Pub Awards: Best Spirits Winner - Spoken, Exmouth

A sleepy Devon town isn’t the first place you would expect to find a funky, trendy cocktail bar, but that didn’t stop Spoken owner George Nightingale from opening his happening, yet casual, cocktail bar.

More than 800 spirits are stocked, with customers being encouraged to try something new to expand their horizons.

But it wasn’t always this way. Spoken recently underwent a refurbishment after launching as a high-end and classy cocktail venue, which wasn’t as attractive to locals as the current site.

Accessible

Now, Spoken proves an education in spirits doesn’t have to be expensive or scary and its offer is accessible to everyone.

The interior is a talking point, with spirits memorabilia displayed around the bar and main seating area. Art walls, painted by local artists, have been sponsored by drinks brands and are lit by back lights in the evenings.

Spoken’s cocktail menu is small, but perfectly formed, with many classics represented as well as cocktails original to the site. But don’t be fooled by the light-looking list, bar staff have been trained to create as many cocktails as you would find in a high-end London cocktail bar and they can do it just as well too.

Refurbishment

Since Spoken’s refurb, which includes a breakfast and burger offer, Nightingale has seen a huge increase in business.

His future ambition, though, is to stock more than 1,000 spirits in the next 12 months, which he’s not far off doing.