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Hotels That Stock Minibars for Cocktail Enthusiasts

Hotels That Stock Minibars for Cocktail Enthusiasts

By Food & Wine

Updated July 06, 2017

Credit: Courtesy of The Surrey

We could easily write an angry treatise about why hotel minibars are terrible, but the issues are all related to two words: cost and quality. Spending $28 for a half bottle of so-so Chardonnay or shelling out 10 bucks for a sample size of Jack Daniel's are not the best ways to recover from the stress of travel. So we hunted down hotels that do in-room drinking right by providing guests with exceptional bottled cocktails, mixology sets and even in-room lessons. If you are serious about drinking while on the road, here are six places to check out.

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Gild Hall, New York City

Credit: Courtesy of Gild Hall, a Thompson Hotel

The boutique Wall Street-area hotel provides guests with a designer bar set that includes a mixing glass, strainer, muddler, mason shaker and coupe glasses, as well as high-quality mixers like Boylan Heritage Tonic. Those checking out can snag the $24 Carry-On Cocktail Kit for everything you need to make two old-fashioneds at 30,000 feet.

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Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco

Credit: Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco

Resident mixologist Priscilla Young preps bottled cocktails for every room like her Mocha-Chili Ourchata , a spicy, boozy horchata riff made with rum, almond milk, Ghiradelli chocolate and Thai chile. The Prychard’s Bouquet combines chamomile-infused vodka, mint, honey, agave and lemonade. At $13 a pop, they're not much more expensive than drinking at a good bar.

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The James Hotel, Chicago

Credit: The James Chicago

For cocktail enthusiasts who want to take the work into their own hands, The James provides an “in-room cocktail experience”: shaker, strainer, fresh citrus, mixers and a book of cocktail recipes.

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The Ace Hotel, Los Angeles

Credit: Laure Joliet

Bottled gin martinis, Manhattans and Negronis are all available in-room at this hip hotel pioneer.

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The Mondrian, London

Credit: Simon Watson

The minibar here includes a hangover kit filled with vitamins, energy shots and Alka-Seltzer to help offset the bottled drinks on offer, including a frosted martini made with both floral and citrus bitters and the Champagne-spiked Bright Eyed Collins.

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The Surrey, New York City

Credit: Courtesy of The Surrey

In addition to an expert bar stocked with bottles like Brooklyn-made Due North Rum to Baby Bourbon Whiskey from New York's Hudson Valley, The Surrey can send up in-room mixologists to make drinks for up to five people. And pay attention, because they’ll leave you enough fresh fruit, herbs and liquid sustenance to make the next round yourself.

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