In Good Spirits

Unlike traditional Japanese listening bars where silence is golden, Dante’s, hidden behind an unmarked door, encourages conversation. The cocktail program features seasonally rotating original drinks (all hovering around $15) and leans into Japanese-style whisky highballs, each served in vintage glassware. Walls lined with vinyl, heavy drapes, plush couches, and a gorgeous wood bar with a DJ booth square in the middle all combine to create an atmosphere that’s equal parts lounge and living room.

With a state-of-the-art sound system delivering everything from rare funk to deep jazz cuts, and DJs pop on the mic to spotlight the tracks, every visit feels like a private concert. That’s if private concerts came with exceptional cocktails and the freedom to chat with friends without annoying your neighbors.

Torres brings his background in environmental education into every glass. The menu changes almost daily based on what’s growing, foraged, or fermenting from an array of local ingredients, like redwood tips, yellow wood sorrel, or guava. Most cocktails are pre-batched and clarified for optimal flavor and speed, poured over specialty ice made locally at Abstract Ice’s facility using 100% clean energy. The result is a menu of super clear, visually stunning drinks that capture flavors unique to this corner of California.

For the sense of place. This isn’t some abstract farm-to-glass ideology, but the “place” is showcased in the actual flavor of ingredients foraged nearby, “ugly” produce farmers can’t otherwise sell, and spent kitchen ingredients that have a squeeze more life in them for the bar program. Even the name, True Laurel, reflects a tree (the California Bay Laurel) only found in this, ahem, neck of the woods.

The guiding principle remains simple: cocktails shouldn’t be intimidating. Everything is handcrafted, including house juices, bitters, syrups, and infusions using locally sourced ingredients, but the vibe remains approachable and wholly unpretentious. The team offers cocktail classes for those who want to learn, while the monthly rotating menu keeps regulars coming back to see what the team will come up with next. The small space fills quickly with locals who appreciate quality without fuss.

The approachability. In a cocktail world that can sometimes feel exclusive—not to mention increasingly expensive—The People’s Last Stand genuinely lives up to its name. This is a place where everyone feels welcome and the $12 price for all cocktails (select $8 drinks during happy hour) surely helps when you say, “Sure, make me another.”

Celebrated barman and partner Robb Jones wanted to return to traditional drink-making. Every cocktail is built from scratch, which means the digital menu can shift and evolve like space itself. Scroll through a couple dozen drinks organized by flavor profiles and constellations, from affordable daiquiris to the $27 spirit-forward Salary Man, made with Hibiki Harmony Japanese Whisky, Amaro Nonino, and absinthe. The all-handheld food menu from the Travail chefs features truffle gouda corn dogs, buttermilk fried chicken with hot honey, and mini burgers, providing a perfect accompaniment to the sippers.

For the commitment to theme. The immersive design with its blue light and references to space exploration throughout the menu make this spot a truly unique escape from the ordinary.

The menu changes monthly and the bar team has significant creative freedom to experiment. You’ll find inventive originals alongside impeccably made classics, whether that’s a stirred house Old Fashioned or something entirely new, like the Concord Grape Margarita (Altos reposado tequila, concord grape citric, St. George Spiced Pear, violets, and lime stock). The Fox is known for its impressive selection of 400 bottles including a selection of whiskies from around the world. And the team prioritizes sustainability through minimal waste practices and staff wellness (cloth hand towels vs paper, metal straws over plastic). Private cocktail experiences and classes offer guests a deeper dive.

For the thoughtful menu, filled with colorful illustrations of cocktails and bites, like oysters on the half-shell, a hearty Mortadella sando on butter brioche, and shrimp on a fish-shaped plate served with yuzu kosho cocktail sauce.

Following the runaway success and influence of the New York location, partners David Kaplan and Alex Day have since formed hospitality group Gin & Luck. They’ve opened Death & Co outposts in Denver, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and soon to be Seattle, each location unique while retaining the essential Death & Co DNA. The menu changes twice yearly, cocktails are built with precision, and the dark, intimate atmosphere is welcome in every season. Each city’s location adapts to its context while maintaining the quality and creativity that made the original a destination.

For the consistency across evolution. Death & Co proved a cocktail bar can expand without sacrificing quality, training generations of bartenders while remaining as relevant today as it was nearly two decades ago.

Cocktails showcase the team’s creativity: Douglas fir and rosehip-infused gin gimlet or the Orange Negroni that fuses Campground orange vermouth and amaro blend with Del Amigo Oaxaqueño mezcal. The bar’s commitment to community and quality has made it one of Kansas City’s most beloved spots. The double smash burger with American cheese and aioli has earned near-legendary status among locals, but don’t sleep on dishes like fried catfish with crab slaw or smoked salmon crudo with fermented mulberry.

For those of us who loved camping in our youth, but prefer glamping these days, The Campground offers enough of that outdoorsy feel and cracklin’ fire energy without having to put on bug spray or use a communal outhouse.

The cocktail program highlights infused horilka (Ukrainian vodka) in inventive drinks like the Sassy Slav (sour cream–and–onion horilka with chives), the Woodcutter’s Daughter (rye whiskey and Averna with brandy-infused black cherries and winter spices), and the namesake Molotov—root-beer amaro, whiskey, egg-white foam, bitters, and, of course, a touch of “fire.” Mischievous riffs on Eastern European classics anchor the food menu, from toasted pumpernickel with fermented radish butter and rotating borscht preparations—currently a short rib borscht with dilly, tangy sour cream and a roasted mirepoix dumpling—to venison tartare with charred paprika peppers and stuffed fermented eggplant with herbed polenta. Every dish and drink channels the rich, vibrant traditions of Eastern European cooking and drinking culture, infused with a fresh, modern edge.

The soul in the details. Molotov isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s sharing Porytko’s heritage with genuine love and exceptional skill, creating a dining and drinking experience that feels both deeply personal and universally appealing.

Moreno traveled across Mexico sourcing tequilas and mezcals for his family’s liquor store, which carries one of the largest agave selections in the county. At Osito’s, he channels that expertise into a robust cocktail program focused on agave spirits spiked with ingredients like ancho chile and jícama. Expect drinks like El Oscuro, a play on a classic Old Fashioned with bourbon, ancho reduction, and hickory smoke; or the Chicago Sling highlighting two Chicago spirits: Malort and Koval cranberry gin with Grand Marnier, Luxardo liqueur, citrus, and Angostura bitters. The space honors its past through exposed original brick, dark millwork, and deep-set leather booths, while traditional Talavera tile patterns nod to Mexican heritage. A menu of botanas, or bites, like guacamole, mini chimichangas, and pozole verde, complements a selection of micheladas, tequila and mezcal flights, and mostly local draft beers.

For the community spirit. Osito’s isn’t just serving drinks. They have created a neighborhood gathering place that honors multiple immigrant stories while educating guests about the versatility and craft of Mexican spirits.

The tasting room pours a rotating lineup of seasonal cocktails, from the signature Bee’s Knees to the Smokey and the Peach—made with Barr Hill Gin, tarragon brown–butter–washed Barr Hill Gin, chipotle-infused mezcal, lemon juice, and peach syrup. Small plates showcase local farms, with offerings like Vermont Creamery crostini and crispy glazed pork belly. Guests can enjoy complimentary tastings of spirits found only here, including Phyllis Rye Whiskey and vodka distilled from 100% raw honey. Behind-the-scenes tours reveal the craft in action, and visitors even have the chance to dip their own bottle in melted beeswax. Each year during Bee’s Knees Week in late September, the distillery raises funds to plant pollinator habitats—and to date, they’ve helped plant over 1,000,000 square feet of bee-friendly space.

For the mission beyond the glass. Every bottle supports both beekeepers and bee conservation, reconnecting cocktail culture to agriculture while creating spirits that genuinely taste like the surrounding Vermont landscape.