the well designed (and empty) upstairs bar at pride

I imagine that every city of the world has a local drink that is a little cheaper, and comes out tasting a little better than it might in other places, a pisco sour in Lima, a nice glass of red wine in Buenos Aires, a cuba libre in Havana. The flip side, of course, is that other drinks are often overpriced and not made with as much skill or care. This makes sense. If I’m in Portand, Oregon, I’m better off ordering a rich porter from a local microbrewery than I am a mint julip. If I ever make it to São Paolo, I’ll order a caipirinha long before I’ll order a negroni, no matter how much I’m craving Campari. (I once witnessed an elderly man from Dallas explaining to a bartender in Beijing exactly how he liked his martini–equal parts gin and vodka, with a spash of dry vermouth. For both his sake, and the bartender’s, he should have stuck to more local fare.)

Keeping this all in mind, I think we can all agree that Mexico City isn’t known for its martinis, especially not the sticky sweet “apple-tini”, “choco-tini”, “melon-tini” varieties that have become so popular in recent years. (Thank you, Sex and the City, for your role in this horrible trend of putting vodka and flavored schnapps into a stem cocktail glass and calling it a “martini.”) And when there are so many other delicious and interesting drinks to order, from micheladas to mezcal to pulque (which everyone should really try at least once), why bother with a martini, especially when they often come at New York prices?

But for those of you who find yourself in Mexico City with a craving for a martini that you just can’t kick, I recommend heading to Pride on Wednesday, for their two for one martini specials. Further, if you are a martini snob like me (if you couldn’t tell yet), I recommend getting over your hang-ups and ordering one of those sickenly sweet concoctions you’ve always steered clear from. When I went there with a group of friends after dinner one Wednesday, I thought my Manhattan would be classic and safe, but I was wrong. The sad thing is, I’m not even a good enough drink-mixer myself to know exactly what the bartender should have done differently. It was just… off.

The surprise of the night, however, was the beso negro that my joto friend ordered. The “black kiss” (a Mexican euphemism for a rim job) listed both black vodka and Jägermeister among its ingredients, inviting my ridicule. Disappointed by my infinitely more sophisticated Manhattan, I took a sip of the beso negro–and it was delicious. The same was true of the fruity and fun cocktails the rest of my friends had ordered. Yes they were ridiculous, yes they were sickenly sweet, but they were clearly the superior choice at Pride, and because of Wednesday’s two-for-one specials, one hundred pesos (plus tips) gets you two generous cocktails.

As a gay bar, Pride was nothing to write home about, at least not on the night I went there. Located in the Condesa, it caters to an upscale crowd (who can afford the expensive cocktails) and plays cheesey American and Mexican pop music. Although there were very few people there on the Wednesday that we went, I’ve been told the place gets packed other nights of the week, especially for karaoke on Thursdays.

The layout of the bar itself is really cool, and I found myself wishing the scene had been more enticing. The décor throughout is hip and modern with sexy lighting and a matron keeps the bathroom maintained (tip her).  There are two stories, and an indoor terrace on the second floor gives you a view of whatever action is taking place downstairs. When I was there, the art on display on the second floor included a large photograph of two naked pregnant women kissing, which, I must say, tickled me.

If the paltry crowd I saw was any indication of the usual Wednesday crowd, then I would not recommend Pride as a place to check out if you are exploring Mexico City’s queer scene by yourself. However, if you are craving two choco-tinis (or two of something equally sugary and alcoholic), head to Pride with a group of friends after work or dinner. You can easily pass an evening getting tipsy and dancing to cheesy pop music.

Pride; address: Alfonso Reyes 281, on the corner of Nuevo León, Colonia Condesa