At any good cocktail bar in Ubud, the best drinks to order at a bar are rarely the ones printed largest on the menu. A long list can turn a simple choice into a hard one. The fix is to keep a few reliable orders in mind, sorted by your mood and by the spirit you like best. This guide covers the best drinks to order at a bar by both, with a pick from Pinstripe Bar for each.
Simple and Strong Drinks to Order at a Bar
Start with the two ends of the classic range, where many of the best drinks to order at a bar live. Simple mixed drinks to order at a bar keep the ingredient list short and let the spirit lead, like a gin and tonic or an Old Fashioned. Pinstripe Bar’s Old Fashioned uses Bulleit Rye and Bourbon, mesoyi, house-blend bitters, and beeswax, rich and warming without hiding the spirit. If you want more intensity, strong drinks to order at a bar are spirit-forward and lightly diluted. The Solera Barrel Negroni is a good one, resting Tanqueray No. TEN, Cocchi Storico, and Campari in barrel for two years.
Fruity and Sweet Drinks to Order at a Bar
Not every evening wants the spirit up front. Fruity drinks to order at a bar are bright and juice-led, built for refreshment. Pinstripe Bar’s Jack and Rose, a former Campari Indonesia winner, pairs jackfruit cognac with coco pandan Campari, rose, and prosecco. Sweet drinks to order at a bar sit close by, though the best ones balance the sugar rather than pile it on. The Sweetheart does that, with Veritas Rum, Aperol, strawberry, jasmine, tarragon, and whey for a soft, gently savoury finish.
Ordering by Spirit
Mood is one way in. The other is to start from the spirit you trust, the approach our guide to the mixed drinks worth knowing takes. Vodka drinks to order at a bar can be clean or rich, and Pinstripe Bar’s 24K Carajillo takes the rich route, with Ciroc, Nusantara cold brew, Thai tea, espresso, and cacao bitter. Gin drinks to order at a bar range from dry Martinis to bitter, aromatic sippers, like the Holy Negroni built on Tanqueray No. TEN and Cocchi Americano, with notes of gentian, sandalwood, and cananga. Our guide to the types of gin cocktails goes deeper. Tequila drinks to order at a bar work best when fruit and spice play against the agave, as in The Novelist with Don Julio Blanco, passion fruit, mango, and turmeric. For more agave, there is Taco Tequila Tuesday.
Non-Alcoholic and Dive Bar Drinks to Order at a Bar
Not every good order needs a spirit at all. Non-alcoholic drinks to order at a bar should be as balanced as any cocktail, not just sweet. Pinstripe Bar’s Sober Guide includes Kembang Desa, made with jasmine tea, kalamansi, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf. The setting matters too. The smartest drinks to order at a dive bar are the ones that are hard to get wrong, like a cold beer or a gin and tonic, since a busy room rewards simplicity in a way a considered cocktail bar in Ubud does not.
Reserve Your Table at Pinstripe Bar
Whatever the best drinks to order at a bar are for you, the right room makes them better. Pinstripe Bar is a cocktail bar in Ubud above the Valley of the Kings, with the Petanu River below and one of the few true sunset views nearby. The bar team is happy to match a drink to your mood. We are open daily from four in the afternoon until half past eleven, with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. Book your table and make your next order easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular drink to order at a bar?
The margarita, the Old Fashioned, and the gin and tonic are among the most ordered. The best choice is still the one that suits your taste.
What is a good drink to order at a bar for beginners?
Start long and light, like a gin and tonic. At Pinstripe Bar, The Primitivist is an easy first cocktail to try.
What are the best non-alcoholic drinks to order at a bar?
Look for a proper mocktail rather than a sugary soft drink. Pinstripe Bar’s Sober Guide, including Kembang Desa, is made with the same care as a cocktail.
What is a good strong drink to order at a bar?
Order something spirit-forward, like an Old Fashioned or a Negroni. Pinstripe Bar’s Solera Barrel Negroni is a good pick.
What should you order at a dive bar?
Keep it simple. A cold beer, a spirit over ice, or a gin and tonic is hard to get wrong.
What should you order if you are not sure what you like?
Name a spirit you enjoy, then say whether you want it fresh, bitter, or boozy. A good bar team will take it from there.
