A cocktail bar in Ubud will always have a house special, but knowing a few good mixed drinks to order at a bar of your own is what actually makes an evening feel effortless. Rather than defaulting to the same gin and tonic or reaching for whatever is printed largest on the menu, it helps to have a small list of reliable orders in your back pocket, drinks that suit different moods, different spirits, and different company. This is not a ranking, simply a starting point.
What Makes Good Mixed Drinks to Order at a Bar
A good mixed drink to order at a bar usually does one of two things well. It either takes a spirit you already enjoy and shows you a new side of it, or it introduces you to a flavour combination you would never have thought to ask for yourself. The best bartenders build drinks around balance, not novelty, so a great order is rarely the flashiest one on the list. If you are new to a spirit or simply bored of your usual choice, the following categories are a good place to start.
Mixed Drinks Worth Knowing by Spirit
Working through drinks by spirit rather than by name makes it far easier to find something you will actually enjoy, since your preference for gin, rum, or whisky usually matters more than the specific cocktail associated with it.
Gin
Gin rewards curiosity more than most spirits. A classic Martini remains the benchmark, but a Negroni or a French 75 shows a completely different, more approachable side of the same bottle. If you already know you like gin, ask your bartender for something slightly herbal or citrus-forward rather than sweet. It tends to suit the spirit better.
Rum
Rum has a habit of being underestimated, often dismissed as little more than a mixer for sweet holiday cocktails. A proper Daiquiri, made with nothing more than rum, lime and sugar, is one of the most balanced drinks in existence, and a good measure of how seriously a bar takes its craft. From there, a Jungle Bird or a Mai Tai opens the door to rum’s more complex, tropical side.
Whisky
Whisky-based cocktails tend to divide a room. Some guests want the spirit to lead, while others want it softened. An Old Fashioned sits firmly in the first camp, while a Whisky Sour, built with lemon and a touch of sweetness, is the friendlier introduction for anyone who has previously found whisky too intense to drink mixed.
Mezcal and Tequila
Mezcal and tequila are often lumped together, but they behave quite differently in a glass. A Margarita remains the obvious, reliable order, while a mezcal-based Old Fashioned brings a smokiness that changes the entire character of a familiar format. If you are looking to branch out from your usual order, this is often the category that surprises people most.
Once you know roughly what you like by spirit, the next question is simply who is making it, which is where a good bar team earns its reputation.
Mixed Drinks Worth Knowing on the Pinstripe Menu
Each of the categories above has a home on Pinstripe’s own cocktail menu, so there is no need to guess how a particular spirit might translate into something worth ordering here.
For the Classic Drinker
- The Old Fashioned on Pinstripe’s menu is built with Bulleit Rye and Bourbon, mesoyi, house-blend bitters, and beeswax, rich and warming, with a rounded sweetness that softens the spirit without hiding it.
- The Apéritif Martini combines Tanqueray No. TEN, Dolin Dry, Cocchi Americano and Luxardo Bitter Bianco, dry and herbal, with a light bitterness that lingers rather than bites.
For the Curious Drinker
- The Clairvoyant is built on Koch Elemental Mezcal and fino sherry with beetroot, paprika, peanut butter and watermelon, smoky and earthy with a faint sweetness underneath, best sipped slowly.
- The Sweetheart is built on Veritas Rum and Aperol with strawberry, jasmine, tarragon and whey, soft and slightly savoury, a gentler take on rum than the tropical drinks it usually appears in.
- The Holy Negroni swaps in gentian, sandalwood and cananga alongside the usual Tanqueray No. TEN and Campari base, still bitter at its core, but softer and more floral than the drink it takes its name from.
Where to Try These Mixed Drinks in Ubud
Reading about good mixed drinks to order at a bar is one thing; having somewhere to actually order them is another. Pinstripe’s own cocktail menu covers most of the categories above, alongside The Clairvoyant, a menu built specifically around Prohibition-era storytelling for guests who want something with a little more history.
If you are searching for a cocktail bar in Ubud where the bar team will happily talk you through what suits your taste, rather than simply handing you a list, Pinstripe is open daily from four in the afternoon. Book a table and let the bar team point you towards something new.
