Day-long road trips are easy. All you need is a car with a full tank of gas, a few good friends, and a destination. Short jaunts to go hiking, camping, or to visit a brewery are exactly what summer dreams are made of. You don’t have to take time off from work and you definitely don’t have to spend a month’s salary on a plane ticket. No need for delays; get busy living, kid.
Sometimes, of course, you want to go big. Like “halfway around the world” big. Now let’s add a wrinkle: What if the destination was specifically for alcohol drinking purposes? Would that change things? You could enjoy an Aperol Spritz in Rome, a dram of Scotch in Edinburgh, or a Guinness in Dublin.
We asked some of our favorite bartenders to tell us the one world destination they long to visit this summer to get their proverbial drink on.
Cuba
Daniel Condliffe, bartender JSix in San Diego
Cuba has been somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. A crazy mix of old culture and modernizing slowly it seems like a place with a lot of personality. A perfect spot to relax on the beach and be lazy with a bottle of rum.
Montenegro
Josh Cameron, head bartender of Boulton & Watt in New York City
If I could take a summer trip and have a drink anywhere in the world, I would take the girl I love to Montenegro. We’d drink their namesake export, Amaro Montenegro, and taste all the local foods and drinks. We’d drink in the music and the sunsets and every sunrise.
Oaxaca, Mexico
Jason Banks, bar manager at Krause’s Cafe and Biergarten in New Braunfels, Texas
Mexico, specifically Oaxaca. The state of Oaxaca’s topography is the most varied in the country of Mexico. The capital city of Oaxaca is in the center of a confluence of three great valleys at an altitude of 6,500 feet. There are mountains, plains, fertile valleys, tropical jungles and the Pacific Ocean all creating many differing growing zones for mezcal. The high, narrow mountain valley mezcals are simpler, more subtle, drier, and smoother. They are more aromatic and go to the upper palate. The broad-low valley mezcals are fruiter, more complex, and spicier. Cheeky, chewy, middle mouth with lots of body.
Scotland
Gabrielle Ricord, lead bartender at Outpost on Goleta, California
If I could take a trip anywhere for the drinking experience, I would go all over Europe and explore the traditions in each country because there is so much diversity within the continent. If I had to narrow it down to one country, I think I would go to Scotland and experience each different region of Scotch production and the tradition and history held there.
Italy
Phil Testa, beverage manager at The Rickey in New York City
Italy. I’ve never been and all I want to do is drink Italian wine straight from its source in Tuscany — or wherever. Then I want to go around and taste their cocktail culture to see how they use their country’s natural ingredients. There’s such a deep passion and appreciation with Italians and their culture that bleeds out into their food and drinks. 90% of the flavors come from their soul and I’m dying to experience that. Drinking is also part of the meal and to treat myself with that kind of coursed out menu would be amazing.
Barcelona, Spain
Casey Lyons, lead bartender at Pacific Hideaway in Huntington Beach, California
Barcelona, hands down. I want to get lost in the city sipping on spritz variations and discovering the city one small plate at a time.
France
Joshua MacGregor, mixologist at db bistro modern in New York City
With the variety of fine wine and food to accompany, if you are seeking wine in your epicurean journeys, then it must be France. With classic regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and the Rhône Valley, why would there be any alternative?
Mexico
Alex Greg, bar manager of Curadero in San Diego
Mexico – the food and craft beer scene in Northern Baja (Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada) can’t be beaten. Then there’s the vibrant big city appeal of Mexico City with its tasting menus, hidden mescalerias, hipster pulquerias, and delectable street food on every corner.
Don’t sleep on the canned palomas! And for more drinking, there is Jalisco, the home to Tequila and Oaxaca, the epicenter of Mezcal and new players like Oaxacan rum. And finally, for much-needed beach therapy, a few margaritas in Tulum will fix just about any hangover.
Istanbul, Turkey
Melissa Carroll, head bartender at Fisk & Co. in Chicago
Istanbul. I’m unfamiliar with their spirits, style of drinking, and spice culture. From what I’ve heard of the country, the fragrance of market spices would be beautifully overpowering in the summer months. Sounds inspiring.
Japan
Sean Stangle, bartender at Estiatorio Milos in Las Vegas
Boozy travels are amazing experiences, solely because so many different cultures celebrate spirits/cocktails so differently. Weighing each, I tend to think Japan currently tops my list. Japanese culture has embraced service and cocktail technique unlike any I’ve ever seen. I feel there is a tremendous amount to learn from the island.
Iceland
Alyssa Miller, bartender at Hazel, Ravines & Downtown in Birmingham, Michigan
Iceland — it looks like it’s just gorgeous there and has so many historic sites, glaciers and volcanoes. The dream would be sipping on mimosas in a hot spring.
Ireland
Shane Deforest, bar & support manager at The SPOT in San Marcos, Texas
Ireland. Without a doubt. Guinness straight from the brewery? Yes, please. A pub that’s been around since 900 AD, Sean’s Bar? Absolutely. The people, the culture, the heritage. I’m all in.