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  3. Best Speakeasies and Cocktail Lounges

Best Speakeasies and Cocktail Lounges

By Food & Wine
Updated April 25, 2017
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Credit: Photo Courtesy of Roger Room
From classic speakeasies like New York's PDT to The Varnish in L.A., here are the best bars for obsession-worthy cocktails.
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Pouring Ribbons, New York City

Credit: Photo © Paul Wagtouicz

Pouring Ribbons is a project from the Alchemy Consulting team, including Joaquín Simó and Troy Sidle. Cocktails are arranged in an innovative matrix and measured by two scales: "refreshing to spirituous" and "comforting to adventurous." pouringribbons.com

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PDT, New York City

Credit: Photo © Noah Kalina

Mixologist Jim Meehan, deputy editor of Food & Wine Cocktails, obsesses over obscure classic drinks at this excellent reservations-only lounge, whose name means Please Don't Tell. The (unmarked) door is in a phone booth inside the hot dog joint Crif Dogs. pdtnyc.com

  • Lessons from PDT Mixologist Jim Meehan

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Brick & Mortar, Boston

Credit: Photo courtesy of Brick & Mortar

Located above Central Kitchen restaurant, this industrial-cool space features exposed brick, a copper bar and innovative cocktails like the Sentimental Gentleman, made with Scotch and walnut liqueur. brickandmortarbar.com

  • Boston Travel

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Experimental Cocktail Club, New York City

Credit: Photo © Courtesy of Experimental Cocktail Club

Frenchmen Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon and Pierre-Charles Cros are at the helm of this outpost of the Paris-based Experimental Cocktail Club. experimentalcocktailclubny.com

  • New York Travel

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Employees Only, New York City

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This bartender-owned supper club was originally intended to be a late-night gathering spot for fellow bar and restaurant workers. employeesonlynyc.com

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Attaboy, New York City

Credit: Photo © Danica Jorge

Elite bartenders Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy are behind the bar at this little Lower East Side cocktail joint in the former Milk & Honey space. 134 Eldridge St., Manhattan; no phone.

  • Mixologist Sam Ross on Attaboy

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Dutch Kills, New York City

Credit: Photo © Tina Rupp

Modeled after an 1890s saloon, this bar co-owned by Richard Boccato serves classic cocktails made with hand-cut ice. Live jazz and ragtime bands play throughout the week. dutchkillsbar.com

  • Cradle of Life Cocktail Recipe

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Little Branch, New York City

Credit: Photo © Darcy Strobel

At this subterranean lounge owned by Milk & Honey's Sasha Petraske and cocktail expert Joseph Schwartz, the sharply dressed staff mixes drinks with ice custom-made for each glass. facebook.com

  • Little Branch's Silver Lining Cocktail Recipe

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Death & Co., New York City

Credit: Photo © Quentin Bacon

Joaquín Simó and the other bartenders at this East Village destination have an encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails. deathandcompany.com

  • Mother's Ruin Punch Recipe

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Hop Sing Laundromat, Philadelphia

Credit: Photo © Danya Henninger, ImagicDigital.com

Led by an eccentric barman-proprietor known only as Lêe, this speakeasy has strict house rules: no cell phones and no photos. Concoctions include the Henry "Box" Brown, made with fresh red grape juice and aged rum. hopsinglaundromat.com

  • Philadelphia Travel

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The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.

Hidden in a building that fronted the largest alcohol-smuggling ring in the U.S. during Prohibition, this lounge maintains a speakeasy feel. Dapper bartenders serve spot-on classics, plus tasty new inventions like the Peckinpah (mezcal, rum, lime juice and blackberry-habanero syrup). thefranklinbar.com

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1 Tippling Place, Philadelphia

Credit: Photo Courtesy of 1 Tippling Place

A rotating list of barrel-aged cocktails and seasonal punches anchors the menu at this cozy mid-20th-century-style parlor. 1tpl.com

  • Philadelphia Bars

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PX, Alexandria, VA

Credit: Photo © Ken Wyner Photography

Todd Thrasher makes the cocktails at this chandelier-lit speakeasy (there's no sign outside, just a blue light). It's owned by the team behind the terrific Restaurant Eve. eamonnsdublinchipper.com

  • Washington, DC Travel

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Trick Dog, San Francisco

Credit: Photo © Allson Webber Photography

Inspired by the Pantone guide, Trick Dog offers a color wheel–themed cocktail menu. The white-hued Polar Bear, for instance, is made with mezcal, Dolin blanc and crème de menthe. trickdogbar.com

  • San Francisco Travel

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Hotel Juniper, Los Angeles

Credit: Photo courtesy of Hotel Juniper

The Houston brothers' (Harvard & Stone, Pour Vous) newest project has a hidden entrance, a gift shop selling candy and nostalgic items and 12 of L.A.'s most talented mixologists behind the bar. The menu is gin-and whiskey-forward. 1727 N. Hudson Ave.; 323-465-1902

  • Los Angeles Travel

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The Varnish, Los Angeles

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Varnish

The Varnish is accessed through a secret door at Cole’s, the destination French Dip restaurant. thevarnishbar.com

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Midnight Cowboy, Austin

Credit: Photo courtesy of Midnight Cowboy

Located in a former brothel behind an unmarked door, this reservations-only lounge from Alamo Drafthouse beverage director Bill Norris (P.118) focuses on tableside cocktail presentations to encourage customer interaction. midnightcowboymodeling.com

  • Austin Travel

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The Violet Hour, Chicago

Credit: Photo Courtesy of The Violet Hour

With chandeliers and a fireplace, this lounge is modeled after early-19th-century English clubs and French salons. Floor-to-ceiling curtains define three rooms, where guests enjoy concoctions like Baron's Brew (tea-infused gin, lemon juice, neroli-violet syrup and house-made tonic). theviolethour.com

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Scofflaw, Chicago

Credit: Photo © You Me Us Now

This speakeasy-style parlor specializes in gin cocktails; mixologist and owner Danny Shapiro, formerly of the Whistler, is at the helm. scofflawchicago.com

  • Chicago Travel

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Williams & Graham, Denver, CO

Credit: Photo © Adam Larkey Photography

Guests pass through a door disguised as a bookcase to reach barman Sean Kenyon's speakeasy-style cocktail haven. Kenyon's signature drinks include the Blackberry Sage Smash: fresh blackberries, sage and Williams & Graham Select Single Barrel Knob Creek bourbon, bottled from barrels specially chosen by Kenyon. williamsandgraham.com

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Drink, Boston

Credit: Photo © Justin Ide

Star chef Barbara Lynch’s bar dispenses with menus; mixologist John Gertsen and his team custom-make drinks like the Golden State for each guest. drinkfortpoint.com

  • Golden State Cocktails Recipe

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The Regent Cocktail Club, Miami and Miami Beach

Credit: Photo courtesy of The Pass & Provisions

With wood accents, cocktails served neat and a cigar-friendly patio, this retro lounge harks back to the hotel's opening in 1941. galehotel.com

  • Miami Travel

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Roger Room, West Hollywood

Credit: Photo Courtesy of Roger Room

To find this tiny, speakeasy-like bar, look for the neon tarot card signs for the fortune- telling parlor next door. Dapper bartenders make drinks like the Thug: bourbon, honey liqueur, lemon juice and habanero-infused bitters. 370 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; 310-854-1300

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Everything in This Slideshow

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1 of 23 Pouring Ribbons, New York City
2 of 23 PDT, New York City
3 of 23 Brick & Mortar, Boston
4 of 23 Experimental Cocktail Club, New York City
5 of 23 Employees Only, New York City
6 of 23 Attaboy, New York City
7 of 23 Dutch Kills, New York City
8 of 23 Little Branch, New York City
9 of 23 Death & Co., New York City
10 of 23 Hop Sing Laundromat, Philadelphia
11 of 23 The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., Philadelphia
12 of 23 1 Tippling Place, Philadelphia
13 of 23 PX, Alexandria, VA
14 of 23 Trick Dog, San Francisco
15 of 23 Hotel Juniper, Los Angeles
16 of 23 The Varnish, Los Angeles
17 of 23 Midnight Cowboy, Austin
18 of 23 The Violet Hour, Chicago
19 of 23 Scofflaw, Chicago
20 of 23 Williams & Graham, Denver, CO
21 of 23 Drink, Boston
22 of 23 The Regent Cocktail Club, Miami and Miami Beach
23 of 23 Roger Room, West Hollywood

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Best Speakeasies and Cocktail Lounges
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