What Is Cocktail Maximalism?

There’s a game where people pick out a card from a deck, which guides the bartender to create a custom drink. A new daytime Vietnamese coffee shop-slash-nighttime bar opened in April by Gelo Honrade, formerly the bar manager of Gui. Per the name, the walls of the warm and worn-looking space are covered in photos of limos and drivers.

You might be wondering why I have a French brasserie on my list of favorite cocktail bars in Raleigh? Another one of the popular cocktail bars in downtown Raleigh is The Haymaker. I enjoyed the Desert Bloom made with mezcal, tequila, green prickly pear, lime aleo, lime, marigold tincture, and green chartreuse.

I can see this easily becoming a beloved neighborhood spot for years to come. I had driven by the building that houses the restaurant countless times, but I had never been in. One of their cocktails became so beloved, it’s become its own stand-alone business – @bronsonsmilkpunch. Open since 2012, this cozy French-American bistro has been a long time favorite of mine for a delicious meal and incredible cocktails.

Bar Cart Lounge and Restaurant

Under his leadership, Regent’s (now Conrad’s) Manhattan Bar re-entered the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2022, earning the No. 33 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Bars the following year. “Mushroom” plays it straighter, its rye, bourbon, and sweet mezcal rounded out by citrus and finishing on a subtle umami note. Even the Wi-Fi password reads “DONTUSEYOURPHONE.” Message received, Casper team. Its zine-like menu is splashed with colourful spreads of the bar team and their industry friends, while a feature wall of electrical outlets (only one of them actually works) takes a sly jab at patrons who are eager to charge their phones before zoning out into their digital voids. Food is served across the space, with a menu that ranges from the casual (roast beef sandwiches, shrimp cocktails, calamari) to the extravagant (three-tier seafood platters, caviar, Josper-grilled picanha).

Springwater Supper Club & Lounge

We'll show you how to stay connected to Raleigh and love where you live! The Willard serves cocktails, beer, wine by the glass or bottle, plus Mediterranean-inspired small plates. We had pre-dinner drinks here before our 20th wedding anniversary dinner, and we loved the martinis! At the top of The AC Hotel in downtown Raleigh, is a stunning cocktail lounge, Willard Rooftop Lounge, which has a double outdoor terrace and an indoor dining space with spectacular views. Prices are a bit on the steep, but if you’re looking for somewhere for a special occasion, this is a good option.

Expect cocktails of the tropical variety, such as margaritas, a Russian spring punch and the Crossfire Hurricane – paired with Mexican grub straight from the taco truck. Their cocktail menu displays a passion for the weird and wonderful, using innovative ingredients for a focus on flavour. Expect classics like the margarita and an espresso martini, alongside bold blends like the kiwi gimlet and a Snickers old fashioned. Much more than a bar, the space packs in a private pool room, cocktail vending machine, tasting lab, terrace and boutique whisky shop. However thirsty you are, you can savour the likes of the Japanese-infused Mizuwari or the dreamy Absinthe Frappe, combining the infamous spirit with condensed milk, basil, mint and lime concoction. An award-winning bar from the team behind Magic Mike and renowned Mixologist Jack Scotti, this place has some serious calibre.

  • These buzzy DFW cocktail bars offer the perfect answer to the question, “Where should I drink tonight?
  • Most of the cocktails are served in glasses designed by the bar’s co-owner Shingo Gokan in collaboration with Yutaro Kimura, one of Japan’s leading glassware designers—and the pieces are so good they’ve landed at other premier cocktail bars across the country as well.
  • Dark, cosy and with booths and tables plus seats underneath the paper lanterns at the bar, it’s a large space with a disco ball at-the-ready for DJ sessions until the early hours at the weekends.
  • When you do find what you’re looking for, the rewarding cocktail at the end will be worth it.

Cara Cara Club

Whether you’re looking to imbibe at a historic home from 1874 or escape to a New Orleans-inspired speakeasy above one of the city’s best oyster bars, we’ve rounded up the coolest places to grab a cocktail in Dallas. Monkey Bar in Highland Park is one of the best spots for a Mambo Taxi and people-watching, while the Rosewood’s Mansion Bar is a local icon that serves stiff drinks in a moody, καταλογοσ κοκτειλ masculine setting. From subterranean speakeasies to scenic rooftops, the best cocktail bars in Dallas are creating quite the buzz.

This time around, 3rd & Bourbon, Katie Bloom’s, The Palms, Sidecar Modern Tavern, and The Fountainhead, have left the map, while Paper Plane, Still O.G. From a high-energy vinyl listening bar, to a neon-soaked vintage bar arcade, to a laid-back patio burrowed away from downtown San Jose, the spots on this list deliver on both ambiance and craft. Dr. Funk is just one spot to pull up with your friends for well-made drinks in the South Bay.