Cocktails are so un-British. That’s why I love them.

Cocktails are where the drinking and eating experience meet.  Cocktails are about performance, presentation and the creative combination of flavours. They rely on the freshness and quality of ingredients.

The cocktail bar depends upon the quality of their barmen just as a restaurant depends on the quality of their chef. It’s a creative art to be studied and mastered. They are techniques and flavours to experience and try yourself at home.

And like the best food – a great cocktail can’t be hurried – it takes as long as it takes. It’s not surprising that Europe’s best cocktail bars are to be found in Berlin – the capital of a nation that understands that some beers take 7 minutes to pour correctly.

The surroundings matter too. Beautiful drinks deserve beautiful places, so this list is as much about the experience as it is about the alcohol. After all who wants to eat out in a scruffy down at heel restaurant, so why drink somewhere scuffy?

Here are five fine places to kick off a night out or to celebrate – well, anything really.

Raoul’s

32 Walton Street, Jericho, Oxford. OX2 6AA. 01865 553 732

So what if it’s in Oxford? Consistently rated by visitors as one of the leading bars in the UK and Europe, this small but perfectly formed sixties retro bar is a must for anyone devotee of the mixologist’s art. If it is isn’t behind the bar at Raoul’s it isn’t worth bothering about. Like any decent chef, the barmen always taste the drinks and so maintain the standard by which other cocktail bars will be judged. Everything’s good, but the Apple Martini is perfect or try the Fig and Spiced Mango Daquiri for something different. On the same street as some decent eating places, including Branca and Brasserie Blanc, Raoul’s is the perfect start or end to any evening – and it’s only 30 miles away.

Cerise

Forbury Square, Reading. 0118 958 1234

The Forbury Hotel’s bar is far and away the most elegant space in which to sip in Reading. The drinks haven’t always lived up to the surroundings but the current crop of bar staff are getting it right. Try the Ginger Mojito, made with Sailor Jerry spiced rum, or if you really want to blend into the opulence Cerise the Cosmopolitan topped off with flamed orange is excellent. Starting from £7.50 cocktails at Cerise can be pricey but start off a special occasion with a special friend here and you won’t go far wrong.

(NOTE: Since writing the Forbury Hotel has indicated that it intends to cease trading in its current form. Pity, but, wrong market, wrong time, etc. Check their website for the latest information)

Sakura

5-6 Gun Street, Reading 0118 958 6796

Cocktails need not break the bank and Sakura proves it. From £4.95 the drinks are reasonably priced and (though it is early days) mine were competently assembled. Try the Lychee and Sake Martini for a far eastern twist on a classic drink. Get there between 5pm and 8pm and enjoy two for the price of one. Sakura is a restaurant/bar/club as the clock progresses following the Berlin format. It’s styling is let down by a half-baked fishtank plonked behind the bar. If they had really meant it then it should have been the length of the bar!

Mix

The Walk, Yield Hall Place, Reading  0118 9 57 1365 

The design of Mix makes the place an immediate winner almost regardless of the quality of the drinks. The place is a palace of kitch, over the top, tacky and camp but it works. Get a place on one of the sofas and it’s easy to get stuck. Try their Berry Bellini or play safe with a Louisiana Rose, based on Southern comfort juices and rose wine. Mix runs a cocktail masterclass at £25 for 2-3 hours, it includes drinking – they caution against driving to the class, but with Mix’s first class mocktails the designated driver is well looked after.

Sahara

1 Gun Street, Reading 118 956 0666

Around for some years now and showing wear and tear, but Sahara deserves a place in this list because of it’s unbeatable combination of solid, reliable drinks and seriously comfy sofas. In Sahara all the basics are done well and some of the barmen have developed a distinctive style of their own. If you are feeling good try one of their Champagne topped Mojitos and you’ll soon feel even better.