Top six US bars to visit in 2015

North America’s bartending legends are playing a game of musical chairs just now, but letting us have all the fun, discovers Jenny Adams

If you happen to be in the glorious US, these are the six bars you must visit

American bars for 2015 are all about returning to the simpler things in life and this year will see a lot of movement, especially in terms of bartenders swapping states.

Erick Castro of San Diego’s Polite Provisions packed up his bartools for a move to Manhattan and is now one of the key players in Boilermaker, an East Village bar focused around simple-but-interesting beer and shot pairings.

Meanwhile New York legends Christy Pope and Chad Solomon have opened a spot in Dallas, Texas, and they aren’t the only ones making waves in that southern state.

There’s a charity collective running a philanthropic saloon in Houston, and one Washington D.C. bartender’s trip to Spain resulted in a stateside Sherry bar that has definitely raised the global standard in terms of wine in cocktails.

The ideas and flavours in North America are as fresh as ever, but if you had to categorise this year’s approach to serving guests, it would be smarter, less flashy designs, the trimming of cocktail menus, opting for three or four-ingredient drinks, and, of course, Sherry. The result? America’s bar scene is strutting out in 2015 with the look of a finely tailored, timeless suit.

In our November 2014 issue we enlisted the assistance of experts across the globe to help us pick the best bars in five regions that will rise to prominence over the next 12 months. They may not be open yet, or may be stalwarts on the local bar scene, but each one is most definitely pushing the boundaries of imbibing culture.

Click through the following pages to discover our pick of the US Bars to Watch in 2015, as well as our Bar of the Year.

Boilermaker – NYC

What’s old is new again and in the bar world this thought process brought us Boilermaker. The team behind the East Village Industrial Revolution-style bar includes Erick Castro (Polite Provisions) and Greg Boehm (Cocktail Kingdom), and the menu is focused around the drinking custom of its namesake – a simple beer and shot combo. However, this place adds a dash of panache to the simple serve by selecting craft brews and craft spirits. Cocktails also get equal billing, with four on tap and two Punches by the pitcher.

ABV – San Francisco, California

While you’ll find trendy ingredients like Cappelletti bitters, oloroso Sherry, and house-made grapefruit Shrub in the drinks, alongside rare kegs from Santa Rosa’s Moonlight Brewing, the space is far more neighbourhood hangout than craft cocktail bar. It’s fun, and the only thing that’s incredibly serious about ABV is the lack of pretention and the knowledge of the staff. They only hired top class bartenders and everyone works every type of shift. That means your server knows the nuances of the esoteric Tequilas they carry and your barback makes a killer Last Word. What it really means is a cohesive team; they create the appealing atmosphere as much as the drinks or the fun finger foods do.

Okra Charity Saloon – Houston, Texas

You could love this darling place on name alone, and while it’s not new – 2015 will mark its third year – its aim and outreach continues to grow. Okra is actually a 501c(6) – a business league in other words – comprised of about 20 Houston restaurant, bar and coffee shop owners who focus on giving small food and beverage businesses a strong voice within the Houston community. Each month four charities are selected by Okra’s members and put into a voting process. At the end of the month, the winner receives the proceeds from the following month. So far, they’ve raised over US$400,000 serving up classics like delicious Blackstrap Rum Daiquiris, interesting Punches on the weekends and a mainly local beer list. It washes down a perfect side basket of fried okra, naturally.

Death & Co. – NYC

No party was more packed in Manhattan this fall than the Death & Co. cocktail book release bash. Easily one of the most famous bars in the world, for both its sexy design and an equally sultry and smart cocktail list, this place made headlines again with the book that features more than 500 recipes. There are also chapters on drink theory and philosophy and hundreds of images that will make everyone want to revisit the bar that helped birth the modern cocktail movement.

Midnight Rambler – Dallas, Texas

New York cocktail talents Chad Solomon and Christy Pope brought some glam to Dallas in the fall of 2014 in the basement of the Joule Hotel. The feeling is glam-meets-1970s Kansas City and the list is split into creative categories. It’s invitingly inventive from looks to sips, and the drinks are unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere. Their Pho King Champ shot combines wheat vodka, oloroso Sherry, aromatised beef stock and cilantro leaf.

North American bar to watch 2015: Trickdog – San Francisco, California

The BON Vivants – Josh Harris and Scott Baird – have been in the bar world for quite some time. When these masterminds behind the charity pig roasts “Pig & Punch” and “Swig & Swine,” which are held annually at some of the world’s biggest beverage conferences, decided to open a bar in 2013, spirits enthusiasts around the world took note.

At its heart a neighborhood joint with creative, easy-going tipples and a good roster of tunes on the stereo, Trick Dog’s rise to fame has been rapid. They even took home a 2014 Spirited Award for the best American bar team at Tales of the Cocktail this past July. The fun is in the details here, from menus made into colour wheels or printed on old record albums to the main reason you arrive – the stellar cocktails.

In fact, the biannual menu launches have become something of an event in the city. We love the looks of Cliff House, with Tequila Ocho Plata, chamomile wine, velvet falernum and chocolate, and get excited by the food too, which includes sides like their chickpea falafel served on sticks with guajillo chilli harissa.