PUNCH

Cocktail culture in L.A. is as malleable as a movie set—bars that double as bowling alleys, Western saloons, tiki huts, '70s-era rec rooms and 19th-century cottages dish up stellar & inventive drinks.

Chicago’s cocktail game is as well-rounded as the city itself. Plenty of bars have comprehensive menus, and the ambiance ranges from posh and dolled-up to just-rolled-out-of-bed and unfussy.

From brandy-focused butchers to solid neighborhood haunts in Oakland, San Francisco has covered just about every aspect of cocktail culture in the canon.

From formal reservations-only bars to looser, more casual cocktail lounges, this list symbolizes a Manhattan scene that is more confident and inclusive than it’s ever been.

Brooklyn's cocktail scene has recently come to fruition with a smattering of characteristically weird, wonderful and eccentric bars. These are the best places to have a mixed drink east of Manhattan.