A stylish Nottingham cocktail bar is set to close despite having ranked in the UK's top 50. Cottonmouth, in Hockley, ranked 47th in the list but it has just announced their closure after five years.
It comes as the owners say it's time "to do something different with our lives" but have told fans not to fear as " you haven’t seen the last of us yet".
The bar didn't 'shout about itself, but let its drinks do the talking. In the heart of Hockley on Goose Gate, Cottonmouth served classic cocktails and its own creations in chilled surroundings. Behind the plain blue facade await the liquid pioneers who conjure up drinks full flavour.
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Owner Adrian Whitehouse has worked behind Nottingham bars including Saltwater, Bad Juju, Dogma and World Service, racking up more than a decade’s experience in the industry.
In their closing announcement, Cottonmouth said: "We are extremely fortunate to be ending this on a high, and on our terms…which we feel is something that should be seen more often in this industry.
"We’ve met some incredible people along the way, new friendships have blossomed, and we will always be grateful for the all the folks that have supported us, whether it be walking through the door, or spreading the word. We wish we could give a nod to all of our regulars with a personal thank you on this platform, but it would make this statement way too long! You made our smiles even bigger when we saw you, time after time."
The bar thanked their "amazing" staff for all their work over the past five years. They added: "So, what’s happening to the building we called home? We’re in talks with some wonderful, experienced and enthusiastic folk who we have every faith in to take the premises over, and inject even more quality into our great hospitality scene in Nottingham. Trust us…it’s going to be great
"What happens next for the cottonmouth ‘brand’?…something exciting! There’s a few ideas in the hat for now, so you haven’t seen the last of us yet…we just need a little bit of time.
"There’s so much more that we could write about how we’re feeling, but the end of it all, with regards to the bar, we hope that we captured some of your hearts, because we gave you everything of ours. We’ll see each other again."
The announcement follows Cottonmouth's ranking as a top UK bar. Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green, London, took top spot. The capital swept the board with 23 of the Top 50 spots.
The list describes Cottonmouth as "a table service cocktail bar tucked away in the buzzing Hockley area of Nottingham’s city centre" opening five days a week in a former barber's shop.
Its entry says: "Cocktails are ranked on a scale from ‘comforting’ to ‘adventurous’ and from ‘easy drinking’ to ‘spirit forward’. Guests looking for adventure may opt for the Ski Sunday, which combines Swedish vodka with peach wine, Madagascan vanilla, passionfruit, mango and split Greek yoghurt.
"There’s also the Sakura – a combination of London dry gin, sake, Italian bianco bitter aperitif, French dry vermouth, pear and lemon oils, or the Pony Girl, which is a twist on a Pornstar Martini. This drink mixes Swedish vanilla vodka with Italian aperitif, passionfruit, pineapple, rhubarb, lime and sparkling wine.
"The Musket also ranks highly for ‘comfort’ but is less easy drinking than some other serves. The Big Short, in which Grappa di Moscato, Italian amaro, coffee bean, green walnut and lemon oils are mixed is highly adventurous and spirit forward."
Cottonmouth superfans can also buy merch. On the sweatshirts, two snakes loop round a capped-up quote that states ‘No Religion, No Politics.'"
Chris Lowe, publisher of Top 50 Cocktail Bars, said: “Whilst London continues to dominate this year’s list, it is very exciting to see other major cities across the UK make their mark. The ever-growing interest in cocktails and bartending within the UK means we are spoilt for choice on where to go, and this list allows for the best of the UK bar scene to have a spotlight placed on them – and for consumers to find these hidden gems.”
Speaking about being in the top 50 ranking, before the closure was announced, Cottonmouth owner Adrian said: "Being included in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list was a big surprise for us and we're very excited. It’s always great to be recognised by your peers and fellow professionals, especially on a national scale.
"A lot of people have told us this accolade is well deserved, but our ethos is to always remain grounded. We don’t shout about ourselves much, we're happy to let the people who come and visit our bar do that for us."
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