Dublin venue BAR 1661 has announced the launch of its highly anticipated new cocktail menu for 2024/25: ‘We Call this Power’. A freewheeling celebration of the bonds of collaboration, community and of course cocktails, the new menu pays tribute to BAR 1661’s orbit of partners and producers, all of whom have contributed to the bar’s achievements over the past five years.
Crafted by its award-winning team, BAR 1661’s ambitious new menu features 28 drinks grouped into three sections: ‘People Centred, Drinks Business, and Enriching Practice’.In recognition of the collective effort to enrich, create, and innovate, each drink acts as a toast to all those who have help BAR 1661 do creative things with poitín and pioneer its renaissance around the world. Since opening its doors in 2019, BAR 1661 has built on its commitment to community using the bar as a shared platform to shape drinks, businesses and social spaces. Integrating with the neighbourhood, the bar embraces the local Dublin 7 spirit, taking it beyond these shores. Together with Irish brands, distillers, movers, shakers and opportunity makers, BAR 1661 is forging a new future in bringing the power of community to life.
Cocktails such as Backbone (Boatyard X BAR 1661 gin, Regal Rogue Lively White vermouth, Sauternes, lemon, thyme, passion fruit, green tea, elderflower, €15), recognises the team at Boatyard gin and their dedication to sustainability and ethical practices, experienced first-hand when BAR 1661’s team travelled to their distillery on the banks of Lough Erne. Together they crafted the limited-edition gin that is the backbone to this drink. Twin City (Keeper’s Heart Irish American whiskey, Blackwater poitín, Bacardi Ocho, amaro, cacao, banana, amontillado, carob) highlights the global reach of Irish innovation, bringing together the best of Irish and American making traditions in Keeper’s Heart, a new world style of whiskey. Refraction (Killahora Verbena, 1848 apple brandy, Bulleit rye, fino, pear, quince, €15) shines a light on the everyday glass artistry of Arrow who supply the bar’s beautiful glassware. White Oak (Egan’s Vintage Grain Irish whiskey, Lost Irish whiskey, pear, fig, white port, sour grape, lemon peel, cinnamon, €15) pays tribute to the craftmanship of Oakheart & Co, who created BAR 1661’s once off custom-made furniture and fit out.
There are also plenty of non-alcoholic options on the new menu, including Chez Nous (Noki & Co. non-alcoholic spirit, mango, lemongrass, white chocolate, lime, €10), a nod to BAR 1661 recent work with Butlers for whom they crafted a series of chocolate-centred drinks for the Irish chocolatier’s first ‘chocolate cocktail bar’ at Abu Dhabi airport. BAR 1661 devotees meanwhile will be glad to hear that the bar’s signature serve Belfast Coffee (Bán poitín, cold brew, cream, demerara, nutmeg, €10) will still feature on the new menu. Made with Bán poitín, one of the first brands to kickstart the renaissance of Ireland’s original spirit, this modern classic is a love letter to poitín, and the perfect example of the collective energy that drives this category, and BAR 1661 forward.
Owner Dave Mulligan said “BAR 1661 has always been about the power of community – flying the flag for the native spirit is a collective effort. We are immensely proud of what we have achieved with this menu, and hope our guests will enjoy these drinks in the spirit of togetherness they were created.”
In the two years since BAR 1661 launched its last and much loved ‘Staunchly Irish and Fiercely Independent’ menu, the bar’s profile has grown steadily internationally. Rubbing shoulders with some of the most innovative and exciting bars in the world, they earned a coveted Spirited Awards Top Ten nomination for Best Bar Team in Europe two years running in 2023 and 2024. The team travelled to the United States, Europe, South America and Asia to take over some of the world’s most renowned bars. In this year alone they have brought BAR 1661 to Arizona, Minneapolis, New Orleans and Illinois and are travelling to San Francisco next month. They have played host to many leading lights of the drinks world at their own little corner of Dublin’s northside, and their ‘Poitín Road Trip’also brought BAR 1661’s award winning cocktails all around the island of Ireland.
Cocktails from the ‘We Call This Power’ menu range in price from €10 for the signature Belfast Coffee, to €16 for some of the barrel-aged cocktails on the menu. These are aged in 64L sherry casks, custom made for BAR 1661 resulting in a completely unique barrel influenced cocktail. The new menu is available now with booking advised via www.bar1661.ie. Follow @1661bar for news and updates.
