Every season is drinking season, true. Yet the briskness of autumn produces a special urge for cozy nooks, well-crafted beverages and maybe — just maybe — a perfect dive bar or two.
The Coral Wig, Baltimore
“Whether you’re here at happy hour or last call, you’re in the capable hands of Charm City’s preeminent vibesmiths,” said Bon Appétit when it recently named The Coral Wig one of the country’s best new bars. It is a moody, welcoming destination, located in the Hotel Ulysses. The Banana Hammock, a take on a margarita, stars a MSG twist that “transforms the drink from just another margarita riff to one whose complex, savory layers continue to build with every sip,” said the drinks publication Punch.
Stay Zero Proof, Los Angeles
It was bound to happen: A SoCal bar focused solely and entirely on non-alcoholic cocktails. It is (zero)proof that the culture is indeed shifting around whether partygoers need alcohol to have a good time come nightfall. Derek Brown, legendary bartender and former owner of Washington, D.C.’s Columbia Room, built the drinks program, so you know it is on-point.
Mother, San Francisco
Statistically speaking, queer bars are dying. The juicy vibes of the new San Francisco lesbian bar, Mother, would like to drink — and feel — otherwise. On the site of the beloved Latinx queer bar Esta Noche, which closed in 2014, Mother aims to “bring back a little bit of the dirty queers,” said owner Malia Spanyol to Mission Local. But with a photo booth, good drinks and welcoming vibes, of course.
Bar Moga, New York City
New York City is in the midst of a boom of Japanese-American bars. Think where the studied precision of Japanese cocktail-assembling meets the freewheeling vision of American drink-slinging. Bar Moga is one fine exemplar of the model, what with its house Manhattan served with Akashi whiskey and its food menu with an omurice (rice-filled omelette).
Cafe La Trova, Miami
Little Havana is a famed neighborhood in Miami. You could call Cafe La Trova “Big Havana.” Not because the bar from Julio Cabrera is located in that neighborhood or because the bar is especially large — though it is not small. No, rather because the spirit of Cuban drinking and celebrating looms sizably. It is there in the classic daiquiri and mojito, the ropa vieja with rice and beans, the snappily vested staff and in the regular performances by a live band decked in matching guayaberas.
The Matchbox, Chicago
Longevity is a gift in the bar world. Tiny The Matchbox has been serving since the mid-20th century and is famous for its powdered sugar-rimmed gimlets and margaritas. New owners took over post-pandemic, but, said the drinks publication Punch, “where it counts — those margaritas, the friendly vibe — the Matchbox is the same as it ever was.”
Quiote, Houston
A hidden bar is a hoot; a mezcal-focused bar is always a good idea. Smoosh the two together and you have Quiote, a 14-seater located inside The Toasted Coconut diner. Come whenever after 5 p.m. between Thursday and Sunday, but know that Sundays bring $5 margaritas and half-off oysters on the half shell.
The Bikini Lounge, Phoenix
Some things never change, and that is a blessing. Open since 1947, The Bikini Lounge “remains a taste of old Phoenix while also embracing and influencing the evolving Phoenix culture,” said Eater. A dive bar that tripped and fell into a Tiki pool, The Bikini Lounge has drinks that are stronger than they are good, and the bar is cash-only. May it live forever.