Top 10 best American cocktail bars
The US has one of the most exciting and innovative cocktail scenes in the world, as this list of the 10 best cocktail bars in the country shows.
These are the 10 best American cocktail bars as selected by the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited AwardsFrom fun tiki rum bars, to gastro-mixology joints and whisky emporiums, a host of exciting venues continue to defy expectations and shape the US cocktail scene.
Recently, the world’s foremost cocktail and spirits trade show, Tales of the Cocktail, announced its top 10 Spirited Awards finalists, including those in the Best American Cocktail Bar category.
This category represents the breadth of talent and creativity pervading the US bar scene, from Houston to San Francisco.
Click through the following pages to see the top 10 best American cocktail bars, as identified by Tales of the Cocktail’s Best American Cocktail Bar finalists.
If your favourite bar has been missed off this list, let us know by leaving a comment below.
Anvil Bar & Refuge, Houston
Houston’s Anvil Bar & Refuge serves an array of innovative cocktails – created by three self-proclaimed “cocktail freaks” – with a sizeable dose of southern hospitality.
The establishment makes it their mission to produce “spirit-forward drinks made with fresh ingredients” and prides itself on offering house-made bitters, sodas, liqueurs and infusions.
Anvil’s owners claim: “In developing the concept for Anvil, we envisioned a return to the elegant simplicity of a past era when cocktails were fashioned with pride and bartending was a respected profession that took years of apprenticing to master. It is this sense of history that we embrace at our establishment.
“We also enjoy the opportunity to share good conversation with our customers and impart the historical factoids and lyrical stories about spirits and drinks we’ve collected along the way.”
For more information, click here.
The Aviary, Chicago
The Aviary openly embraces a high-end gastronomic style of mixology, training its bartenders with the same diligence as Michelin-starred chefs.
Fruit and herbs used to create the bar’s cocktails are sourced daily and can be viewed in its innovate “porthole” glasswear (pictured above).
Operated by chef Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, The Aviary also claims to be a bar “where the name and branding of the spirit mixed is less important than its actual flavour; where drinks are made quickly and consistently in a state-of-the-art drink kitchen; where innovation and tradition are both honoured”.
For more information, click here.
canon: whiskey and bitters emporium, Seattle
Said to have “the western hemisphere’s largest spirits collection”, Seattle’s canon: whiskey and bitters emporium has a truly outstanding bar programme – a 94-page homage to spirits, nine of which are dedicated to rare whiskies.
A must-see for cocktail lovers who venture to the city, this bar has been nominated by Tales of the Cocktail for its innovative cocktail menu.
Mixed innovations available include the Sherry Cobbler (olorosso Sherry, patxaran, maraschino, Angostura, mint, fruit), aged cocktail Latin Trifecta (Tequila, cynar, sherry aged in a Westland single malt barrel and on tap), and the “lavish” US$1,100 Vintage Brandy Crusta (J G Monnet Cognac 1875, Cointreau 1930, Maraschino 1960, fresh lemon, Peychaud’s)
Just to demonstrate its dedication to the industry, every panel of wood in canon is stained with Angostura bitters.
For more information, click here.
Cure, New Orleans
Cure adopts a decidedly medicinal concept in its approach to cocktail-making, inspired by the historical period when cocktails grew out of medicine and home remedies.
“Our idea at Cure is to reintroduce our guests to another time where the experience of having a cocktail and a bite to eat was both healthful and enjoyable,” said the bar.
Some of these “healthful” libations include the V.E.P Last Word (Miller’s Westbourne Strength Gin, Green Chartreuse, V.E.P. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, lime), Armagnac Sidecar (Francis Darroze Reserve Speciale Bas Armagnac, 24 Royal Combier Orange Liqueur, lemon), and the Pechuga (Del Maguey Pechuga, Siembra Azul Anejo, agave nectar, Bittermen’s Mole Bitters, Bittercube orange bitters, orange peel).
Not all of Cure’s cocktails are quite so extravagant, as classic cocktails are available at a reasonable price, as is the classic shot and beer pairing.
For more information, click here.
The Dead Rabbit, New York
A “rough and ready” saloon bar, inspired by the name of a notorious Irish gang which ruled New York’s streets in the 19th Century, has caused quite a stir since it launched at the end of 2012.
With New York’s best selection of Irish whiskey, The Dead Rabbit is situated in a two-storey commercial building dating back to 1828.
Before the bar officially opened, head bartender Jack McGarry immersed himself in drinks recipes from the era, creating 72 “historically accurate” drinks inspired by Jerry Thomas and his peers, including punch bowls.
The Dead Rabbit won last year’s Spirited Award for World’s Best New Cocktail Bar, while McGarry won International Bartender of the Year.
For more information, click here.
Noble Experiment, San Diego
The Nobel Experiment is nothing if not elusive, secretly hidden inside a popular San Diego restaurant, which can only be accessed through a door disguised as a pack of kegs.
With gold chandeliers and walls lined with brass skulls and Rembrandt paintings, the bar perfectly embodies a cool, upmarket gothic style and sophisticated ambience.
Reservations by text are mandatory.
For more information, click here.
Prizefighter, Emeryville
Located in Emeryville, California, Prizefighter has set itself the task of “gently nudging the bar industry and the drinking public in the direction we think it should be going”.
Without pomp or pretension, the bar serves high class cocktails in a relaxed, fun and friendly setting, steering away from “marketing hype”.
Prizefighter’s cocktail menu is small and simple, ranging from a Moscow Mule (vodka, lime and ginger beer), to Nuevo Viejo (Scotch, maple and bitters).
For more information, click here.
Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco
Witness the Tiki theme in overdrive at the much-talked about San Francisco rum hotspot Smuggler’s Cove.
Featuring traditional drinks of the Caribbean islands, classic libations of Prohibition-era Havana, and exotic cocktails from legendary Tiki bars, the venue offers a colourful antidote to the serious speakeasy.
When asked “Why rum?,” owner Martin Cate says “There just isn’t a more fascinating spirit in the world…. Revolution, triumph, piracy, war, sailors, celebration, and unspeakable human tragedy are in every glass. No other spirit has the history or the versatility.”
Smuggler’s Cove features 200 variations of the spirit, including vintage and rare bottlings, as well as its own house rum produced by craft distillery St George Spirits.
For more information, click here.
Trick Dog, San Francisco
In 2010, the team behind Bon Vivants launched Trick Dog, described as a “kick ass, well-made, no bullshit, neighborhood cocktail bar with great music, delicious drinks and food”.
The bar’s 12 cocktails are named after each of the star signs and are catered their individual character traits.
The Aries cocktail, aimed at those who are “reckless and determined”, consists of Pierde Almas mezcal, Ancho Reyes, Pampero rum, Pedro Ximenez, and black tea bitters.
For more information, click here.
Williams & Graham, Denver
This authentic speakeasy bar is hidden behind a bookshelf and is one of the hottest venues in Denver.
Guests can sit at banquet tables surrounded by rich upholstery and gaze at bartenders creating a host of extravagant libations behind the bar.
Cocktails on the menu include the Bardstown Baptist (Elijah Craig 12yr bourbon, Pierre Ferrand pineau des charentes, Cynar, Bittermans amere nouvelle) and the Sexual Chocolate (Rittenhouse rye whiskey, Cocchi Torino vermouth, Cynar, Leopold Bros. maraschino liqueur, Bittermans chocolate mole bitters).
For more information, click here.
