Are Team Society friends outside of the office?
Of course we are! Hailing from different corners of the country and with vastly different lives, that hasn’t stopped us from becoming the best of pals.
One thing we all have in common, is our love for the north-east.
It’s one thing to bring you the very best of Aberdeen and the Shire. But it’s important to us that we really know what we’re talking about.
And the only way you can do that, is by lived experience.
With that in mind, we decided a Society night out was well overdue.
Alongside the plucky Society trio, was the man behind the scenes. David Dalziel is head of features, and makes sure that each and every edition of Society is expertly put together.
This wasn’t just any night out however, we wanted to put the four latest bars in Aberdeen to the test.
Further more, we decided to focus completely on cocktails. From the classics to the whackiest concoctions, we tried it all. Well, almost.
I opted for mocktails as I was driving, but I was also curious to see what non-alcoholic offerings were available outside the traditional soft drink.
Tee-total is an increasingly common choice, and one which the most modern of venues should surely be catering for?
From having to ask for mocktail menus, to feebly sipping on what was essentially crushed ice, I soon discovered that Aberdeen really needs to up its mocktail game.
We visited Barbelow, Back to Square One, The Old Workshop and Faffless.
Read on to find out what Team Society thought of the new kids on the block.
Barbelow
We were pretty excited to visit Barbelow, which only opened in March this year.
Run by the duo behind Aberdeen’s Olive Alexanders, the basement venue is the city’s latest wine and cocktail bar.
Based within the former Miro’s Bar at Golden Square which formed part of the Granite Park restaurant, it’s a pretty central spot and has parking on the doorstep if you’re not drinking.
We were immediately impressed as we walked through the door, Bar Below is effortlessly trendy without appearing overdone.
It has been decked out with quirky and antique items picked up at auction and estate lets, with a very Instagrammable green and pink colour scheme.
Despite the fact we were a little late for our reservation, the staff were very polite and accommodating.
There were plenty of tables to choose from, although it did get steadily busier as the night wore on.
We had already lined our stomachs at The Pig’s Wings, which we would highly recommend, but the small plates menu at Bar Below looked mighty enticing.
Marmalade baked goats cheese or cauliflower wings, we vowed to return in order to sample such delicious offerings.
But to the drinks, there are a fair few cocktails to choose from, plus a cocktail-trained bar team to deliver the goods.
Prices were pretty normal, ranging from £8 to £9.50.
Jamie ordered a watermelon jalapeno margarita, David settled on Summer in Atlantis and Rosemary liked the sound of Stormy Paris, which featured ginger beer, Green Chartreuse and Havana No.3.
There was no mocktail menu, but the waitress said they could do something pretty special with a raspberry infusion.
Our drinks arrived quickly and got the mark of approval.
The watermelon jalapeno had a nip at the back of the throat, while Summer in Atlantis looked like a posh WKD, with an apple garnish.
Rosemary loved the addition of lime in her glass and found it very moreish.
Both myself and David felt our drinks were quite heavy on the ice however. And whilst my mocktail was ok, there wasn’t all that much flavour.
I’d like to see a mocktail menu, given there is an extensive list of alcoholic offerings.
We couldn’t fault the service or the atmosphere however. This is the perfect place for drinks after work, or date night with laid back vibes.
Back to Square One
Just round the corner within Golden Square is Back to Square one, an altogether different venue.
Festooned with Mean Girl Quotes, blossom trees and flower walls, this is the place to be when you want the ultimate shot for the gram, complete with velvet booths.
The menu features bruschetta and buffalo chicken, alongside cocktails and craft beers.
Cocktails are priced at £8.90, with classics alongside the likes of cucumber lemonade and gooseberry sour.
Again, there was no mocktail menu, and the waitress was quite vague by saying I could order “anything’.”
Jamie ordered a Tropical Spritz, which consisted of mango and lime gin served with passionfruit puree and prosecco, topped with lemonade.
Rosemary kept things traditional with a French martini and David selected a pornstar martini.
I was served a raspberry concoction, clearly the in thing in the mocktail world.
Whilst Rosemary declared her drink to be the best French Martini she’d had to date, Jamie was left less impressed.
His drink was more lemonade than gin, whereas David’s drink reminded him of “a dessert in a glass.”
My mocktail was neither here nor there, and I felt staff needed to be more in the know on non-alcoholic offerings.
Back to Square One is a lively venue however, definite girls’ night out territory.
The Old Workshop
We were all pretty excited about this venue, and it more than lived up to expectations.
Found within Shiprow Village, it opened in December last year.
Thread your way through The Ivy Lodge, which is classic night-out fodder, and you’ll find a candle-lit tunnel with exposed brick walls and cute bistro-style tables.
We were warmly greeted and immediately charmed by the cocktail menu, with all cocktails priced at £8.50.
Hey Pedro, Betsy Ross, would order for the names alone.
Rosemary and Jamie both ordered Maui Tiki, and David went for Paloma Spritz.
A running theme for the evening, no mocktail menu.
General manager, Milo Smith, who is well known in Aberdeen’s hospitality industry, was very accommodating however.
He appeared genuinely excited when I said I wanted a mocktail, and practically sprinted back to the bar.
Don’t ask me what the mixture was because I haven’t a clue. I do know that it contained edible paint, and it was the best mocktail I’ve had to date.
Not too much ice, not too sweet. Was a complete delight.
The Paloma Spritz was served in a coke can, David could taste the tequila but didn’t find it too overpowering.
Meanwhile, there were plenty of oohs and ahhs from Jamie and Rosemary thanks to the bar tender’s trick of a blow torch and subsequent blue flame.
There was also a delicious kick to the drink.
The Old Workshop is the perfect spot for date night, and I haven’t stopped recommending it since our visit.
Faffless
Our final stop for the night was Faffless, a quirky bar found at Netherkirkgate.
25-year-old owner Craig Thom has thrown away the rule book, and likes to keep things simple.
This extends to having no official cocktail menu, rather you just ask for what you like.
Craig was on a mission to challenge old grudges, after David confessed to not being a huge fan of whisky.
He was served a powerful drink consisting of whisky, absinthe and martini, which came in at 65%.
Jamie meanwhile, was persuaded to give Negroni a second chance, having sampled it in its origins of Italy with little fanfare.
Rosie had a mango daiquiri, and I was served a mocktail called New York.
Whilst David’s thoughts on whisky remain unchanged, Jamie loved his Negroni.
Rosie was also very complimentary of her daiquiri, and found it refreshing and expertly presented.
My mocktail didn’t blow me away, but it was nonetheless pleasant to sip on.
We felt very relaxed at Faffless, it’s a quirky and intimate venue prone to many different guises.
We’d love to go back for wine tasting, or perhaps an open mic night.