Seven drinks-related venues in Time’s World’s Greatest Places 2019

From a space-age distillery and a craft beer hotel to a Port and Sherry-themed hostel, we’ve rounded up the drinks-related venues that made Time‘s World’s Greatest Places 2019.

New York-based Time magazine published its second annual list of the world’s greatest places on 22 August, encompassing sites such as museums, parks, restaurants, and hotels.

The publication asked for nominations from its editors and correspondents, as well as industry experts, and evaluated those that they received based on their quality, originality, sustainability, innovation and influence.

The 100 finalists were then grouped under the categories ‘to visit’, ‘to stay’ and ‘to eat and drink’.

Restaurants that made the list include Under, Europe’s first underwater restaurant. The much anticipated site on the coastline of southern Norway opened in April this year, with 7,000 people booking in advance to eat at the 40-cover sub-aquatic eatery.

Also coming up trumps was 20-seat venue Wolfgat in Paternoster, South Africa, which is known for its foraging focus, neo-soul food restaurant Indigo in Houston, Texas and BARN by Biota in New South Wales, Australia, which serves up twice monthly family-style meals including Angus beef cooked over the fallen­-tree-coal fire or honey collected from the hives.

UK venues that made the list, and are not included in the drinks line-up, include the new Victoria & Albert design museum in Dundee and hotel the University Arms Cambridge.

Scroll through to see the drinks-related sites that made the top 100.

Macallan Distillery

Spirits giant Edrington revealed its new distillery and visitor experience for Scotch brand The Macallan last year. Located on the Easter Elchies estate, the new site cost £140 million to build, forming part of Edrington’s much larger £500m investment in the brand.

Time praised its undulating grass rooftops, 69 ft high ceilings and UFO-like Scotch, and recommended that visitors take a turn at the “barrel-nosing stations”.

House of Sandeman

As the name suggests, this site is owned by Port and Sherry producer Sandeman and occupies a riverside location in the city Porto. Purporting to be the first ‘branded hostel’ in the world, it is housed in the building which George Sandeman acquired in 1811 and which is still used to age its fortified wines.

The hostel includes 43 king-sized beds in four dormitories, with 12 suites decorated with Sandeman-inspired art. Prices start from around £15 a night and guests can tour the cellars too. 

DogHouse Hotel And Brewery

Scottish craft beer giant Brewdog opened its first hotel in the US last year in Columbus, Ohio. The 32-room hotel features beer taps in each room, built-in shower beer fridges and an interactive beer museum.

Having raised funds to construct the facility in 2017, Brewdog now charges guests rates starting from US$172 a night.

Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel

Back in July, Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel reopened after a major renovation project. Known the world over for its iconic Singapore Sling cocktail, which celebrated its centenary in 2015, the venue houses mixology Mecca The Long Bar.

Initially made by combining two measures of gin with one of cherry brandy, orange juice, pineapple juice and lime juice, fans of the Singapore Sling can also take part in the tradition of throwing peanut shells on the floor.

La Fuerza

Celebrating Argentina’s aperitivo tradition, La Fuerza in Buenos Aires makes its own vermouth with ingredients such as elderberry and lemon verbena, serving both a white and red version on tap. The tipple is produced in Mendoza from where the grapes are also sourced before being transported to the venue and poured into cocktails or served with a splash of soda water and a lemon wedge.

The bar was founded by chef and restaurateur Julián Díaz, experienced drinks brand developer Agustín Camps, winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi, and journalist and entrepreneur Martín Auzmendi.

Sacromonte

Image: Mapa

Also in South America, hotel and vineyard Sacromonte in Maldonado, Uruguay was designed by architects MAPA and consists of 13 mirror-panelled cabins with an on-site winery. With uninterrupted panoramic views, guests are free to explore the 250-acre valley on trails, returning to eat at the farm-to-table restaurant.

CO Cellars

A collaborative project between drinks producers Zafa Wines and Shacksbury Cider, CO Cellar, located in a former soda-bottling plant in Burlington, Vermont, unsurprisingly serves up local wines, ciders and snacks.

Time praises the businesses for working together to release products including “vinous ciders” which work well with the food on offer.