News The People's Best New Bars: Southeast Contenders The People’s Best New Bars award, presented by Roca Patrón, is Food & Wine’s first-ever poll to rank the most incredible drink destinations in the country. We want to know what you think are the most innovative new bars in the Southeast. By F&W Editors Updated on May 23, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email The People’s Best New Bars award, presented by Roca Patrón, is Food & Wine’s first-ever poll to rank the most incredible drink destinations in the country. We want to know what you think are the most innovative new bars in America. Regions:Northeast, Midwest, West/Southwest, Southeast, Northwest/MountainSoutheast Area Bars The 404 The Broken Shaker Cane & Table Down One Bourbon Bar Dutch & Company Edmund’s Oast El Camino Husk The Imperial Life Kimball House Mateo Bar de Tapas The Ordinary Oxalis Paper Plane Pinewood Social Proof The Regent Cocktail Club SoBou Tiki Tolteca TNT Photo © Caroline Dryden The 404 NashvillePart of the boutique Hotel 404, this new Southern restaurant is located in a repurposed shipping container. The drinks are likewise unconventional: the Nearest Green (photo), is made with Tennessee whiskey, apple brandy, Benton’s bacon and citrus-infused honey. the404nashville.com Photo © Adrian Gaut The Broken Shaker Miami BeachFeaturing handcrafted cocktails made with elixirs, syrups and infusions made from garden herbs, spices and exotic ingredients, the Broken Shaker offers bar-goers a concise list of innovative drinks, such as Trinidad and Ta-Boo-Ya, made with a spiced Trinidad sorrel reduction. thefreehand.com/venues/the-broken-shaker Photo © Kevin O'Mara Cane & Table New OrleansLocated in New Orleans’s French Quarter in a building that is more than 200 years old, Cane & Table is known for Nick Detrich’s rum-based (“proto-tiki”) cocktails that pay homage to the way people used to drink (and eat) in the Caribbean. caneandtablenola.com Photo courtesy of Down One Bourbon Bar & Restaurant. Down One Bourbon Bar Louisville, KY Located on what locals call “Whiskey Row,” this spot boasts a collection of 120 bourbons, including rare bottles. Customers can indulge in a bourbon flight or order a specialty cocktail, like the 7 Across the Board (photo), made with Angel’s Envy bourbon, blackberries and raspberry-sage syrup. downonebourbonbar.com Photo © Kendal Dennis Dutch & Company Richmond, VAA wide range of spirits and innovative cocktails, like the Basil Smash (photo)—a combination of Tito’s vodka, elderflower liqueur, grapefruit cordial, lemon and basil—highlight Michelle Peake-Shriver’s drinks list at this charming restaurant. dutchandcompany.tumblr.com Photo courtesy of Edmund's Oast. Edmund's Oast Charleston, SCAmong the notable cocktails at this bar named for Charleston beer brewing pioneer Edmund Egan: the Desert Bloom, made with tequila, amaro, bitters, honey and sage, and The Brown Derby, made with rye whiskey, Scotch and grapefruit. Owners Scott Shor and Rich Carley focus on craft beers, too, like the Breakfast at the Still, brewed with Bittermilk Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashioned mix, oak staves and muscovado sugar. edmundsoast.com Photo © Chris Winzke El Camino Louisville, KYThis eclectic, surf-punk-meets-Mexican-street-food-cart-and-tiki-bar melting pot offers a variety of tropical drinks, such as daiquiris and mai tais, and—for more ambitious groups of drinkers—a handful of four- to six-person punch bowls, like the Luau Scorpion (photo), a throwback to a classic 1950s recipe made with rum, gin, Cognac and orgeat. elfreakingcamino.com Photo courtesy of Husk Nashville. Husk NashvilleHusk has a rotating menu of bourbon-heavy classic cocktails, mirroring the city’s historic roots and the restaurant’s commitment to serving seasonal ingredients. The signature cocktail Garden of the Gods (photo), made with pisco and rhum agricole, features lavender cordial and chamomile tincture. husknashville.com Photo © Anthony Abraira The Imperial Life Asheville, NCBoasting an extensive spirit selection, esoteric wine varietals, local beers and craft cocktails, the Imperial Life offers drinks such as Between the Sheets, made with rum, Cognac, Cointreau Noir and lemon. Indecisive drinkers can opt for a Bartender’s Choice. imperialbarasheville.com Photo © Andrew Thomas Lee Kimball House AtlantaLocated in the former Decatur railway depot, Kimball House features an extensive absinthe selection as well as Miles Macquarrie’s signature cocktails, such as the Parisian Zombie (photo), made with two types of rum, Cognac and falernum. kimball-house.com Photo courtesy of Mateo Bar de Tapas. Mateo Bar de Tapas Durham, NCBar-goers can take advantage of Mateo Tapas’s impressive sherry collection—one of the largest in the country—by ordering a glass, a bottle or one of the tasting flights, or by sampling a house cocktail, such as the Rye Malvado, made with amontillado, vermouth and saffron. mateotapas.com Photo © Andrew Cebulka The Ordinary Charleston, SCThe drinks menu at chef Mike Lata’s oyster bar is tightly focused, offering just a handful of carefully crafted cocktails at a time, like the Echo, Echo, made with gin, grapefruit, green Chartreuse and falernum. eattheordinary.com Oxalis New OrleansThe whiskey-focused menu of this Bywater establishment includes the Nostalgic Old-Fashioned (patron’s choice of any plastic-cap whiskey) and a selection of boilermakers. oxalisbywater.com Photo © Andrew Thomas Lee Paper Plane Decatur, GAMixologist Paul Calvert (formerly of Pura Vida and the Sound Table) is behind this smart, sexy restaurant-bar on the outskirts of Atlanta. the-paper-plane.com Photo © Andrea Behrends Pinewood Social NashvilleBar manager Matt Tocco serves everything from original cocktails, like the District 9 (photo), made with rye, absinthe and French aperitif liqueur Maurin Quina, to pitchers of the house-made shandy (Miller High Life and grapefruit) to those taking advantage of the bowling alley or bocce ball court or just hanging out. pinewoodsocial.com Photo © Andrew Cebulkas Proof Charleston, SCThis bar features a rotating menu of chalkboard specials (duck rillettes, sloppy joes) and sophisticated cocktails like a Dark and Stormy made with house ginger beer. facebook.com/proofcharleston Photo © LDV Hospitality The Regent Cocktail Club Miami BeachAt what must be the only bar in raucous South Beach with a 1920s vibe, Julio Cabrera, Angelo Viera and Danny Valdez specialize in classic drinks, such as daiquiris, Old Fashioneds and Sidecars. galehotel.com/nightlife/regent-cocktail-club Photo © SoBou SoBou New OrleansCreole street food is king at this restaurant south of Bourbon Street, where they serve Two Bit (25-cent) martinis during lunch. Head bar chef Abigail Gullo (formerly of NYC’s Fort Defiance and The Beagle) creates cocktails like the Charbonneau Way (photo), made with rye whiskey, Suze, maple syrup and fresh thyme. sobounola.com Photo courtesy of Tiki Tolteca. Tiki Tolteca New OrleansOn the second floor of a taqueria, Tiki Tolteca uses spirits that are made in-house each week to create traditional tiki favorites as well as fun creations such as the Original Zombie Punch. The menu warns that anyone who drinks it will turn undead. felipestaqueria.com Photo © Vina Sananikone, Eat Good Food Group TNT Arlington, VATNT features graffiti on the walls, hard rock on the sound system and creative drinks, all inspired by music. The Harry Nilsson V:2014 (photo) is made with gin, coconut water, house-made lemon bitters and lemongrass-ginger syrup. bartnt.com Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit