Cinco Lounge + Lisbon, Portugal
As per my usual pattern when traveling, I turned on my bloodhound-like skills for locating a bomb cocktail and sniffed out a wonderfully fantastic watering hole. Okay, “watering hole” is not exactly the right term to describe this dark and comfortable cocktail lounge, but you get my drift.
All the dark, heavy drapes.
Cinco Lounge is located in a residential area of Lisbon and basically looks closed from the outside. We are talking dark, heavy curtains pulled tight and not a light on. But, don’t worry - it’s open. It is just a very, VERY dark bar.
Bottoms Up!
They have that relaxed, yet sophisticated vibe that allows you to come in, order a drink, and chat with your friends. The music isn’t too loud and the dim lighting works like a casino. You have no idea what time it is. Sadly, this makes it a horrible place to read unless you are rocking your Kindle. Alternatively, it is totally acceptable to go there to drink alone or just have a chat with the very friendly bartenders. Not only are these ‘tenders friendly, but they are thoroughly knowledgeable. Cinco Lounge has a menu that changes periodically, but you can also just talk to whoever is behind the stick and they can create some dream drinks to get your taste buds to do a little dance.
My first drink was straight off the menu and called Bottoms Up. This drink consisted of Bulleit Bourbon, Cynar, Cherry Heering, and finished with a berry and almond infusion. The Bourbon and Cynar are right up my alley, but I was worried that the Cherry Heering and Almond infusion would ride on the sweet side for me. I was right. It was, however, a good and well-balanced drink. Any person who prefers a strong drink that leans sweet would love this charmer. Plus, the presentation was so entertaining with a tiny bottle turned upside down into crush ice. A little physics when you are imbibing is always loads of fun.
Boulevardier Riff
Due to my moment of adventurous drink ordering, my second drink had to be different. André, our entertaining and well-informed bartender, and I had a good chat about my preferred tastes and he made a wonderful riff on a boulevardier that used both smokey scotch and rye whiskey. This was rightfully delicious. Sadly, we were having such a good time that I forgot to jot down the rest of the ingredients, so you will just have to go to Cinco Lounge and try it for yourself.
If you are looking for a reprieve from your touristy activities, take a detour into Cinco Lounge to try a few drinks, meet the lovely bartenders, and generally indulge in some delicious adult beverages.
The beauty of a backlit bar...
“...he saw the sun rising over the roof of the rich people’s house. Like the darkness, the alcohol in José had slowly dissipated and given way to light. He regained his clarity of mind and once more felt the weight of sobriety.”
