For Orestes Cruz, Every Ingredient Is Sacred
Calling on unexpected ingredients—creamy-agave syrup and smoked rhubarb—the Empire State South bartender has built a roster of fresh, uncomplicated cocktails.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Angie Webb
Alec Bales’ Cocktails Are Classics Waiting to Happen
The lead barkeep at Atlanta's Ticonderoga Club has a distinctive style that is equal parts timeless and unexpected.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photos: Angie Webb
Christian Suzuki’s Cocktails Are a Love Letter to Japan
The San Francisco bartender channels sense memory to build modern drinks that evoke his family's home country.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Aubrie Pick
Mary Palac Has Mastered the Comfort Cocktail
The Paper Plane bartender favors low-tech approachability over experimental technique.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Dan Phan
Vince Bright Has His Own Brand of Hybrid Cocktail
The Lost Lake bartender has developed a singular style that is equal parts classic and tropical.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Jaclyn Rivas
Richard Beltzer Has a Vision
The Alaska native takes an unconventional approach at one of Chicago’s most forward-thinking bars. Get to know him in four drinks.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Rebecca Peplinski
Shannon Tebay Has Her Own Brand of Minimalism
The Death & Co. head bartender draws on her background in pastry to build drinks that are equal parts precise and imaginative.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photos: Eric Medsker
Natasha Bermudez Doesn’t Do Tropes
With no blueprint from which to draw inspiration, Llama San's head bartender has forged a truly original menu.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photos: Shannon Sturgis
Alex Anderson Has an Appetite for the Unexpected
With her penchant for bold, improbable cocktails, the New Orleans bartender proves simplicity doesn’t always mean subtlety.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photos: Cory Fontenot
Demi Natoli Spotlights the Savory Side of Tropical
The Patterson House bartender draws on her Cuban-American upbringing to marry flavors that break from the status quo.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photos: Danielle Atkins
For Devin Kennedy, Simplicity Does Not Mean Simplistic
The Pouring Ribbons bartender looks for nuance in everyday ingredients, creating drinks that are familiar, but not formulaic.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro
Jon Mullen Takes an Aesthete’s Approach to Aperitivo
The bar manager at Pisellino calls on a broad set of ingredients and blueprints to evolve the classic aperitivo template.
- story: Chloe Frechette
- photo: Lizzie Munro