From cocktail lounges to hotel bars, specialty joints to craft breweries, these 20 spots will ‘change the way you drink this year,’ reports the magazine
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Southern Living names “The Best New Bars of 2014” in its February issue, on newsstands now. “A fresh crop of cocktail dens across the region are raising the bar,” reports Southern Living. “They’re a throwback to a time when whiskey and Champagne were sipped by elegant folks in sleek social rooms.”
Editors selected budding hotspots based on their laid back (yet refined) approach to serving spirits and skilled drink pros thirsty to elevate their craft. They combine the quality of a top-shelf joint with the rocking spirit of your favorite dive, reports the magazine. The following 20 new establishments…best define the modern-day craft bar.
For the list of the South’s 20 Best New Bars of 2014, according to Southern Living, go to http://www.southernliving.com/travel/souths-best-new-bars-2014-00417000086833/
Each bar is broken down by a useful symbol key identifying which are date friendly, open before 5 p.m., have outdoor seating, require a dapper dress code, and more.
Southern Living also profiles “Bartenders to Know”: Bobby Heugel of Houston’s Anvil and The Pastry War, Greg Best out of Atlanta, and Derek Brown of Washington, D.C. joints The Passenger, Columbia Room, and Mockingbird Hill. These cocktail crafters share their favorite watering hole, go-to-drink as well as predict future drink trends.
Introducing the Southern Living Top 20 “Best New Bars 2014”:
The Back Rooms:
· The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs (Jackson, MS): Former medicine room becomes intimate lounge.
· Paper Plane (Decatur, GA): Rising cocktail star Paul Calvert mixes up bold, spirit-forward drinks at this retro-mod stunner.
Cocktail Lounges:
· Bar Smyth (Dallas, TX): With no set menu, Smyth bartenders have free reign to improvise.
· Capt. Foxheart’s Bad News Bar & Spirit Lodge (Houston, TX): A dark loft evokes a Victorian era saloon.
· 2 Birds 1 Stone (Washington, D.C.): Adam Bernbach culls a tight list of six straightforward, perfectly stirred cocktails and one nightly punch.
Hotel Bars:
· The Broken Shaker (Miami, FL): Miami nightlife is reinvented here with tropical drinks with house-grown herbs and craft spirits.
· The Hive (Bentonville, AR): This whimsical space in the new 21c Museum Hotel melds mid-century mod with a rotating art exhibit.
Social Clubs:
· Básico at Mixson Bath & Racquet Club (Charleston, SC): This social house inspired by a country club leaves the high-fees and stuffiness at the door.
· Pinewood Social (Nashville, TN): Nashville’s unofficial new clubhouse featuring a bowling alley, karaoke rooms, a bowling alley, lawn games and more.
Neighborhood Joints:
· Carrigan’s Public House (Birmingham, AL): Owner David Carrigan – a stonemason by trade—hand built this space to reflect the city’s industrial roots.
· Valkyrie (Tulsa, OK): This laid-back gathering spot is home to the best cocktail program in Oklahoma.
Specialty Bars:
· Cane & Table (New Orleans, LA): Rum aficionado Nick Detrich runs this French Quarter hide-away inspired by a Colonial-era public house.
· Mockingbird Hill (Washington, D.C.): One of three spots opened last year by D.C. bar luminary Derek Brown. Featured ingredient: Sherry.
· The Pastry War (Houston, TX): This ode to tequila puts other bars of its kind to shame.
Craft Breweries:
· The Arsenal at Bluejacket (Washington, D.C.): D.C.’s most anticipated brewery offers 25 distinct beer styles ranging from light and sweet to dark and dry.
· Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta, GA): The three guys behind Monday Night Brewing turned their weeknight home-brewing ritual into a celebrated taproom.
· Wicked Weed Brewing (Asheville, NC): The South’s breakout beer star has been garnering a national following over its funky farmhouse-style beers.
Restaurant Bars:
· Heritage (Richmond, VA): This spot is leading the city’s growing cocktail scene with concoctions such as the signature Wasp Nest made with bourbon and absinthe.
· MilkWood (Louisville, KY): Take the guesswork out of craving here, where drink names are arranged around a sketch of an open mouth, highlighting the five basic tastes.
· Shoo-Fly Diner (Baltimore, MD): This all-American spot serves playful libations like their Mudslide milkshake made with house-made 4% alcohol soft serve.
Southern Living is holding its second-annual Southwide Happy Hour on Friday February 7, where select bars serve specials from 5-7 p.m. Go to southernliving.com/bars for participating spots.
For a more extended list of “100 Places to Drink Now,” which is only available online, go to: www.southernliving.com/bars.
