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Small, mid-century designed bar situated in the Modern Hotel and Bar, a remodeled former Travelodge. The menu changes frequently with both classic and original cocktails mixed by respected barman Michael Bowers.
“Michael Bowers is incredibly talented and has one of the best palates I've ever come across. He gets no recognition or attention because he’s in Boise, but he's leading the charge.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR)
Downtown | Cocktails
1314 West Grove Street, Boise, ID 83702
T: 208.424.8244
Northwest | Boise, ID
Bar Ferd’nand | Sake Nomi | Bartender Murray Stenson at Canon
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Cocktails brought to you by the power team at Alchemy Consulting—founder Toby Maloney, Joaquín Simó (Death & Company, Tales of the Cocktail 2012 Bartender of the Year), Troy Sidle (The Violet Hour), and Jason Cott.
“Pouring Ribbons on Avenue B was opened by my dear friend and former Death and Compnay bartender Joaquin Simo.”
- Bartender David Kaplan (Death & Co. in New York, NY)
East Village | Cocktails
225 Avenue B, Second Floor, New York, NY 10009
T: 917.656.6788
Focused on their cocktails, mixed drinks and sherries by the glass. Ask the bartender for suggestions and order some of their small plate dishes.
“They have a killer cocktail program.”
- Bartender Jim Meehan (PDT in New York, NY)
“One of the best places in the city to drink sherry. Owner Dan Greenbaum and bartender Tom Richter are passionate about sherry, and their enthusiasm is infectious. There's plenty of sherry to drink here, but you should sample one of their sherry cocktails as well. ”
- Wine Writer Peter Liem (author of “Sherry, Manzanilla and Montilla: A Guide to the Traditional Wines of Analucia”)
East Village | Cocktail & Sherry Bar
162 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009
T: 212.228.6900
Hidden inside of the Iroquois Hotel. They say they’re not a bar, not a lounge or a lobby, but a salon devoted to the art of the craft cocktail. In their words ‘the cocktail selection reflects the period of the Temperance movement in the US and the subsequent plight of American bartenders to friendlier destinations in Europe.’
“A jewel of a spot with flawless cocktails. Have something regal.”
- Bartender Tom Richter (The Beagle in New York, NY and creator of TomR’s Tonic)
“When I'm in midtown, I always have to stop by Lantern's Keep at the Iroquois Hotel and have Theo Lieberman make me something strong. He is quite the wiz with the stirred stuff. ”
- Bar Owner Matthew Piacentini (The Beagle in New York, NY)
Midtown West | Cocktails
49 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036
T: 212.453.4287
Poet’s Dream Cocktail at Lantern’s Keep | Beer at Beer Table | Eight Amaro Sazerac at Amor Y Amargo
Photograph courtesy of Lantern’s Keep | Beer Table | Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
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It’s the second annual FED 50 Drinks list. Fifty places around North America that we think you should belly up to the bar for inventive cocktails, craft beers, sherry, wine and sake. We thank the respected bartenders, sommeliers and chefs who kindly passed along their favorite watering holes and speakeasies.
Some spots are brand spanking new, some are classic joints and others are restaurant cocktail bars with top-notch bartenders.
Note: the numbering scheme does not represent a rank and is purely there for a reference.
Where to Drink in 2013
It’s little bar in the back of sister restaurant, Journeyman, tucked away down a tiny alley in Sommerville’s Union Square. Dim lighting, craft cocktails and an ever-changing chalkboard menu. Inventive drinks like Smoke n’ Coke, made with smoked ice, Moxie (the precursor to Coca-Cola) and spiced rum.
“A highly innovative couple of chefs opened this place and people are just raving about the food. Innovative cooking techniques and the bar equals it. They do a Mai Thai with smoked ice cubes, really great. They do fabulous classic drinks with twists and variations.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Boston, MA)
Union Square | Cocktails
9 Sanborn Court, Somerville, MA 02143
T: 617.718.0249
Northeast | Boston Area, MA
Bartender Misty Kalkofen started behind the bar while she was attending Harvard Divinity School. Because she is so respected as a mixologist, the local bartenders all come here for her cocktails.
“It's in Central Square. Patrick Sullivan, who used to own the B-Side, owns it and Misty Kalkofen, whose reputation is stellar nationally and internationally, is running the bar for him there. So Brick and Mortar is a definite place to go for drinks.”
- Bartender Jackson Cannon (Eastern Standard, The Hawthorne, Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, MA)
“It’s very nice place that used to be called the Enormous Room, which of course it’s not. It’s on a second floor with a horseshoe bar that has twists and turns. Very small cocktail list that is totally spirit-forward with an emphasis on bitter and a good amount of Mexican spirits. On Monday nights, they have guest DJs.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Boston, MA)
Central Square | Cocktails
567 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139
T: 617.491.0016
Located in the warehouse district in the basement of Sportello restaurant. The bartenders love the details of the cocktail. John Gertsen used to mix his magic at No. 9 Park, until Barbara Lynch gave him control over Drink.
“I like the fact that all of the bottles are hidden, nothing is visible. The whole concept of not having a menu and just being able to say hey, I’m in the mood for this and the bartender can discuss with you what you like.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Boston, MA)
“No conversation about this town’s cocktail scene is complete without mentioning Drink at Fort Point. John Gertsen runs that place and it’s an austere grotto-like subterranean space that just has the most convivial and generous attitude towards educating people about drinks. I just love this place. This is the kind of bar you could scatter my ashes out, I will rest in peace.”
- Bartender Jackson Cannon (Eastern Standard, The Hawthorne, Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston, MA)
“Where I go for cocktails in Boston.”
- Bartender Jim Meehan (PDT in New York, NY)
“For cocktails and wine and it's not overcrowded.”
- Chef Ana Sortun (Oleana in Boston, MA)
“The last time I was in Boston with a few friends, we spent a few hours here. Rather than look at a menu, the sever asked what we wanted to drink; we each described the kind of drinks we were craving (brown spirits, for example), and what we like to drink, and they crafted four killer drinks for four different palates. Each one of us thought ours was perfect for what we wanted, but everyone at the table appreciated the other drinks as well. It is a hip, see & be seen place.”
- Chef Mike Lata (FIG in Charleston, SC)
Waterfront | Cocktails
348 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
T: 617.695.1806
Relaxed setting for craft cocktails. As owner Jackson Cannon says 'no televisions, but a residential motif with comfortable couches, various zones around the main bar, a back room that just feels like your rich friend's living room. The cocktails pay reverence to the modern Gotham cocktails especially the first golden age of Jerry Thomas in the 19th century and the cocktails of New Orleans. There are snacks, cheeses and cocktail-inspired macaroons that change daily.
“The Hawthorne has a small, cool vibe and has these little semi-private areas, one room that can be closed off and then there’s another little nice seating area that’s really comfortable. The drinks are really great with a small menu.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Boston, MA)
Fenway | Cocktails
500 A Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02215
T: 617.532.9150
The restaurant has two branches, but this is the only one with cocktails. Turns out the cocktail list is one of the best in the Boston area. Ran Duan, the son of the owner, is making a name for himself as a clever and respected mixologist.
“There’s a gentleman here by name of Ran Duan and his family owns the restaurant. They’ve been in the Chinese restaurant business here for a few decades. Ran's cocktails are amazing. This guy is the future super star here in Boston. He went to Johnson & Wales restaurant school and became fascinated with cocktails. The food is great too.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Boston, MA)
Woburn | Cocktails / Chinese
2 Alfred Street, Woburn, MA 01801
T: 781.935.8488
Spanish for ‘Love and Bitters,’ this tiny bar’s cocktail menu is centered around bitters and gentiane aperitifs. An industry favorite.
“I like bitter and I love amaro. In general, I just like digestifs and I really like how they translate that into traditional drinking and use those in unique ways to make a cocktail that’s more interesting. Using bitters in cocktails is very common now, but these are the non-potable bitters, the ones you take just a few little drops of. They’re using the potable bitters, like amari and you just see some of that in the cocktails, which I think is super interesting.”
- Sommelier Joe Campanale (Anfora, Dell’Anima, L’Apicio, L’Artusi in New York, NY)
“Sensational. They are kind of nerdy the way they make their drinks. They are obsessed with what they do. They make their own vermouth. For a chef, it’s fascinating to see all the different flavor profiles.”
- Chef David Kinch (Manresa in Los Gatos)
East Village | Cocktails / Bitters
443 East 6th Street
New York, NY 10006
Just as the name implies, beer comes before table. There are close to 30 beers on the menu, there are 24 seats. Snacks (which change frequently) are meant to pair with their selection of brews: pickled eggs with jalapeño powder and sea salt, thick-cut bacon with salted potato, German pork sausages with frisee.
“It's amazing, but you are paying wine bottle prices for bottles of beer. They have beers I've never heard of. They do their research, but in a good way. They're not nerdy, big fat guys with suspenders and checkered shirts. They're not pretentious at all. They just really love beer.”
- Bartender John Bush (Talde and Pork Slope in Brooklyn, NY)
“The food, as well as the beer, is terrific! They serve beer snacks like butter beans on toast with braised bacon. It’s rich and delicious.”
- Sergio Hernandez (Bklyn Larder in Brooklyn, NY)
Park Slope | Beer
427 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217
T: 718.965.1196
Spanish tapas bar with a respectable sherry list. They have wines by the glass, beers on tap, sangria, and a full menu featuring tapas and entrees.
“I could sit at this bar all night drinking through Sandro Piliego's extensive list of sherry. (And I have.) This Brooklyn gem definitely deserves to be better known.”
- Wine Writer Peter Liem (author of “Sherry, Manzanilla and Montilla: A Guide to the Traditional Wines of Analucia”)
Carroll Gardens | Wine Bar / Spanish / Tapas
520 Court Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
T: 718.407.0047
Named after bartender/partner Todd Thrasher’s son, Trystan Noah Thrasher, it’s a rock n’ roll-themed bar. The cocktail menu features creations from Todd’s bartender friends around the country. Many of the drinks are inspired by musicians and their favorite spirits.
“Todd Thrasher is crazy talented. He's also a huge pain in the butt. His drinks are always so involved, like the prep, we always have to make the ingredients, which we do ourselves, so that's a part of the real joy is seeing what they’ve sent and that we can duplicate if it's a homemade ingredient, if we've got to make bitters from scratch.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Seattle, WA)
“The DC Corridor is really one of the most vibrant cocktail communities in the country right now and Todd Thrasher is one of the bartenders at the center of that.”
- Bartender Chris McMillian (Bartender / Curator at The Museum of the American Cocktail)
Old Town Alexandria | Cocktail Bar
2413 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204
T: 703.920.0315
They take their booze seriously at Proof’s bar, offering small batch and single barrel Bourbons, plus Bourbon and Rye tasting flights. The wine list is extensive and the signature cocktails tend to be more spirit-forward.
“Jennifer Pittman and the bar staff at Proof on Main are doing some of the best cocktails in Louisville.”
- Bartender Brooks Reitz (Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.; FIG and The Ordinary in Charleston, SC)
Also recommended by cookbook author Ted Lee.
Louisville | Contemporary American / Gastro Pub
702 W Main St. Louisville, KY 40202
T: 502.217.6360 (make a reservation)
Music City’s speakeasy pays homage to bourbon, as well as the Tennessee governor who vetoed the return of state-wide prohibition in 1909. You may miss it the first few times you try to find it, as it is located in a house. The list features 30 original and 20 classic cocktails.
“The best trained bartenders in town, making delicious takes on classic cocktails. A quiet den to have a intimate conversation.”
- Beverage Director Jane Lopes (Catbird Seat Restaurant in Nashville, TN)
“I don't think I'd call this a watering hole. It’s a place for a very good time, appointed nicely without being overdone. The service is excellent and the best part is that the drinks are delicious. I like the one with gin and sparkling wine with grapefruit juice.”
- Chef Margot McCormack (Margot Cafe & Bar and Marche Artisan Foods in Nashville, TN)
“It’s an encyclopedia of cocktails.”
- Chef Billy Allin (Cakes & Ale in Atlanta, GA)
Belont / Vanderbilt | Cocktails
1711 Division Street, Nashville, TN 37203
T: 615.636.7724
It’s a wine bar, a cheese bar, an art gallery and a antiques market. Order some wine, charcuterie and cheese and when you’re leaving, you can buy the art off the walls and even the table you’re seated at.
“It’s a great little wine bar with a great cheese and meat selection. They only serve beer and wine. Fanny, who owns it, is a sweet little French lady and she knows her wine and she knows her cheese and her charcuterie. It's dark and quiet and definitely a locals' place. Everything in the bar you can buy, it’s all antiques. If you’re sitting at a table and you happen to like the table, you can buy the table. The art on the wall changes and you can always buy the art off the wall.”
- Bartender Jackson Holland (The Cocktail Club in Charleston, SC)
Downtown Charleston | Cocktails
152 King Street, Charleston, SC 29401
T: 843.577.7359
You may want to visit FIG to try the cooking of James Beard Award-winning chef Mike Lata, but make sure to stop by the bar to sample a cocktail from the creative list by bartender and GM Brooks Reitz, who is also the founder of the tonic producer, Jack Rudy Cocktail Company.
“I really like the cocktail program at FIG. Depending on when you’re here, they will have something like a Manhattan menu with eight to ten different Manhattans and each one’s a little different. They’re all based on a Manhattan, but they’re not all technically Manhattans, each one is a little different. Another time, it might be a Negroni menu and they’ve got eight to ten different variations a Negroni. I like that they do that.”
- Bartender Jackson Holland (The Cocktail Club in Charleston, SC)
“My favorite dish in the entire city of Charleston is their chicken liver pate. I would eat that everyday 'til it killed me because it would definitely kill me. And then 90% of everything else on the menu is always phenomenal. They do great preparations with seafood, like soft shell crabs. I also love that they have a long Negroni list.”
- Chef Craig Deihl (Cypress in Charleston, SC)
Downtown Charleston | American / Cocktails
232 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
T: 843.805.5900
House-made infusions, rare spirits and farm-to-shaker cocktails served on a 1,200 square foot rooftop terrace and garden.
“A great place to end the night. The space is great and the patio is a welcome piece of calm on the busiest stretch of nightlife in Charleston. Drinking a Carpano Antica Formula over ice, or one of their house specialty cocktails - the selection is vast, and I haven't had the chance to make my way through it yet!”
- Bartender Brooks Reitz (Jack Rudy Cocktail Co.; FIG and The Ordinary in Charleston, SC)
“I really like the atmosphere - outdoors on a rooftop.”
- Chef Craig Deihl (Cypress in Charleston, SC)
“The Cocktail Club is a fabulous rooftop establishment that’s doing well and it’s just a hip and cool place.”
- Chef Robert Carter (Carter’s Kitchen in Charleston, SC)
Charleston | Cocktail Lounge
479 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Seasonal American cuisine in the Westside's industrial area. Founding chef Todd Ginsberg has departed, but his crew remains intact.
“I give them props for having the young maverick of the crew. David Durnell is making absolutely ridiculous drinks that are far beyond his age and experience. He’s one of those gifted people and is doing really great work.”
- Bartender Greg Best (Holeman & Finch in Atlanta, GA)
“They are renowned for the cheeseburger, it’s delicious. It’s a double patty burger. Often I’ll get soup and I like their butternut squash soup and their salads.”
- Chef Linton Hopkins (Holeman & Finch in Atlanta, GA)
Westside | New American / Cocktails
887 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30318
T: 404.815.1399
Bartender Jerry Slater wanted to create a place where he and his friends would want to drink on their day off. You'll find classic cocktails and Southern dishes. H. Harper is named after Jerry’s grandfather, Harold Harper, a railroad engineer for over 40 years.
“Jerry Slater does great cocktails, they are extremely complex. But not so complex that you don’t know what is going on. If it is a whiskey cocktail, you definitely know there is whiskey in there. It’s a bar/ restaurant and they take their cocktails very seriously and they have a huge list. It’s a little more restaurant feel, they always have good beers and a very good wine list. Jerry is to the drink world in Atlanta what a lot of chefs are to the food world, he really sets the standard in a lot of ways.”
- Chef Billy Allin (Cakes & Ale in Atlanta, GA)
“To grab a drink.”
- Chef Hugh Acheson (5 & 10 and The National in Athens, GA; Empire State South in Atlanta, GA)
Reynoldstown | Gastropub / Cocktails
904 Memorial Drive Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30316
T: 678.732.0415
New American pub menu, craft beers and a cocktail list worth going out of your way for imbibing.
“The gentleman running the bar program here is Miles Macquarrie, really, really talented young guy, super geeky, which is how we like it.”
- Bartender Greg Best (Holeman & Finch in Atlanta, GA)
Decatur | Gastropub / Cocktails / Beer
131 E Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030
T: 404.687.0500
Housed in 1796 Carriage House in the French Quarter. The food and drinks are good enough to even attract locals.
“A lovely addition to the city and the Quarter, solid drinks and great food.”
- Bartender Chris Hannah (French 75 in New Orleans, LA)
“It’s gastropub-esque and Murf Reeves is making some really great drinks.”
- Bartender Chris McMillian (Bartender / Curator at The Museum of the American Cocktail)
“I love the food and I like that their cocktails are adventurous. They’ve got a really small, tight list that every restaurant should have. It’s a little bit stirred, a few sours. Just a nice variety, but well curated.”
- Bartender Neal Bodenheimer (Cure and Bellocq in New Orleans, LA)
French Quarter | Cocktail Lounge
625 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
T: 504.265.8123
A fairly new cocktail bar featuring a lengthy menu with notable classics and seasonal cocktails, unusual beers, and nibbles divided into categories of how hungry you are: peckish, famished, ravenous, insatiable or indulgent.
“One of the great bars in the city.”
- Bartender Mike Ryan (Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago, IL)
Lincoln Park | Cocktails
2624 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
T: 773.857.0421
Opened by chef Paul Kahan in a former mechanic’s garage. It is his homage to tacos, tequila and bourbon (15 single barrel bourbons). Inspired by the Mexican migrant workers in California. Country music on the jukebox.
“If you're looking for a good whiskey drink, cheap beers and some tacos, Big Star is a fun place to go.”
- Chef Chris Pandel (The Bristol and Balena in Chicago, IL)
“For tequila when you are in Chicago.”
- Bartender Philip Ward (Mayahuel in New York, NY)
“For tequila and tacos.”
- Bartender Mike Ryan (Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago, IL)
“Locals go here for tacos.”
- Chef Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia, Cafe Spiaggia, Terzo Piano in Chicago, IL)
Whicker Park | Mexican / Tequila
1531 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622
T: 773.235.4039
Look for the vintage red neon sign out front that says Rainbo Club (not a misspelling). The bar opened in 1936, when the stage was used for burlesque dancers. A good enough location to make a cameo appearance in the movie High Fidelity with John Cusack. Photo booth is a bonus, especially after a few too many.
“My all-time favorite in Chicago. It was a speakeasy during Prohibition. It’s a square room with a smaller square bar and everyone sits around the square. Most of the bartenders are in bands or were in bands, like super important old school metal bands to indie rock bands, so they play great music here. It’s about beer and whiskey, people and music. The windows are blacked out from the street and there’s always different mediocre art up on the walls, but it’s an exquisite bar.”
- Chef Paul Kahan (Avec, Blackbird, The Publican, Big Star in Chicago, IL)
Ukrainian Village | Dive Bar
1150 North Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622
T: 773.489.5999
It’s cocktails, aperitvos and digestivos. The by the glass and bottle list is from family-owned, small production bodegas all over the wine-producing world. Food could be a Spanish sardine out of a can, local cheeses, or oysters.
“You go there and drink Occhipinti (super honest stuff). It’s so unassuming, but so cool and basic and perfect.”
- Master Sommelier, Winemaker, Mezcal Producer Richard Betts (CC: Wine, Betts & Scholl, Sombra Mezcal)
“I like chef Matt Dillon’s whole aesthetic, the way his menu reads, the way his space is laid out, his sense of honestly feeding people , not just trying to be a restauranty chef. He is just the genuine article for me.”
- Chef Jason French (Ned Ludd in Portland, OR)
Capital Hill | Wine Bar
1531 Melrose Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122
T: 206.623.5882
It’s intimate with dark wood walls and floor-to-ceiling liquor bottles. The “Captain’s List” is 59 pages long, ranging from absinthe to seven pages of whiskies to wine.
“Murray Stenson at Canon in Seattle is an impeccable host and mixes a hell of a drink.”
- Bartender Michael Bowers (Modern Hotel & Bar in Boise, ID)
“Canon is a must and it’s where Murray Stenson is at currently. Murray Stenson is a consummate host. He's the only one who represents all that's best about being a bartender. He makes the best drinks, but he does so without any pretension. You can sit in front of him, have a drink, and come back a year later and he remembers your drink.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR)
Capitol Hill | Cocktails
928 12th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122
T: 206.552.9755
It’s is a sake store and tasting room. Owners Johnnie Stroud and his wife Taiko lived in Japan and they are knowledgeable and passionate about premium sakes. Sit at the bar and let Johnnie take you on a journey through the culture and stories behind the bottles they serve.
Pioneer Square | Sake
76 South Washington Street, Seattle, WA 98104
T: 206.467.7253
Very buzzy European style tavern with one of the best bartenders in the country, Jeffrey Morgenthaler.
“Clyde Common is fantastic. Jeff Morgenthaler is one of the best bartenders I know. He understands what it takes to run a program with consistency. He's also been the most widely read blog in the country for cocktails and is so widely respected. Bartenders like when they get to meet him and are just so thankful because they learned from him.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR)
“Jeffery Morgenthaler’s cocktail program has always been innovative (he kicked off the barrel aged cocktail trend a couple years back) but it’s also straightforward and accessible. I’m dying to try one of his latest great ideas: bottled carbonated cocktails. He takes an Americano cocktail and carbonates the Campari, the sweet vermouth and the water, then seals it in a bottle ready for service.”
- Bartender Michael Bowers (Modern Hotel & Bar in Boise, ID)
Southwest Portland | Cocktails
1014 Southwest Stark Street, Portland, OR 97205
T: 503.228.3333
Adjacent to owner / chef Christopher Israel’s Gruner, Kask is an intimate, 25-seat cocktail bar with house-made ingredients for their craft cocktails.
“Tommy Klus is just tremendously talented bartender and a very good host. He has put together a great program.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR)
“Bartender David Shenaut is the man about town in Portland, OR. He has worked at just about every noteworthy cocktail bar in the city, most recently Rum Club and the newly opened Kask.”
- Bartender Ciaran Weise (Portland, OR)
Southwest Portland | Cocktails
1215 Southwest Alder Street, Portland, OR 97205
T: 503.241.7163
Bartender Daniel Shoemaker has an average of thirty drinks on any given menu, which change every three months or less. They make most ingredients in-house, including forty bitters and tinctures from scratch, tonic water, ginger beer, and Amer Picon vermouth.
“Daniel Shoemaker really brought the artisanal cocktail era in Portland. The cocktails are creative, tasty and not fruity. They're just cocktails that make you think. They're very intelligently designed with a lot of thought and I think they really did a great job putting the cocktail program together.”
- Chef Vitaly Paley (Paley’s Place in Portland, OR)
“Daniel Shoemaker is the hardest working bartender that I know. Daniel takes DIY to a ridiculous level. Add loads of talent to tireless drive and you have the recipe for the Teardrop Lounge.”
- Bartender Erik Adkins (The Slanted Door in San Francisco, CA)
“For bartender Ricky Gomez, who is from New Orleans.”
- Bartender Chris McMillian (Bartender / Curator at The Museum of the American Cocktail)
“Because Daniel Shoemaker is a madman with a prep schedule that gives me nightmares. Teardrop keeps a huge variety of house-made ingredients from an Amer Picon replica to aged creole shrubb, a ton of tinctures and god knows what else.”
- Bartender Michael Bowers (Modern Hotel & Bar in Boise, ID)
“It’s where I go to get schooled. My drinks are very sort of normal, just good old plain drinks, whereas they get really crazy. They break the mold. I try to make our drinks fit into the mold and all they do is just break the mold over and over and over again.”
- Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common in Portland, OR)
Northwest Portland | Cocktails
1015 NW Everett Street, Portland, OR 97209
T: 503.445.8109
Owned by Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson, with barman Evan Zimmerman making outstanding cocktails and a notable ice-filled raw bar stocked with oysters, Dungeness crab and prawns.
“Evan Zimmerman is almost avant garde with his exploration of flavor. He is so cutting edge.”
- Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common in Portland, OR)
“Evan Zimmerman is awesome. He's using smoke and char in a lot of things.”
- Bartender Todd Thrasher (PX & TNT in Washington, DC)
“We go to the woodsman Tavern for oysters. It's where I take visiting chefs in Portland.”
- Chef Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon in Portland, OR)
“I go here to get the platter of oysters and the crab. It’s just our old standby and then they have a trout that is not to be missed. Those are our favorite dishes. Their desserts are really good and their cocktails are phenomenal.”
- Ice Cream Maker Kim Malek (Salt & Straw in Portland, OR)
Southeast Portland | New American / Cocktails
4537 SE Division Street, Portland, OR 97206
T: 971.373.8264
If you can get through the reservation and password process, you’ll be rewarded with classic speakeasy-style cocktails. They’re serious about their rules, but also about their drinks.
“It’s that secret knock kind of deal. You have to know somebody to get in.”
- Bartender Ryan Goodspeed (Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami, FL)
“One of my favorite bars.”
- Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim (The Modern Mixologist)
Civic Center | Cocktails
501 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
T: 415.346.1735
Serving modern Vietnamese food along with an eclectic wine list and classic cocktails from bar manager Erik Adkins. Chef Charles Phan is the recipient of the 2011 James Beard Foundation's prestigious Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America.
“Erik Adkins is the best bartender in San Francisco, maybe the country. You need to sit at his bar at Slanted Door. He is a great technician, as well as a historian, but most importantly he is sincere and gracious.”
- Bartender /Restaurateur Thad Vogler (Bar Agricole in San Francisco, CA)
“Slanted Door for Erik Adkins' drinks. He is one of my favorites.”
- Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common in Portland, OR)
“I love the way the food and the wine there combine. And you are right at the heart of wine country and there is no California wine on the list, only Austria, Germany, Loire Valley, Champagne and it is unbelievable with those Vietnamese flavors.”
- Wine Director Cat Silirie (Barbara Lynch Gruppo in Boston)
“I’ve always enjoyed their wine list. It’s very focused and interesting.”
- Wine Director Raj Parr (RN74 in San Francisco, CA)
“For Erik Adkins’ cocktails.”
- Bartender Jim Meehan (PDT in New York, NY)
Also recommended by chef Michael Mina, chef Traci des Jardins.
Financial District | Modern Vietnamese
1 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111
T: 415.861.8032 (make a reservation)
A Tiki bar with a wide range of rums. Their emphasis is on traditional drinks from the Caribbean islands, classic libations of Prohibition-era Havana, and exotic cocktails from legendary Tiki bars.
“No other bar has such a clear and well-articulated concept. Those guys are really passionate and focused. Try anything on that list. It is such a thoughtful and well developed list.”
- Bartender /Restaurateur Thad Vogler (Bar Agricole in San Francisco, CA)
“Martin Cate is a phenomenal mixologist and he's doing all sorts of great things with the concept of Tiki drinks. He knows the classics and can create new drinks that are really extraordinary.”
- Bartender Brother Cleve (First Printer in Cambridge, MA)
“For tiki drinks.”
- Avery and Janet Glasser (Bittermens Bitters)
NOPA | Cocktails
650 Gough Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
T: 415.869.1900
A self-proclaimed natural wine bar and bottle shop. The Punchdown is the result of the two owners meeting while working at a winery in 2007. Their goal is to serve wine from producers who make wine that have an interesting story and taste, in other words, what they call ‘real’ wine.
“It’s one of the places we spend most of our time drinking in the Bay. They can get loud, and they have great by the glass pours and some older stuff.”
- Wine Importers Cory Cartwright and Guilhaume Gerard (Selection Massale Wine Importers)
“A small wine bar with a great list of wine and there is always something new (or old) to try. DC and Lisa, the owners, are always on hand to make a suggestion.”
- Winemaker Jared Brandt (Donkey & Goat Winery in Berkeley, CA)
Uptown Oakland | Wine
2212 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
T: 510.251.0100
The cocktail list is tailored to what barman Vincenzo Marianella sources at the Santa Monica Farmers Market for his hand-crafted drinks.
“On the Westside is Vincenzo Marianella at Copa d’Oro. He’ll make you cocktail concoctions with jams and mustards.”
- Bartender Eric Alperin (Varnish in Los Angeles, CA)
Santa Monica | Cocktails
217 Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90401
T: 310.576.3030
Mediterranean cuisine with handcrafted pastas and farm-fresh seasonal ingredients. There is a choice of an a la carte or tasting menu.
“If I am on the Westside. The crew at Tasting Kitchen on Abbot Kinney has it down. ”
- Bartender Eric Alperin (Varnish in Los Angeles, CA)
Venice | American / Cocktails
1633 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90291
T: 310.392.6644
To get to The Varnish, you enter in the back of downtown L.A.’s legendary Cole’s French Dip and stop at the secret oak door with a picture of a coupe glass on it.
“Eric Alperin is my favorite bartender in L.A. and a tremendous host. More than any of the bartenders I know, he understand the theatrics and remembering that you are on stage and every day is sort of a new performance. He just has a very classic sensibility with his cocktails. We have created this beast that we call dealer's choice and to find someone who just understands classic profile in depth is really exciting.”
- Bartender Daniel Shoemaker (Teardrop Lounge in Portland, OR)
“I love the Varnish. I’ve never had a bad drink. I’ve never even had a not great drink here, everything they do is spot on and everything is done for a reason. They’ve made their decisions of how they want to interpret it and it’s absolutely perfect.”
- Bartender Noah Ellis (Red Medicine in Los Angeles, CA)
“I recommend going to see bartender Eric Alperin and I really think L.A. should get a bigger play in the cocktail scene.”
- Bartender Todd Thrasher (PX & TNT in Washington, DC)
“For Eric Alperin. I love his quote about ice. He said ‘ice is the bartender's fire, that we use ice in the same way that a chef, a cook, would use heat.’ Brilliant! When I heard him say that I thought, of course, genius!”
- Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common in Portland, OR)
Downtown | Cocktails
118 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014
T: 213.622.9999
Serving chef Rene Ortiz’s contemporary Mexican cooking. La Condesa has been honored with a semi-finalist James Beard Foundation Award nomination. Known for the wide selection of tequilas at the bar.
“For tequila and mezcal.”
- Chef Paul Qui (Uchiko in Austin, TX)
“I love [chef] Rene Ortiz, he’s a genius. I think that his food is the best in town, it’s so vibrant. Rene isn’t really constrained by any kind of boundaries. He’s a chef of a Mexican restaurant, but he’ll make kimchi and put it on a taco. He works with bright flavors very well. He’s takes what we consider Mexican food to be, very meat, protein and carbohydrate heavy and the palate he works with is a lot of acid and herbs and bright flavors. Every bite you take at that restaurant is sweet and salty and sour and savory and fatty. It’s cold and hot and textured. He’s kind of an artist. I get so excited if I go and eat there.”
- Chef Jesse Griffiths (Dai Due in Austin, TX)
Second Street District | Mexican
400A West 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701
T: 512.499.0300
This is a craft micro-beer bar, so don’t ask for a Cosmo. Beer Director Kevin Floyd has curated a list of seventy-five drafts and five cask engines. They own forty firkins which they mail off to different breweries and have them filled with interesting, one-off interpretations of their standard beers.
Montrose | Beer
1100 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006
T: 713.528.9805
Make sure to stop into West for a cocktail. David Wolowidnyk is one of the best bartenders in North America. Go dealer's choice and let him concoct something special for you.
“Sample the bar menu and cocktails by my favorite bartender in town, David Wolowidnyk.”
- Chef Angus An (Maenam in Vancouver, BC)
Fairview | Northwest / Cocktails
2881 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3J4, Canada
T: 604.738.8938
Named after owner Alex Baldwin's grandmother who used to work at a pharmacy around the corner. Pull up to the all-white, modernist cocktail apothecary for the cure to whatever ails you.
“For cocktails or a nightcap.”
- Chef David McMillan (Joe Beef in Montreal, QC)
Plateau Mont-Royal | Cocktails
115 Avenue Laurier Ouest, Montreal, QC H2T 2N6, Canada
T: 514.276.4282
Coffee house by day, restaurant by night. Postage stamp size with 25 seats, so people pack in like - well, sardines. Known for their homemade donuts.
“By far, the best cocktails in town! The creativity and accuracy of David Schmith (co-owner) are limitless. He makes his own tonic... that says it all!”
- Chef Ségué Lepage (Le Comptoir De Charcuteries et Vins in Montreal, QC)
“Café Sardine for interesting food from the chef Aaron Langille and tasty cocktails. In the daytime, they are a café and they make great coffee and donuts.”
- Sommelier Etheliya Hananova (Lawrence in Montreal, QC)
Mile End | Coffee & Cocktails
9 Fairmount Est, Montreal, QC H2T 2L9, Canada
T: 514.802.8899
Owned by a group of friends from the restaurant business, it’s an unpretentious neighborhood wine bar serving a brasserie menu.
“A Mile End bar with a nice wine list assembled by Djôsèf. Trendy bar ambiance with the quality of a wine bar.”
- Chef Ségué Lepage (Le Comptoir De Charcuteries et Vins in Montreal, QC)
“I tend to go to places in my neighborhood for late night drinks. Buvette is by far the rowdiest of the lot. Order drinks.”
- Pastry Chef Michelle Marek (SAT Food Lab in Montreal, QC)
“It’s where the chefs hang out after work.”
- Chef Claude Pelletier (Le Club Chasse et Peche in Montreal, QC)
“This is my hotel. I am always there when I’m in Montreal. I think there’s probably a banquette somewhere in there with my name on it.”
- Sommelier Laura Vidal (Frenchie in Paris, France)
Outremont | Wine
4869 Avenue du Parc, Montreal, QC H2V 4E7, Canada
T: 514.750.6577
Right in the heart of Chinatown, the cocktails have an Asian influence with ingredients and herbs sourced locally. House-made tinctures, bitters, syrups and teas.
“I love the Keefer Bar. They consider the qualities and the character of botanicals and they are also the first to start experimenting with sound. Everything has a slightly different vibration, the longer they hang out together, they start to vibrate at the same frequency. Imagine if you apply sound to speed up that process and get a tuning fork with the tone of a C Sharp. You can make two identical cocktails side by side, go out of the room, someone tunes one of those cocktails, you come back and there is a difference. The one that has been tuned is smoother, rounder and the other one still has an edge to it.”
- Bartender David Wolowidnyk (West in Vancouver, BC)
“It's a cool place with casual vibe. They make great cocktails and a lot of our peers are always here.”
- Chef Lucais Syme (La Quercia in Vancouver, BC)
Chinatown | Cocktails
135 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X3, Canada
T: 604.688.1961
Located in the site of Vancouver's first jail. Originally buttressed to the city's main butchery and meat packing district, the idea is to pay homage to the past with their own contemporary spin.
“For bartender Shaun Layton and his cocktails.”
- Bartender Murray Stenson (Canon in Seattle, WA)
“Bartenders Shaun Layton and David Greig are so complimentary to each other. Their cocktails are classically driven, but tweaked to a contemporary side to be a little more interesting. They are wonderful hosts. Their room is quite small, very busy, yet they're always willing and able to take a moment to make each one of their guests feel like an individual and not just a number coming through the door.”
- Bartender David Wolowidnyk (West in Vancouver, BC)
Gastown | Northwest / Cocktails
217 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J2, Canada
T: 604.568.1701
Located in The Hotel Modern in Lee Circle and owned by the same crew from Cure. They're known for their cobblers, which are refreshing, lower proof ice-laden, fruit cocktails that were the rage back in the mid-1800s.
“Created by Neal Bodenheimer, a native New Orleanian who worked in the Manhattan cocktail scene and after Katrina felt compelled to come back home.”
- Bartender Chris McMillian (Bartender / Curator at The Museum of the American Cocktail)
Warehouse District | Cocktails
936 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130
T: 504.962.0911
The F.E.D. Fifty | Cocktail, Wine & Beer Bars
January 9, 2013
Northeast | New York, NY
Snacks & Cocktail at Backbar in Somerville | Cocktail at Drink in Boston
Photograph courtesy of Backbar (Ry Strohm-Herman) | Drink
Mid-Atlantic | Washington, DC Area
Proof On Main in Nashville, TN | TNT Bar in Arlington, VA
Photograph courtesy of Proof On Main | TNT Bar
South | Louisville, KY
South | Nashville, TN
Northeast | Brooklyn, NY
Northeast | Lee, MA
Located in the Berkshires, on a side street in the quaint New England town of Lee, Moe’s is a beer lover’s dream. They dedicate their entire list to craft American beers and American whiskeys. The name is a nod to the Simpsons.
“For pints of craft beers.”
- Owner Nancy Thomas & Executive Chef Joji Sumi (Mezze Bistro + Bar in Williamstown, MA)
Lee | Beer
10 Railroad Street, Lee, MA 01238
T: 413.243.6637
South | Charleston, SC
South | Atlanta, GA
South | Durham, NC
Chef Matt Kelly's Spanish tapas bar located in the old Book Exchange building in the heart of downtown Durham. Extensive wine, beer and sherry list featuring interesting picks from Spain and a few brews from North Carolina. The cocktails also have a Spanish twist to them.
“Matt Kelly is one of those cooks who cooks for cooks and this is his new Spanish tapas bar. We went to Spain together before he opened just to eat. He opened it in the old Book Exchange building.”
- Chef Ashley Christensen (Poole's Diner in Raleigh, NC)
Downtown Durham | Spanish / Tapas / Wine
109 W Chapel Hill Street, Durham, NC 27701
T: 919.530.8700 (make a reservation)
South | New Orleans, LA
Making Cocktails at FIG | The Cocktail Club | Bin 152
Photograph courtesy of FIG | The Cocktail Club | Bin 152
The Edible Manhattan at H. Harper Station in Atlanta | Cocktails at Bellocq in New Orleans
Photograph courtesy of H. Harper Station | Bellocq
Margaritas at Big Star in Chicago, IL | The Pillow Fight Cocktail at The Barrelhouse Flat in Chicago, IL
Photograph courtesy of Big Star | The Barrelhouse Flat
Mid-West | Chicago, IL
Northwest | Seattle, WA
Northwest | Portland, OR
Cocktail at Clyde Common | Daniel Shoemaker’s Cocktails at Teardrop Lounge | Cocktail at Kask
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
West | San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Bourbon & Branch | Erik Adkins’ Cocktails at Slanted Door
Photograph courtesy of Bourbon & Branch | Slated Door
west | Los Angeles, CA
The Varnish | Wine at The Tasting Kitchen
Photographs courtesy of The Varnish | The Tasting Kitchen
Southwest | Austin, TX
Southwest | Houston, TX
Tequila Cocktails at La Condesa in Austin, TX | Beer at Hay Merchant in Houston, TX
Photographs courtesy of La Condesa | Hay Merchant
Canada | Montreal, QC
Cafe Sardine | Cocktails at Baldwin Barmacia
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
Canada | Vancouver, BC
Bartender David Wolowidnyk | Cocktails at Keefer Bar
Photo Credit: Find. Eat. Drink.
