. The Mexi-Thai also looks good.
In terms of the menu overall I am un-impressed with the inconsistency of the curation. Flavors become repetitive such as matcha in two drinks, jasmine tea in two drinks and green tea in another (1/3 of drinks with green tea!). There is a focus on Asian flavors in many drinks. Overall there is a fusion feeling which I don’t find very coherent. This impression is enhanced by the way the staff screams out an indecipherable greeting when you enter and when you leave like at a sushi restaurant. Sake appears three times on the menu and yuzu shows up twice. If Asian is the theme, why not make it a more thorough exploration of Asian flavors, or more specifically Japanese flavors for instance. Or if it is fusion, why not look at the meeting of Mexican and Asian flavors in all the drinks and the names. Or if there is not a regional theme, do not focus so much on one region. I do not see a wide enough range of flavors for a 16 cocktail list. The two cocktails I ordered tasted fairly similar, and all the drinks we tried tasted acid-corrected (that distinctive mouth-puckering taste). I would love to see a cocktail bar of this caliber focus on the local region without it becoming gimmicky, like Xaman Bar is. Frankly, it’s a shame not to use a selection of fresh produce in some derivative form at a cocktail bar in Mexico. I would love to see a beautiful old room with a cocktail program invested in local and seasonal, with a combination of advanced molecular and pre-hispanic drink-making techniques. Handshake is not this. But it is possible to try a unique and well-composed drink there.
The reason I am not rushing to go back to Handshake is not because of the drinks. They were good, not great overall, but good. My problem is with the vibe. First, the music was lack-luster disco-pop. Typical for Mexico, the staff were wearing these starched and uncomfortable white blouses and aprons which enhances the divide between staff and customer. In Mexico, unlike Canada/US, the servers and bartenders will typically not be able to afford to drink or eat in the type of place they work in. I know from experience. When I worked at cocktail bars in Mexico City I was paid on a good day $50/day including tips and would have to work 10 hours or however long they needed me without a change in pay. The divide feels even more pronounced in a place like Handshake where the drinks are wildly expensive. There were eight people on shift for a room of thirty people, and all of them were clumped around the bar and not really paying attention. They wanted to leave because it was the end of the night. Handshake is not a place for hanging out. It is a place where the customers are transient. It is too expensive to drink many drinks. Most of the customers are tourists. I doubt there are regulars who come in every week and can be found there seated at the bar as a fixture of the room. The staff don’t know the customers, except maybe the odd friend who uses his connection with the manager to skip the line. If I had to choose a cocktail bar I would prefer to drink at Maison Artemisia where I used to work in Roma Norte. It is cozy and lived in, the second floor of a Porfirio Diaz era house, with many regulars. At least it used to be. I have not been there in a while. I confess I have not found a cocktail bar I love in Mexico City. Drinking in Mexico City for me is about the cantinas, the pulquerias, the restaurants and the parties.
Generally I am skeptical of the World’s Best Bars List. I visited Paradiso in Barcelona, which was named the #1 bar in the world in 2022 when I was there. I waited for quite a while in a long line outside to get in. It was completely gimmicky and pretentious. The drinks were served in elaborate choo choo trains or flying saucers. It was ridiculous and horrible. I love me a beautiful long-stemmed cocktail glass, I don’t want to drink alcohol out of children’s toys. The drinks also did not taste very good.
Writing this thorough inspection of Handshake has been exhilarating. Journalism should challenge and hold accountable these proclamations of superiority made by these potentially corrupt panels of experts, but there is no real critical voice in the mainstream media. Positive superlatives are spouted about food and beverage for political ends (increase consumption, promote eurocentric ideals). Handshake had good drinks, but not the best in the world. My final word is, if you are not a total cocktail nerd like me, don’t bother. Go somewhere fun.
Or stay home and make the #1 egg nog in the world! The following version originates from Puerto Rico, was adapted in Canada, and now is being shared from Mexico.
Coquito #1
Prepared as big batch only. Make in advance and keep in the fridge. It gets better with time. Keeps for weeks, or even months.
Grocery list:
8 eggs
4 cans of evaporated milk
4 cans condensed milk
1L coconut milk (unsweetened)
1 750mL bottle of spirit (can combine… brandy, rye whisky, maple scotch, or rum are all great options… if in Vancouver use mongrel or prospector rye or maple single malt from Odd Society Spirits)
chinese five spice
vanilla extract
To make:
1)Heat in a saucer 8 egg yolks and 4 cans of evaporated milk, simmer and stir until combined
2)Combine mixture with the 4 cans condensed milk, 1L coconut milk, 1 bottle of spirit, one tablespoon of chinese five spice and vanilla extract to taste
3)Add to blender, blend until smooth
Let sit, the longer the better
Store in glass jars or bottles in the fridge and pour directly into glass to consume
Garnish with chinese five spice, cookie, grated cacao, coconut shavings, or a cinnamon stick .. whatever seasonal treat you have on hand
*Don’t be afraid to make your own version! I make a Coquito #2 in which I blend in half a cream cheese bar, an unsalted butter bar, a bar of guava paste, and also some water to thin it out… and split the spirit base with a chocolatey amaro (mia amata) and an aged rum… incredible
OR ! When in doubt… make a banana smoothie.
Brandy? Rum? Vodka? Dash of sherry ? All excellent in this.
4 ripe bananas, 500mL milk, a tray of ice cubes… This drink is so underrated and I am obsessed.
Now its the end of the article and we’re also coming to the end of the year.
I would love to know, what were your favorite milkpunch articles? In the future, would you like to see more reviews, cocktail making method, or stories about places, events, niche beverages or ingredients? Please let me know what you would like to read more of! Thank you all for reading and I look forward to another year of writing and new discoveries ahead.
✌️https://thegoldenmean2040.substack.com/p/a-jew-in-search-of-eggnog
Loved reading this!