The Best New Bars of 2024 are all about breaking the mold in a cocktail landscape that can tend toward sameness. Whether it’s putting a fresh, nostalgic spin on the modern classic of the moment, shining a spotlight on an underrated ingredient or making something wholly new in a minimalist package, they’re thoughtfully pushing drinks culture forward. To get a taste of the best new bars of 2024, here are five recipes to try at home, plus a standout from an industry icon.
Hedge Maze
“The fewer the elements, the better,” says Yanni Kehagiaras of his approach to cocktails at Stoa. At the San Francisco bar, the team strives to coax the most out of minimal builds. As Kehagiaras explains, he focuses “on micro quantities of potent spirits and liqueurs to make loud impact.” Here, a small measure of green Chartreuse boosts the herbal complexity found in the base of St. George Spirits Terroir Gin, which is lengthened by blanc vermouth for body and just the right amount of sweetness.
Antoinette’s Negroni
This classic Negroni (with unorthodox ratios) appears on the menu at Public Parking as an homage to co-owner JR Mocanu’s mom. “She’s very particular when it comes to her cocktails,” says Mocanu. “[It] took me years to finally get her to like a Negroni and now this is all she drinks.” At the Madison, Wisconsin, bar, the aperitivo is served on draft, but this single-serving recipe can be made at home.
R&D
At Bar Contra, Dave Arnold continues his science- and tech-driven approach to making excellent cocktails. Clarification, liquid nitrogen infusion, acid-adjusting and force carbonation are seen throughout the menu, but this drink relies instead on a simple flavor pairing that Arnold feels is underrated: rye and damson.
Kopiko Espresso Martini
Taking its name from the Indonesian coffee candy Kopiko, this spin on the Espresso Martini gets a boost in richness from a small measure of the hazelnut-flavored liqueur Frangelico. Cobra’s iteration also triples down on the coffee flavor, using both espresso and cold-brew concentrate, plus Kahlúa coffee liqueur to deliver the requisite coffee flavor.
Vice Versa’s MiTo
At Miami’s ViceVersa, the bar’s Milano-Torino (or Mi-To for short) serves as the base for the entire Negroni Family section of the menu. The mixture, typically equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth, is turned into an elaborate cocktail unto itself, made here with banana-infused Campari and descending quantities of Torino vermouth, osmanthus water, two types of sherry and coffee amaro. It’s used to add dimension to everything from the bar’s force-carbonated Americano to the house Negroni, but shines equally bright on its own.
Wisconsin Old-Fashioned
In addition to taking stock of the newcomers, we’re also honoring Bryant’s, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, stalwart. While the iconic lounge has no written menu (guests instead discuss what they’d like with the bartender), Bryant’s offers many Midwestern staples, like the Pink Squirrel and this Wisconsin Old-Fashioned. The drink arrives in a footed glass topped with soda—exactly which will depend on whether it’s ordered “sweet,” “sour” or “press”—and garnished with a cherry and orange half-moon. Like just about everything at Bryant’s, it manages to feel like it has equal footing in the past and the present.
