Scoring pillars
The most important pillar. Was the bartender attentive from the moment you sat down? Did the bar feel like it was taking care of you, or just serving you? A 10 means you felt like a regular on the first visit.
Are the classics made correctly? The Martini is the lie detector test — dilution, temperature, and balance tell you everything. Technique is not innovation; it is precision in the fundamentals.
Does the base spirit lead the drink, or does it hide behind citrus and sugar? A bar that respects its spirits lets them speak. Overloading acid and sweetness to mask mediocre product scores a zero here.
Not a decor score — an identity score. Does the bar know what it is? The best bars have soul baked in: history, a point of view, a reason to exist beyond serving drinks. A themed bar with no conviction scores low.
Does the bar resist the urge to add one more ingredient, one more garnish, one more theatrical flourish? Serving a cold, clean Daiquiri without apologising for its simplicity is a statement of confidence.
Coherence over length. A 12-drink menu with a clear point of view beats 80 options. Are the classics present and treated seriously? Original drinks should be purposeful, not just creative for creativity's sake.