On the hunt for cocktails in north Wales

On the hunt for cocktails in north Wales

How hard is it to find a good cocktail on a weekday in north Wales? It's surprisingly hard!

After a trawl on the internet for cocktail bars we tried The Bridge in St Asaph. It was closed. Being the cautious type I hadn't paid for parking; deciding to hold off to see whether I liked the look of the place before committing myself to paying the parking charge. Fortunately I wasn't made furious by paying a parking fee for a place that is always closed except at the weekend according to the notice of opening hours.

We moved on to The Plough in St. Asaph. They had some cocktails which were previously unknown to us. After pouring over their cocktail menu and whetting our appetite we were told that - yes you guessed it - they only mix about half a dozen common cocktails during the week. It seems that to obtain any of the more exotic ones we would have to come back at the weekend. It would have been nice if they had saved us the drive and announced this on their website.

Next stop Prestatyn which we don't know very well. We spotted Bar 236 on the corner of the main street in the town. It advertised cocktails. They had no cocktail menu! On asking what they served we were informed that they could mix anything. I asked for suggestions. The bartender reeled off a list of cocktails which are served everywhere and which I was bored of. "Could you keep going?" I asked. He reeled off a few more. Again they were cocktails I was bored of. This wasn't going too well. But he said he could mix anything. Yet he didn't have a book or any recipes. I was intrigued. I was tempted to ask for something that he'd have to send to the furthest reaches of the earth for ingredients, or to ask him to invent a cocktail but that seemed a bit mean; so I settled for asking him to mix an Amaretto Sour - a cocktail I'd had recently in superior form at the Deganwy Quay Hotel - so I'd have something to compare.

Like the other place, he apparently wasn't required to do much  mixing for cocktails during the week so he had to track down the bag with the cocktail shaker in it. It must be a thing in north Wales - this matter of cocktails at the weekend but not in the week? I was dubious about a place with no book or app for recipes however he had no trouble with the simple concept of a sour, which is: alcohol, lemon or lime juice and a sweetener. At least he knew the chemistry of it. When I asked a bit further he practically gave me a chemistry lesson on the science of drinks mixing. He was clearly wasted in a bar that didn't make the most of him. The most friendly and helpful of bartenders I've come across. Certainly he was a wasted asset.

The cocktail he mixed didn't look as pretty as the Quay Hotel cocktail; it was also slightly sweeter but it definitely had something to it. Very enjoyable and it was almost half the price they charge at the hotel. My companion said, "surprise me." She was 'surprised' with an espresso martini garnished with a few coffee beans. It was on the superior side, deliciously creamy although it's not a drink I enjoy on an empty stomach. I think it always tastes better after a meal.

Next time I shall go back with a real challenge for him to mix. Any suggestions?