Where to go for a bar crawl in Sri Lanka right now

Raa is a bar at the beach (left); and a drink from Ropewalk. (Photos via @raa.hiriketiya and @ropewalksl, Instagram )
Raa is a bar at the beach (left); and a drink from Ropewalk. (Photos via @raa.hiriketiya and @ropewalksl, Instagram )

Summary

The tiny island nation is opening up to visitors with an array of cocktail bars that straddles all kinds of tourist’s expectations

After multiple calamitous events such as the mass protests against the then-government in 2022 fuelled by the worst economic crisis in the country and the looming shadow of the 2019 Easter bombings, the tear-shaped island is showing signs of rebound.

For tourists, nowhere is this more pronounced than the nation’s burgeoning F&B industry. It is emerging as a dining destination to serve diverse palates. The country’s bar scene is still at a nascent stage, but there are world class menus with a burst of local flavour driven by an infectious spirit of reclaiming their nation’s glory days. Here are five drinking places in Sri Lanka that you must add to your itinerary.

1. For toddy nights: Raa

Imagine sitting on the edge of the Indian Ocean, lulled by the soothing waves while the staff at Raa pours freshly tapped toddy as a welcome drink. Located in the surfing bay at the tip of the beach Hiriketiya, Raa, which means toddy in the local language, is a brand-new arrack and toddy bar and kitchen run by the team behind Sri Lanka’s top bar Smoke & Bitters.

Raa, headed by Stephan Martinesz, draws you into the story of preserving the tradition of toddy tapping and the importance of arrack, a natural spirit made from the coconut flower’s sap. It is considered one of the oldest spirits in the world and finds mention in the renowned thirteenth century travelogue, The Travels of Marco Polo.

Start off with fresh toddy obtained every day from the coconut trees lining Raa, and served in a salt and pepper rimmed glass with ice. Then move to the refreshing Sweet Pepper with clarified arrack, fermented guava, bird eye chilli and citrus. Other recommendations include Sea Almond Toddy with toddy, spiced arrack, kottamba (Sri Lankan almond) orgeat, angostura and lime and Kopi Kade made with caramelised peanut arrack, raa coffee liqueur, Lankan black coffee, kithul (palm) treacle and coconut arrack ice cream for a regional spin.


Pro tip: Go in the early evening to watch the toddy tappers in action and drink freshly tapped raa.

Also read: Where and what to eat in Galle, Sri Lanka

2. For hipster vibes: Junglekade

It is a mad scientist’s dream come true. Run by Ashwel Handy who is known in the country through his bartending consultancy company Drunken Lankan, this kade (a colloquial term for an eating place) is an elevated beach shack serving vegan bites, some crazy drinks and Handy’s weekly cocktail menu where the bartender admittedly “goes mad".

With slight trepidation, I ordered The Great Wave from the weekly menu with contrasting flavours that include gin, watermelon, sriracha, nori and bitters. “Only for the brave," the caption reads at the end. Handy leaves the crowded kade, goes behind the bar to whip it up and wins me over with the first sip that balances the sweetness of the watermelon with the slight heat of sriracha and a mild bitter aftertaste mixed with the gin’s botanicals.

Next up, I try the Pol-roni with coconut arrack, spiced bitters and vermouth. The Manhattan-inspired drink is served in a coconut. Then there’s the experimental Kiribath with vodka, cracked rice, lunu miris (a spicy Sri Lankan condiment with fish), completely justifying its caption, “weird but good, just try it".

Pro tip: Check the weekly menu to see if something catches your eye before moving to the regular menu.

3. For the well-heeled: Cloud Wine

During my visit last month, I was surprised to find wines haven’t yet caught up in Sri Lanka with most locals stopping at A and B – arrack and beer. Hence, it was refreshing to meet Wellington Muromba, one of the few sommeliers in the country, at the wine bar Cloud Wine in the luxury hotel Cinnamon Life in Colombo.

He has been tasked with building one of the best wine cellars in Sri Lanka. Since landing in the country in April, he has put together a portfolio of over 350 wines from around the world at Cloud Wine.

As a keen wine educator, Muromba also began offering wine flights explaining the wine regions and taste profiles that has since become fairly popular.

Pro tip: Book the wine flight and then ask for expert recommendations from Muromba and his team to make the most of your wine night.

4. For the arrack lover: Ropewalk

When it opened last year, Ropewalk quickly became popular for being Sri Lanka’s first arrack-speciality bar. Add its charming location inside the UNESCO World Heritage Galle Fort complemented with some superb cocktails and the place became the talk of the country.

Today, it’s still the premier place to get familiar with arrack and taste it neat with a flight consisting of regular, strong, limited edition and aged options, as well as in cocktails starting with their signature sour called Ropewalk with 45-day-old spice-infused arrack, sous-vide ginger, lemongrass syrup and fresh lime juice. My preferred drink was aptly named Good Things Come To Those Who Wait, a stout cocktail made with arrack, stout reduction and balsamic shrub that went together beautifully.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could also try Only Nabeel Likes This, a creamy concoction with banana, pineapple, coconut cream, masala tea and kithul treacle. The name is inspired by head mixologist Nabeel Kenny who loves the drink. Spoiler alert: I didn’t. Thankfully, all the other cocktails were on point.

Pro Tip: Do not leave without sampling a flight of arrack tasting to understand the spirit in its truest sense.

5. For the list ticker: Smoke & Bitters

If you’re into cocktails, visit Smoke & Bitters that made headlines after becoming the first bar in the country to rank at #86 in the World’s 50 Best Bars list this year, and was named the Best Bar in Sri Lanka.

The vibe sets in as soon as you enter the open space opposite Pehebiya beach in Hiriketiya. Smoke & Bitters celebrates local ingredients such as bael (Aegle marmelos) flowers, halmilla (Trincomalee) wood, silver tip tea, among other regional treasures. The bar is also a favourite with top Indian drinking spots such as The Bombay Canteen and Ekaa in Mumbai, ZLB23 in Bengaluru, Hideaway in Goa who did guest shifts at the space last year.

Their cocktails are inventive, flavourful and easy to drink. Recommendations include Silvertip White Negroni that uses silvertip tea-infused vermouth, Cherry Cola with white rum, butterfly pea, hibiscus, house cola, bitters and coconut foam. Then there’s the crowd favourite Pepper Potts with gin, spiced orgeat, pineapple, spices and hellfire bitters.

Pro tip: Reserve in advance for the evening slot for the best sunset and drinks experience.

Priyanko Sarkar is a Mumbai-based writer covering the F&B industry.

Also read: Go on a tour of tea farms in Sri Lanka

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