Blame it on the ever-growing mocktail trend, or the hype of over-the-top concoctions seen on social media, but cocktails have become an art on par with finely plated haute cuisine. Dallas has its cocktail staples, like ranch water, palomas, and margaritas, but in recent years, the city has secured its place nationally as a mixed-drink destination. Both the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide have recognized the city’s cocktail programs; heavy-hitter mixologists have left Los Angeles and New York to set up shop in Dallas’s bars; and sous vide, fermentation, milk washes, and the zero-waste ethos have become fairly common throughout the Metroplex.
Admittedly, the popularity of cocktail bars has meant rising cocktail prices, but this list of five will explain which splurges are worth it.
The Branca Room
This alluring speakeasy transports drinkers to Argentina with its discreet red entry door in an alley, tight 12-cocktail list, and homemade amaros and vermouths. Because Argentina is home to the largest Italian population outside of Italy, Italian liquors, including Vermouth, a fortified wine from Turin; Amaro, a liqueur with ancient monastic roots; and Fernet, a type of Amaro that many Argentines mix with Coke, are popular in Buenos Aires and beyond. In the states, where Vermouth is incorporated more commonly in martinis, it’s rare to see such selections featured so heavily on a cocktail menu. Even the Branca Room’s take on a gin and tonic includes homemade Fernet. 324 W. Seventh St. Dallas, thebrancaroom.com
Bar Colette
Restaurateur brothers Henry and Brandon Cohanim know how to scout talent. For their West Village cocktail bar, they hired Rubén Rolón, formerly of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Miami, where he won the Michelin Guide’s 2022 Florida Exceptional Cocktails Award. Rolon performs a trick similar to that of the pianist who can hear a song once and play it by ear. If a dish like Tarte Tatin inspires him, he can mix up a cocktail that perfectly evokes its flavor. At Bar Colette, ingredients are hyper-seasonal, so there’s no bad day time of year to visit. But beware, even Rolon’s most popular concoctions won’t grace the menu forever. 3699 McKinney Ave. #306, Dallas, barcolette.com
Ginger’s
Sean Kanyon, whose bar Williams & Graham in Denver was a finalist three times for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Bar Program award, created the cocktail program at this cool, subterranean spot. Ginger’s current bar lead is Eric Simmons, who offers well made classics, including a perfect old fashioned ($20) that pairs appropriately with the flickering candles and moody ambiance. Among the best offerings on the small menu are a couple of drinks made not with tequila or mezcal, but the far rarer agave spirit sotol. Try the unholy matrimony ($20), crafted with sotol, sherry, and cynar, an earthy aperitif. 2115 Jackson St., Dallas, gingersdallas.com
Apothecary
The neighboring sister concept of Rye, on which the Michelin Guide bestowed its “Exceptional Cocktails” Award, Apothecary is a speakeasy complete with an unmarked door that pushes boundaries with its eccentric menu. This isn’t a place for drinkers in search of familiar, or even approachable cocktails; it’s for those who are open to drinks built with ingredients like peach smoke, duck confit-washed bourbon, butter curry, garlic, and even ceviche. Garnishes might include anything from glitter to caviar to scorpions. 1922 Greenville Ave., Dallas, apothecary.bar
Saint Valentine
Three years after decade-old Deep Ellum institution Black Swan Saloon suffered a Covid closure, its owner and lead bartender Gabe Sanchez joined forces with Ryan Payne of Oak Cliff bar Tiny Victories to open Saint Valentine in East Dallas. With its vintage vibe and unique cocktail program, the bar was an instant hit. Whimsical garnishes, like a paper umbrella turned inside out as if caught in a storm, adorn cocktails that are approachable and carefully crafted. Saint Valentine’s signature cocktail is the refreshing space vato, made with mezcal, aperol, cucumber, lemon, papaya, and cilantro, served in a prayer-candle glass. 4800 Bryan St., Dallas
