Best Bars to Visit in the U.S.

By Food & Wine
Updated March 08, 2017
Photo courtesy of TNT
When the conversation turns to cocktails, as it often does at Food & Wine, there's one person we listen to loud and clear: Jim Meehan. He's been called many things, including: Bartender of the Year; the bar manager at Manhattan's outstanding PDT; and Deputy Editor of the F&W Cocktail book series. Because this is one of the best times in memory to be drinking great cocktails, we asked Meehan to pick his favorite spots in the country. Here, his picks.
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Trenchermen, Chicago

Photo © Anthony Tahlier

Veteran mixologist Tona Palomino (formerly of NYC's WD-50) serves creative drinks like the Green Hornet, a gin-and-tonic riff made with celery juice and bitters, to pair with bar snacks like pickle tater tots. trenchermen.com

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Café Maude at Loring Park, Minneapolis

Photo © Leslie Hoffman

This bar and bistro concocts inventive cocktails like the Madhatteran: High West Double Rye, amaro, Punt e Mes, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters. Small plates and drink specials are served during their famous daily "leisure hour," which starts at 5 p.m. cafemaude.com

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The Squeaky Bean, Denver

Photo courtesy of The Squeaky Bean

The quirky drinks menu here is based on popular '80s flicks. The "Weird Science" section includes drinks with experimental preparations; the "Rocky III" cocktails are served over hand-cut ice cubes. thesqueakybean.net

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No Vacancy, Hollywood

Photo courtesy of No Vacancy/ Hotel Juniper

Jonnie and Mark Houston spent three years restoring a century-old Victorian-era Hollywood house, then transformed it into an early 20th-century club that blends Wild West saloon with a gentlemen's club. The gin- and whiskey-forward cocktail list was curated by barman Sean Hamilton. He chose a dozen bartenders to contribute recipes for the opening menu. I gave them a white rum, lemon and ginger liqueur drink with a hit of curry. The entrance is the single greatest bar experience ever, but I won't ruin it for you. I will say that if you're going to have aerialist “dancers” at a bar, you might as well have it in L.A., where they know what they're doing. novacancyla.com

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Barmini, Washington, DC

Photo courtesy of ep_jhu/ FLICKR

For his first cocktail-centric spot, renowned chef José Andrés employs many of the avant-garde techniques that made his neighboring restaurant Minibar famous. (Don't forget he pioneered the Salt Air margarita, too.) Head bartender Juan Coronado scours the globe for antique glassware—some dates to the 1920s—for his classic and modern day concoctions. The table behind the bar, where bartenders work as chefs do, is genius. minibarbyjoseandres.com

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Polite Provisions, San Diego

Photo © John Dole

Mixologist Erick Castro is behind the bar program at this reinvention of a 1950s American drugstore hangout. Beer, craft soda and house-made cocktails flow from over 30 different taps. politeprovisions.com

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Range, Washington, DC

Photo © Ken Goodman

This restaurant-bar complex from Bryan Voltaggio creates wild house syrups and infusions. Their "beef ice," made from veal consommé, is used in the Vegan Sacrifice cocktail (Scotch, ginger and cayenne). voltrange.com

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Room 11, Washington, DC

Photo courtesy of Room 11

This corner bar and restaurant in Columbia Heights offers an extensive wine list and a cocktail program focused on amari, aperitifs and digestifs. room11dc.com

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Justice Snow's, Aspen

Photo © Nick Tininenko

This early 1900s–inspired restaurant and bar inside the historic Wheeler Opera House has a comprehensive craft-cocktail list including tableside punch bowls and traditional absinthe foun-tains. Joshua Smith, formerly of TAG and Williams & Graham, is behind the bar. justicesnows.com

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Ace, Denver

Photo © Taryn Kapronica

Patrons can share Asian-influenced plates like Chinese barbecue–glazed ribs along with scorpion bowls, sake and house cocktails between games at this ping-pong hall. acedenver.com

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Billy Sunday, Chicago

Photo © Matthias Merges

At this old-school tavern, chef Matthias Merges of Yusho serves original drinks like Against the Bliss, made with New Western gin, rhubarb sherbet, lemon and rose bitters. billy-sunday.com

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The Kill Devil Club, Kansas City, MO

Photo © Matthew Burasco Photography

Bartender-restaurateur Ryan Maybee consulted on the opening of this "adult oasis" that specializes in live jazz and punches. killdevilclub.com

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Weather Up, Austin

Photo courtesy of Weather Up

This sister location of mixologist-mogul Kathryn Weatherup's New York City bar group serves over 100 custom beverages divided into six categories based on the type of preparation: on the rock; shaken up; tall and cool; stirred up; served long; and fizzes, flips and sours. 512-524-0464

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Silver Dollar, Louisville

Photo courtesy of Silver Dollar

This bar and restaurant is inspired by two things: Bakersfield-style country music and Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. whiskeybythedrink.com

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Proof, Charleston, South Carolina

Photo courtesy of Proof

This 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

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The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, New York City

Photo © Andrew Kist

UK bartenders Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry created this saloon with a nod to old New York. The taproom offers whiskeys and beer; the upstairs parlor serves over 70 historically accurate classic cocktails. deadrabbitnyc.com

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Kask, Portland

Photo courtesy of Kask

This funky saloon next to Grüner Restaurant features a changing selection of small plates, punches and cocktails like Bicycles and Baskets (rye, Aperol, St-Germain elderflower liqueur and lemon). 1215 SW Adler St.

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Ava Gene's, Portland

Photo © Stuart Mullenberg

Barman Evan Zimmerman's carefully curated cocktail list has just eight drinks meant to showcase Italian aperitivos and digestivos like Cynar and grappa. avagenes.com

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Imperial / Penny Diner, Portland

Photo © John Valls

Mixologist Brandon Wise adds clever culinary twists to drinks, incorporating ingredients like hickory chip–infused vermouth in his riff on the Manhattan. There are also two regularly rotating cocktails served on tap. imperialpdx.com

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Sassafrass, Los Angeles

Photo courtesy of Sassafrass

Inspired by the hospitality and charm of the South, Sassafras was constructed from a Savannah town house that was disassembled and relocated to Hollywood. sassafrassaloon.com

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Prizefighter, San Francisco

Photo courtesy of Prizefighter

The straightforward, no-nonsense menu here features specialty punch bowls like Mary Rockett's Milk Punch (brandy, lemon and nutmeg) along with house-made soda-fountain cocktails from Jon Santer. prizefighterbar.com

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Tradition, San Francisco

Photo courtesy of Tradition

This bar from the team behind Bourbon & Branch features vintage American liquor ads and nine "snugs," private booths that were used to seat women in 19th-century pubs. tradbar.com

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Clover, Spokane, WA

Photo © Todd Sackmann

Self-proclaimed liquor geek Kristi Gamble describes the cocktails on Clover's comprehensive menu as crisp, exuberant, effervescent or current. The crisp gin-based Satan's Whiskers includes both sweet and dry vermouth, orange juice and bitters. cloverspokane.com

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The Shanty, Brooklyn, NY

Photo courtesy of New York Distilling Company

This friendly bar connected to the New York Distilling Company makes cocktails using the gin distilled next door and has local beers on tap. nydistilling.com

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Extra Fancy, Brooklyn, NY

Photo © Jess Nash

This upscale clam shack and bar in Williamsburg serves craft beers, ciders, wines by the glass and cocktails like the Willy Bee: Campari, Cinzano bianco, lemon, watermelon and tonic water. extrafancybklyn.com

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Donna Cocktail Club, Brooklyn, NY

Photo © Donna Cocktail Club

Leif Huckman opened this Central American–themed South Williamsburg parlor featuring original cocktails like the Morgan Town, made with bourbon, Ramazzotti amaro, Dolin blanc vermouth and mole bitters. donnabklyn.com

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Booker and Dax, New York City

Photo © Gabriel Estabile

This high-tech cocktail bar next to Momofuku Ssäm Bar is headed by mad scientist–mixologist Dave Arnold, who creates modernist drinks like a Gin and Juice made with clarified grapefruit juice. momofuku.com

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Society Fair, Washington, DC

Photo courtesy of Society Fair

The wine-influenced cocktail list at the bar here is by famed local mixologist Todd Thrasher (also of PX and TNT). societyfair.net

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The Eddy Bar, Washington, DC

Photo courtesy of Eddy Bar

Capitol Hill's alchemy expert Gina Chersevani is behind the bar at this nautical-inspired 20-seat spot inside Hank's Oyster Bar. hanksoysterbar.com

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TNT, Washington, DC

Photo courtesy of TNT

Tucked into the back of Eamonn's restaurant, TNT features graffiti on the walls, hard rock on the stereo and creative drinks like the Cocktail Left on the Nightstand (smoked whiskey and flat Coke). eamonnsdublinchipper.com

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