Cocktails at Nine is a cocktail bar in the city of Antwerp, owned by a retired tv presenter. Their range of whiskies is not exceptional but they have an interesting focus on Japanese brands.

Location: Lijnwaadmarkt 9, 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium)
Range: +/- 10 single malts
Price: € 6 to € 16
(€ 16 for a Highland Park 18yo)

What I’ve had: Blood & Sand
cocktail (€ 12)
Glass: martini

Pros: professional staff,
good selection of Japanese whisky, nice atmosphere with fireplaces
Cons: cocktails are more interesting than their single malts

Blood and Sand cocktail (with Laphroaig)

This Blood & Sand cocktail was quite a revelation because I hadn’t seen many cocktails based on Laphroaig 10yo (although it can be made with any kind of Scotch whisky). It’s a slightly hazy drink with an impressive red colour.

The smokiness of Laphroaig complements nicely with the sweetness of the Heering cherry liqueur and the bitter edge of the vermouth.

If you’re interested, mix 3 parts of Laphroaig, 3 parts of fresh orange juice, 2 parts of sweet red Vermouth and 2 parts of Cherry Heering. Shake over ice cubes, strain into a chilled martini glass and serve.