Red Square cocktail bars? Tourist tax central. 800 RUB for a basic Moscow Mule that tastes like disappointment.

Propaganda. Turgenevskaya metro, exit 4. Tiny basement. Techno til dawn, Russian indie rock, bartenders who actually know what they're doing. Cash only. Strong drinks. Open til 6am weekends. Gets packed after 1am but worth the squeeze.

Summer boat bars. Kropotkinskaya bridge area. May-September only. Half the price of Ritz Carlton rooftop nonsense. Actually fun people, not investment bankers on expense accounts.

Chistye Prudy area. Real scene. Basement bars, warehouse spaces in Red October district. Warning: Red October got trendy. Try Solyanka district instead. Grittier. Better cocktails. Less Instagram poses.