Milk & Honey

New York City
For mixologist Sammy Ross, whose favorite drinks are Manhattans and their variations, the best part of his job is the personal interaction. "I genuinely like people… and I like changing people's nights," he says, "like taking them from having a good night to having an amazing night." He does that at Milk & Honey, a modern speakeasy on the Lower East Side that's so hip it doesn't even need a sign.
 
 

Rasika

Washington D.C.
Ultimately what mixologist Gina Chersevani loves about her craft is the feeling that she can make a difference in someone's day by mixing flavorful drinks and welcoming her customers into the creative process. "I try to get everyone involved in some way… If you spread positivity and make them feel more at home, you'd be surprised how infectious that can be." The fact that Chersevani manages to do this in a shark-infested swamp (aka, our nation's capital) is a testament to her skills behind the bar.
 
 

Vessel

Seattle
At this Seattle hot spot, the star behind the bar is Jamie Boudreau, and he's all about experimenting, keeping things fresh and changing his menu every two weeks. Here, for the Rubicon, Jamie flames a misting of Chartreuse over the sprig of rosemary that is lying in the glass. Boudreau is satisfied with his move to the U.S. from his native Vancouver, "mainly because there's a much bigger drinking culture in U.S. and the selection of alcohol is much better—that means there's more toys to play with!"
 
 

El Vaquero

Eugene, Oregon
Having designed the cocktail menu at El Vaquero, mixologist Jeffrey Mortgenthaler is now one of only two bartenders at this 120-seat restaurant and bar, and is proud that they've "really been stepping it up lately… making more difficult drinks, doing things more intensely."
 
 

The Drawing Room

Chicago
When people think of Chicago, they often think "beer and a shot." But the Drawing Room's main mixologist, Debbi Peek, wants "to show them that's not the case." This restaurant bar and others like it are changing the cocktail scene. Concerning her recent success in cocktail competitions, she admits, "I am pretty shy outside of the competitions… So I like that challenge of getting up there."
 
 

Freemans

New York City
How to resist a bar where the menu is broken down into the following categories: Light and Easy, Even and Crisp, and Dark and Complex? You don't. The bar at this Lower East Side den of diminishing inhibitions only seats about a dozen customers, but they get to taste what mixologist Lynette Marrero has on offer. Her favorite cocktail these days is the Pisco Fizz, made with muddled red grapes, Pisco, St Germain, fresh lime and topped with soda.
 
 

Café Adelaide

New Orleans
This bar’s lead mixologist, Lu Brow, is proud to explain that since Hurricane Katrina, the city’s re-emerging cocktail culture “has been amazing” thanks to local support and events like the annual Tales of Cocktail each summer. The community of top-notch bartenders is “rebuilding our history and making drinks that are true cocktails and not sugar sweet drinks.”
 
 

Absinthe

San Francisco
Says bartender Jonny Raglin, "Absinthe is a cornucopia of new seasonal drinks right now." But he maintains a love for the classics. In particular, he enjoys making sazerac, a classic American cocktail that's "a tough drink to beat"—when made properly by a mixologist like him, that is.
 
 

Seven Grand

L.A.
At Seven Grand in Los Angeles, head mixologist and L.A. local Marcos Tello is proud of his classic sazerac and original-recipe Ramos Gin Fizz. He also takes pride in his crew's ability to make perfect drinks, time and again—even if means shaking that Gin Fizz for several minutes.
 
 

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