This week we're shouting out all things liquid with the results of our 2013 Mixology Survey.
While we're on the topic, here's a list of 16 of the hottest joints for top-notch tipples around the U.S. - two from each of our blog cities.
Pour yourself a drink while you scope them in the slide show, and let us know your local faves in the comments.
LA: The Varnish
Atmosphere: 24
Decor: 22
Service: 23
“Service is incredible” at this “beautiful”, “too-cool-for-school” Downtown speakeasy hidden behind a “secret door” at the back of Cole’s restaurant; the bartenders will “let you sample tons of liquor” then “make a drink depending on your poison”, and though the craft cocktails “aren’t cheap”, they’re “worth every penny”, especially because of the “giant ice cubes” – a sure sign you’re in a temple of mixology.
NYC: Raines Law Room
Atmosphere: 27
Decor: 26
Service: 26
“Intimate and civilized”, this “lesser-known” Flatiron “speakeasy” is a “class act all the way” with a semi-“secret” entrance, “plush” “Orient-Express” decor, “chains on the wall” to summon the staff and “masterful cocktails” concocted by “true mixologists”; maybe the “prices aren’t for the faint of heart”, but it “doesn’t disappoint” for a “sexy date.”
Chicago: Violet Hour
Atmosphere: 28
Decor: 27
Service: 24
“Don’t order a vodka cranberry” at this “swanky” Wicker Park sib to Blackbird where “cocktail cognoscenti” and other “adventurous” imbibers savor “exceptional” drinks – “perfectly executed, right down to the style of ice in your glass”; “exaggerated” furnishings and drapery enhance the “seductive” “speakeasy” feel (and “keep the noise level to a hush”), and while a few reviewers are ruffled by “long” weekend waits and “house rules”, most find the “unique” experience “justifies” the trouble; P.S. consider going during “off-hours” to beat the line.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider