Shaking things up: Sri Lanka's cocktail scene

Sri Lanka is known for many things: palm-lined beaches, tea-growing highlands, wild elephant safaris and a rich, flavourful cuisine. Now, amid the island’s sleepy surf villages and capital Colombo’s daily hubbub, a new cocktail scene is taking off. Across Sri Lanka, a young generation of mixologists and entrepreneurs are embracing local spirits and native ingredients to put a fresh spin on traditional drinks.

At Zephyr , a beachside restaurant and bar in Kamburugamuwa, a two-to-three-hour drive south of Colombo, co-owner Chethaka Wijesekera believes in embracing their roots. Since opening in 2015, the seaside bar has been known for its tea-infused cocktails that highlight the island’s century-old tea culture, while simultaneously incorporating locally grown ingredients like bael fruit (a stone apple). 

“We always thought, okay, what can we do with the produce that we have,” Wijesekera says.

On the menu is the Zephyr Sour, a twist on the classic whiskey sour, featuring coconut arrack: a smooth, clean and subtly floral local spirit made from the fermented sap of the coconut flower. The coconut arrack in this cocktail is infused with island-grown cinnamon and mixed with homemade bitters, mango syrup and egg whites. 

“Lately, a lot of new entrants are coming into the market. And they want to showcase Sri Lankan arrack and other local spirits,” Wijesekera says.

Until the turn of the last decade, Sri Lanka’s bars were limited to churning up Western classics, with local spirits and ingredients often overlooked. Many businesses, Wijesejara says, had the idea that anything that comes from overseas is best. “But when you experiment, you begin to see that Sri Lankan ingredients can do miracles," he adds.

Sri Lanka-based Malcolm Skinner, who curated the drinks menu at Charlie’s – a bistro bar at the art deco Charleston hotel in Galle Fort, two hours’ south of Colombo by car –agrees with Wijesekera. 

Opened in January, Charlie’s is already making waves in Galle Fort thanks to its sunset views and signature cocktails like the Banana Thingamajig, a Sri Lankan rum-based cocktail. Serious work goes into this drink: local banana varieties are simmered down, then filtered with coconut milk for three full days to create a slow-drip syrup. Then there’s the Manhattan Dark, an after-dinner nightcap made with arrack, cardamom and nutmeg, and garnished with locally produced artisanal chocolate.

In recent years, Skinner says, the cocktail scene in Sri Lanka has grown “from a handful of bars trying to replicate methods found elsewhere to a crop of homegrown talent showcasing local ingredients with the confidence to present new ideas.”

Tourism has helped to drive this change. Since the economic crisis of 2022, Sri Lanka has bounced back as a leading tourist destination; tourist arrivals are growing and expected to reach 2.3 million in 2024. 

What’s more, foreign businesses are increasingly drawn to Sri Lanka, Wijesekera says, and the healthy competition has pushed up the quality of the island’s nightlife. “What [these businesses] brought to Sri Lanka – along with the competition – is knowledge,” he says. “Many places are cropping up with excellent gastronomic innovations and that has inspired local talent.”

Today, anyone looking for a true Sri Lankan cocktail experience must visit Smoke & Bitters . Located in the small surf village of Hiriketiya, a three-hour drive south of Colombo, Smoke & Bitters is part smokehouse, part cocktail bar. Significantly, it is credited with “pioneer[ing] the Sri Lankan craft experience,” according Nelaka Dayawansa, head mixologist and co-founder at Gini , a live-fire kitchen in Colombo. 

Named one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars last year, Smoke & Bitters serves up creative drinks inspired by Sri Lankan traditions, like the Bael-Fruit Baller – a blend of sun-dried bael fruit flower, arrack, ginger and local bitters. The cocktail pays homage to the bael flower tea typically sold at roadside stands. Drinks are paired with island-inspired fare like smoky polos – baby jackfruit braised in a clay pot, smoked for flavour, and stewed in a tamarind-infused coconut curry. 

“The island’s tropical feel has influenced some of the local bars to create a unique identity and flavour profile,” Dayawansa says. At Gini, he and his team have curated a short but creative list of cocktails highlighting local produce. 

Dayawansa notes that the cocktail culture in Sri Lanka is still “very young,” but fast evolving. “You can see it throughout the coastline, from Colombo to Hiriketiya,” he says. 

Wijesekera agrees: “Ultimately, it’s about trying to put Sri Lanka on the map as a place to visit, and when people come, they think ‘okay, Sri Lankans can do really good cocktails.’”

Where to stay in Colombo

ITC Ratnadipa – meaning “the island of gems” – is Colombo’s newest luxury hotel, not to mention one of the finest, with suites overlooking the Indian Ocean. Dine at Avartana, the hotel’s elegant restaurant specialising in South Indian fare, or linger over drinks at Ahasa, located on the sky bridge that connects the hotel’s two towers. 

Where to eat & drink in and around Colombo

Located within the luxe Shangri La Colombo, Tiki Bar is all about arrack, boasting over 50 different infusions. Order Tapper’s Pot, a combination of palmyrah arrack – made from the sap of the palmyrah palm flower – mango pickle and coconut water foam. 

The famed Smoke & Bitters is three hours south of Colombo by car, but once you get here, you’ll soon realise the journey is worth it. This tiki culture-inspired bar with charming terracotta roofing offers an excellent list of cocktails paired with a smokehouse menu.

Meanwhile, Shanti Shanti is a hidden beachside gem in Talpe, a two-hour drive south of Colombo. This relaxed spot provides open-air seating, beach swings and island-inspired drinks and dishes – the pizzas topped with prawns and kang kung (water spinach) are must-tries.