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The 27 Hottest Cocktail Destinations Across the Country, Fall 2014

Where to drink cocktails, right now.

by Hillary Dixler Canavan
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by Hillary Dixler Canavan

It's Cocktail Week, everyone, so here now are the 27 hottest places to get cocktails in America right now. From a dark New York City stunner (The NoMad Bar) to a sun-soaked rooftop in San Diego (Fairweather), the bars and restaurants on this list share a commitment to excellence in the field of mixed drinks. As always, the bars and restaurants listed below opened within the past year and are presented in alphabetical order. Here now, the Eater Heatmap to the United States' newest cocktail destinations.

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Abe Fisher

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The Jewish deli theme of chef Mike Solomonov's new restaurant Abe Fisher carries through to its cocktail program, reports Eater Philly. Think ingredients like barrel-aged Manischewitz and dill pickle juice.[Photo: Eater Philly]

1623 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 867-0088
(215) 867-0088

ABV

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A group of industry vets are behind this Mission hotspot. The lengthy beverage menu is organized by spirit, and cocktail recipes are "rooted in San Francisco and its history" writes Eater SF.[Photo: Patricia Chang]

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 400-4748
(415) 400-4748

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Alden & Harlow

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Eater Boston describes this restaurant as "hugely popular" with "a thriving bar scene." Not only is there an ever-chaning menu of cocktails, including one on draft, there's also an obsession-worthy burger.[Photo: Meg Jones Wall]

40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 864-2100
(617) 864-2100

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The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box

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This Kickstarter-funded bar is heating up the Portland cocktail scene with its house-made bitters and inspired drinks. The vibe here is " a cross between a hippie love fest and an exclusive speakeasy," reports Eater Maine, making it "unlike anything else in town."[Photo: Corey Templeton]

644 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101

Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour

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The co-founder of Arizona Cocktail Week opened this stylish drinking destination in downtown Phoenix. The menu spans an impressive 25 pages, and the location is fittingly in a historic building that once housed the Prohibition Department.[Photo: Facebook]

1 W Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 340-1924
(602) 340-1924

Bound

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London's star bartender Salvatore Calabrese is a natural fit for Vegas, where he is behind this stunning cocktail lounge. The menu includes classics, espresso cocktails, and champagne cocktails. [Photo: Eater Vegas]

3595 S Las Vegas Blvd (inside The Cromwell), Paradise, NV 89109

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BrilliantShine

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This restaurant serves Peruvian-inspired food but according to Eater LA, you want to come here for the drinks. The menu leans towards craft whiskey cocktails, but there's libations of every stripe and a bartender's choice too.[Photo: Official Site]

522 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-0045
(310) 451-0045

Also featured in:

CellarDoor

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Housed in a former brothel, this restaurant proclaims on its website: "We serve craft cocktails and aren't pretentious about it." The cocktail menu boasts classic and original creations, plus at brunch the Mimosas, Bloodys, Screwdrivers, and Greyhounds are bottomless.[Photo: Eater NOLA]

921 Lafayette St, New Orleans, LA 70113

Damn the Weather

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This Pioneer Square bar has been making a name for itself in the Seattle cocktail scene since opening its doors this summer. Reasonably priced house cocktails share menu space with a quirky menu of bar snacks like the "FG & J" with foie gras, passionfruit jelly, and luxardo. [Photo: S. Pratt]

116 1st Avenue S, Seattle, WA
(206) 946-1283
(206) 946-1283

Also featured in:

Detroit City Distillery

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This is the second distillery to open in Detroit since Prohibition, reports Eater Detroit. Detroit City Distillery is making their own gins, whiskeys, and vodkas and serving them in a menu of classic and original cocktails. [Photo: Eater Detroit]

2462 Riopelle Street, Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 338-3760
(313) 338-3760

Dram and Grain

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This is the reservation-only cocktail bar located under Eater DC 38 member Jack Rose. The somewhat experimental cocktail list at this exclusive haunt recently expanded, so keep an eye out for new offerings.[Photo: Dram & Grain]

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Also featured in:

Drawing Room Bar & Lounge

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Showman/bartender Albert Trummer has landed in Miami with the Drawing Room at the Shelbourne resort. This is an "apothecary" where "drinks are created with a special assortment of house-made elixirs and bitters" reports Eater Miami.[Photo: Official Site]

1801 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-1271
(305) 531-1271

Edmund's Oast

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At the restaurant/pub Edmund's Oast, 2013 Eater Young Gun and head bartender Jayce McConnell is serving a playful menu of cocktails like the popular Red Wedding: Elijah Craig 12 Year, Amaro Averna, orange peel, and hibiscus/thyme sweet tea ice cubes.[Photo: Rebecca Gallagher]

1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-1145
(843) 727-1145

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Fairweather

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This breezy and beautiful rooftop bar above the restaurant Rare Form is a "hidden gem bar-within-a-bar" writes Eater San Diego. Aside from the gorgeous setting, drinkers can expect to find an extensive cocktail list with a focus on mezcal, tequila, and rum.

795 J St, San Diego, CA 92101

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Grandpa Johnson's

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Eater LA describes the cocktail menu at this small bar as "tight and well-curated." Located in Hollywood's Cahuenga corridor, the interiors here are a classy take on Art Deco style.[Photo: Elizabeth Daniels]

1638 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028

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Half Step

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This is the cocktail bar from Chris Bostick, known for his work at The Varnish in Los Angeles. Eater Austin says Half Step has "friendly service and [an] intimate setting" and an ice program that "demonstrates a serious commitment to quality."[Photo: Shannon Kintner/EATX]

75 1/2 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 391-1877
(512) 391-1877

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Heyday

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This restaurant is divided into a dining room and a bar. Over on the drinking side of things, Eater Minneapolis writes the "drinks are both forward thinking and familiar at once" in a setting that's "fast become ground zero quintessential Minneapolis drinking."[Photo: Katie Cannon]

2700 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55408
(612) 200-9369
(612) 200-9369

The Luminary

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At chef Eli Kirshtein's The Luminary there are top-notch cocktails from a bartender with serious bona fides: Ian Cox, formerly of Wrecking Bar and frequent in the bartending competition circuit.[Photo: The Luminary]

99 Krog St NE Suite Y, Atlanta, GA 30307

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Moving Sidewalk

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At Moving Sidewalk, cocktail guru Alex Gregg is designing clever and sophisticated cocktails. Take, for example, the White Lady → Corpse Reviver 2, which Eater Houston describes as "a magic trick of mixology that starts out as a the first drink before fading into the second."[Photo: Facebook]

306 Main St, Houston, TX 77002
(832) 708-6195
(832) 708-6195

Nitecap

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This Lower East Side cocktail den has some serious fire power behind it: David Kaplan and Alex Day are both of Death & Co., and Natasha David is formerly of Maison Premiere. Per Eater Ny, the extensive menu is "organized by how far along you are in the evening: aperitifs to get you started, drinks to keep you going, and, obviously, a few night caps."[Photo: Daniel Krieger]

120 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
(212) 466-3361
(212) 466-3361

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The NoMad Bar

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New York City's biggest bar opening of the year is a stunner. Eater critic Ryan Sutton was impressed with the classy cocktail from the EMP team, writing: "Take a seat at the bar and ask for something with Islay Scotch, as few other bartenders make such compelling creations with the peaty potable."[Photo: Nick Solares]

10 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001

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Paper Plane

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Paper Plane is the cocktail bar that neighbors sister project/brat and beer destinaiton Orignal Gravity. Eater contributor Jeffrey Cianci writes that "a large list of old school and experimental cocktails can be found here as well as barrel-aged cocktails and house punch creations."[Photo: Facebook]

72 S 1st St, San Jose, CA 95113

Parliament

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This cocktail bar is "dimly lit and sexy with a friendly, welcoming vibe" reports Eater Dallas. The binder's worth of cocktails on offer range from the classic to the creative, like a whiskey cocktail made with deer antler extract. [Photo: K. Davidson]

2418 Allen St., Dallas, TX 75204
(469) 804-4321
(469) 804-4321

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Pépé le Moko

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Eater PDX calls this smash hit bar from the Clyde Common team a "not-so-secret speakeasy." The menu takes head on the drinks that bartenders often avoid, like the Long Island Iced Tea and flavored martinis.[Photo: Facebook]

407 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 546-8537
(503) 546-8537

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Pinewood Social

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Two words: Cocktails and outdoor pools. That's what's happening at this restaurant and gathering space, where the bar program is headed by Rolf & Daughters alum Matt Tocco and drinkers can also try their hand at karaoke or bowling.[Photo: Eater Nashville]

33 Peabody St, Nashville, TN 37210
(615) 751-8111
(615) 751-8111

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Sportsman's Club

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This bar combines "elements of a cocktail lounge, classic Chicago dive, French hunting club and retail store" writes Eater Chicago. Keep an eye out for cocktails that utilize the bar's amaro machine.[Photo: Marc Much]

948 Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622
(872) 206-8054
(872) 206-8054

Also featured in:

Trou Normand

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This spinoff of essential cocktail destination Bar Agricole delivers when it comes to Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados. Bonus: the charcuterie at this bar and restaurant is also on point.[Photo: Patricia Chang]

140 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 975-0876
(415) 975-0876

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Abe Fisher

1623 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19103

The Jewish deli theme of chef Mike Solomonov's new restaurant Abe Fisher carries through to its cocktail program, reports Eater Philly. Think ingredients like barrel-aged Manischewitz and dill pickle juice.[Photo: Eater Philly]

1623 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 867-0088
(215) 867-0088

ABV

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

A group of industry vets are behind this Mission hotspot. The lengthy beverage menu is organized by spirit, and cocktail recipes are "rooted in San Francisco and its history" writes Eater SF.[Photo: Patricia Chang]

3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 400-4748
(415) 400-4748

Alden & Harlow

40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Eater Boston describes this restaurant as "hugely popular" with "a thriving bar scene." Not only is there an ever-chaning menu of cocktails, including one on draft, there's also an obsession-worthy burger.[Photo: Meg Jones Wall]

40 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 864-2100
(617) 864-2100

The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box

644 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101

This Kickstarter-funded bar is heating up the Portland cocktail scene with its house-made bitters and inspired drinks. The vibe here is " a cross between a hippie love fest and an exclusive speakeasy," reports Eater Maine, making it "unlike anything else in town."[Photo: Corey Templeton]

644 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101

Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour

1 W Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003

The co-founder of Arizona Cocktail Week opened this stylish drinking destination in downtown Phoenix. The menu spans an impressive 25 pages, and the location is fittingly in a historic building that once housed the Prohibition Department.[Photo: Facebook]

1 W Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 340-1924
(602) 340-1924

Bound

3595 S Las Vegas Blvd (inside The Cromwell), Paradise, NV 89109

London's star bartender Salvatore Calabrese is a natural fit for Vegas, where he is behind this stunning cocktail lounge. The menu includes classics, espresso cocktails, and champagne cocktails. [Photo: Eater Vegas]

3595 S Las Vegas Blvd (inside The Cromwell), Paradise, NV 89109

BrilliantShine

522 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

This restaurant serves Peruvian-inspired food but according to Eater LA, you want to come here for the drinks. The menu leans towards craft whiskey cocktails, but there's libations of every stripe and a bartender's choice too.[Photo: Official Site]

522 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-0045
(310) 451-0045

CellarDoor

921 Lafayette St, New Orleans, LA 70113

Housed in a former brothel, this restaurant proclaims on its website: "We serve craft cocktails and aren't pretentious about it." The cocktail menu boasts classic and original creations, plus at brunch the Mimosas, Bloodys, Screwdrivers, and Greyhounds are bottomless.[Photo: Eater NOLA]

921 Lafayette St, New Orleans, LA 70113

Damn the Weather

116 1st Avenue S, Seattle, WA

This Pioneer Square bar has been making a name for itself in the Seattle cocktail scene since opening its doors this summer. Reasonably priced house cocktails share menu space with a quirky menu of bar snacks like the "FG & J" with foie gras, passionfruit jelly, and luxardo. [Photo: S. Pratt]

116 1st Avenue S, Seattle, WA
(206) 946-1283
(206) 946-1283

Detroit City Distillery

2462 Riopelle Street, Detroit, MI 48207

This is the second distillery to open in Detroit since Prohibition, reports Eater Detroit. Detroit City Distillery is making their own gins, whiskeys, and vodkas and serving them in a menu of classic and original cocktails. [Photo: Eater Detroit]

2462 Riopelle Street, Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 338-3760
(313) 338-3760

Dram and Grain

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

This is the reservation-only cocktail bar located under Eater DC 38 member Jack Rose. The somewhat experimental cocktail list at this exclusive haunt recently expanded, so keep an eye out for new offerings.[Photo: Dram & Grain]

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Drawing Room Bar & Lounge

1801 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Showman/bartender Albert Trummer has landed in Miami with the Drawing Room at the Shelbourne resort. This is an "apothecary" where "drinks are created with a special assortment of house-made elixirs and bitters" reports Eater Miami.[Photo: Official Site]

1801 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 531-1271
(305) 531-1271