Bars
The tavern, saloon, public house, or bar occupies a key position in the development of society, dating back to ancient Babylon at least. From ancient times to the present, these were places for travelers and workers to eat, drink, relax, and socialize. Bars have been crucial gathering places throughout history; it’s said that the American Revolution got its start in the bars of Boston — alcohol specifically fueling the flames of independence. This section of the site comprises reviews of bars around the world — including bars focused on wine, beer, and (particularly) cocktails. If the bar is part of a restaurant, we’ll often cover the food offerings there, too.
Top Bar Posts:
Tasting the Classic Cocktails of New Orleans
Where to Drink in Asheville, North Carolina
Tyge & Sessil, Stockholm
The 404 Nashville
The Chandelier Lounge at The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
Dining with Sammy Hagar at El Paseo’s Wine Collectors’ Dinner
Normally when I’m asked to visit a bar, it’s a new operation — so fresh that often the paint isn’t even dry. I had no idea when I stepped into Austin’s Swift’s Attic that it had been around since 2012 — with general manager and beverage director Curtis Hansford at the helm for virtually its…
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Surging with newfound popularity, Houston’s EaDo (East Downtown) neighborhood has become a hotspot of top-shelf restaurants and bars, at least two of which are operated by the local Agricole Hospitality group, and which I had the good fortune to visit during a recent visit to this Texas metropolis with a few (adult) members of my…
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Austin isn’t a city that’s exactly hurting for Mexican restaurants, but if yellow cheese and sizzling fajita plates aren’t what you’re in the mood for, consider a trip to La Popular, which is operated by a group out of Mexico City — which makes for a bit of a different vibe vs. the more traditional border-driven…
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The vibrant, artsy town of Asheville, North Carolina is synonymous with craft beer, but breweries aren’t the only place in town to quench your thirst. While beer may have put the city on the tourist map decades ago, that popularity has spawned a vibrant bar scene that’s as diverse and dynamic as the town’s craft…
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A short walk from New Orleans’ French Quarter and on the ground floor of the upscale Hotel Fontenot you’ll find the Peacock Room, which has been serving upscale cocktails — no TVs, even when the Saints are playing — to thirsty locals and visitors alike. On a recent trip — during the first chill of…
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It was a terrible, no-good two years for in-person spirits events (make that in-person events of any kind), but things are finally, thankfully starting to return to normal. Chris noted (with some surprise) that Whiskies of the World held its San Francisco event last fall but at a reduced scale. Washington, D.C.’s famous Jack Rose…
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One doesn’t typically expect DJs and bottle service in the sleepy town of Tiburon, right across the water from San Francisco, but that’s what’s on tap after hours at this luxe restaurant and bar, launched by SF scene-maker Michael Mina and partner Brent Bolthouse. The Bungalow Kitchen invited Drinkhacker to sample its wares on a…
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Making whiskey is an industrial process, dirty and noisy and smelly. But you’d be hard pressed to find any of that on the modern Bourbon Trail. The entire Blue Grass State has become a veritable Disneyland of gleaming visitors’ centers and sparkling rickhouses, increasingly too clean to be mistaken for what they truly are: whiskey…
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Petaluma is one of the gateway towns leading to California’s wine country, and it’s a surprisingly bustling little burg with a vibrant, river-set downtown. Packed with bars and restaurants, there’s no shortage of selections when it comes to going out. The latest fixture in Petaluma is Easy Rider, a southern-inspired restaurant that, on a recent…
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Casa Lolea sangria recently made a one-night appearance by taking over a swanky rooftop bar at the new The Dominick Hotel in New York City to feature is ready-to-drink line of frizzante sangrias. This ‘pop-up’ destination was adorned with neon, rosey-palette lights glistening over a wading pool, polka dot beanbags and balloons, a mix of…
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