A worldwide survey of best-selling cocktails published in Drinks International magazine in January found that the top five leaned heavily toward the past. Old fashioned placed first, followed by negroni, whisky sour, daiquiri and manhattan.

Whether you're a fan of a traditional martini or the espresso version, the Hunter has a solid list of establishments serving great cocktails.

One of the newest additions to the bar scene in Newcastle is Meet (located at 9 Darby Street). In keeping with the restaurant's South American influence, the bar offers a cocktail list with a strong focus on drinks based around cachaca, a spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice.

"When we first wrote the menu, it was heavily influenced by Brazilian flavours," Meet bar manager Arthur Wynne says. "Knowing that cachaca is the national spirit, I started looking into caipirinha and all their national drinks.

"I use a lot of tropical flavours and we ended up buying a sugar cane juicer - I believe it's the only one in Newcastle - so we juice our own sugar cane for the cocktails."

As well as Wynne's own creations (if you visit, ask for the "moonraker" and hear the inspiration behind the James Bond-inspired drink), there is a classic cocktail menu that isn't limited to martinis and manhattans.

"We picked a few things that I haven't seen on menus around town," he says. "We are trying to revive those more obscure drinks that no one else tends to make these days. We do hanky-pankys and Rob Roys, which are drinks from the '30s and '40s - stuff that doesn't get printed up on menus a lot. We want people to know there are other drinks out there to try."

Here's five other places to go for a cocktail:

380/382 Hunter Street, Newcastle Our city's first speakeasy - which is again in the running for Regional Bar of the Year at this year's Bartender Magazine Awards - is not so secret these days, but it remains arguably the coolest place in the city to settle in for a drink or two. The bar staff know their trade and will craft a drink to suit your palate, recommending spirits to whip up a top-shelf cocktail. For whisky fans, in particular, it's a dream. They also host cocktail masterclasses, focusing on traditional favourites. Learn to make three (and drink them), and create your own signature cocktail at the end of the class. It costs $88 per person. Book at coalandcedar.com.au

9 Albert Street, Wickham Flotilla has created a buzz with its beautifully presented refined casual dining menu. But it's also worth noting for its cocktail list, too. The restaurant's vibe is captured in the bird of paradise, which is named after and designed to imitate the tropical plants that line the outdoor deck.

The fruity cocktail mixes vodka and Aperol with peach bitters, rose syrup, passionfruit, fresh pineapple and lime juices, served garnished with two bird of paradise leaves.

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For a pre-dinner drink, bar manager Simon Nicholas recommends the "velvet sunset".

"Adelaide Hills Sunset Gin uses all Australian ingredients, including strawberry gum, giving it a beautiful, dry sweetness," Nicholas says.

"The house-made orgeat adds a touch of silky sweetness, the plum bitters gives it an amazing floral nose." Dried rose petals add the finishing touch.

3/146 Hunter Street, Newcastle This tiki bar in Hunter Street Mall is colourful, fun, and run by two passionate rum enthusiasts. Their signature cocktails are the tiki bar classics, the zombie and mai tai. The bar team use a combination of different plantation rums for the zombie, and it's one hell of a drink, so our advice is to stick with one.

The bar's mai tai follows the recipe based on the version created in the 1930s at legendary tiki bar Trader Vic's.

"There were two prominent tiki bars in America in the 1930s - Don The Beachcomber and Trader Vic's. They both had different recipes and they contested who created the mai tai, but the modern day mai tai we followed was Trader Vic's," Blue Kahuna's co-owner Prudence Farquhar says.

"It's super fresh, super zesty, really tasty."

Corner of Broke and McDonalds Roads, Pokolbin In the event you ever find yourself completely done with wine in Pokolbin, The Goldfish at Roche Estate has an excellent reputation for its cocktails, including their own signature range, classic cocktails and champagne cocktails. Whisky fans should try the "Hunter's cache" which combines blended scotch, rye whisky with lemon juice, cinnamon bark syrup, coconut and bitters, garnished with burnt cinnamon quill and a combusted float of drambuie.

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On a sunny winter's day, grab a spot on the outdoor terrace and kick back with a fire and ice, which combines Roku Japanese craft gin with lime juice, blackberry, vanilla syrup and basil leaf, garnished with star anise and cinnamon dust.

145 King Street, Newcastle For the past year, the grand old Central Hall building on King Street has been operating as a 1920s-inspired bar and cocktail lounge. Whisky and craft spirits are the star (read about the venue's upcoming Whisky and Craft Spirits Festival next week) and the cocktails are created with care. The cocktail list is long, incorporating both traditional and modern creations, including a special each week. Last week featured a gin cocktail from local maker The Farmer's Wife Distillery and this week, the bar is serving the "caramel bliss bomb, which combines Absolute vanilla vodka with Bailey's Irish cream, butterscotch schnapps, Frangelico with caramelised condensed milk and popcorn syrup.

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NEWS FROM NEWCASTLE'S CULTURAL SCENE