Atlanta’s got tiki bars, cocktail lounges, beer haunts, and wine spots to make any oenophile swoon. Not sure where to go first? Read on and we’ll tell you where to grab a drink in the ATL.
8ARM
There’s a tiki party going on right across from Ponce City Market. Inside 8ARM, you’ll find the best biscuits in town, but outside next to a covered patio, you’ll find a makeshift shipping container bar serving up fruity, boozy tropical drinks adorned with tiny umbrellas. Beverage director Joshua Fryer (formerly of The Lawrence) has made this walk-up bar an essential cocktail spot in Atlanta with beloved and obscure classic cocktails. Atlanta-based artist Adrian Barzaga created the pink and palm frond mural that provides the perfect backdrop to make your Insta followers jelly. It’s a younger vibe, with weekly jams called the Chaka Khan Hacienda, hosted by DJ Ree de la Vega.
Empire State South
An all-star trio is behind this stunning restaurant housed in a corporate Midtown office building. Celebrity chef (and James Beard nominee) Hugh Acheson, bar manager Kellie Thorn, and sommelier Steven Grubbs have raised the bar with their well-rounded drink program. ESS has an extensive, curated wine list complete with everything from champagne to funky reds. The cocktail list features inventive, seasonally inspired drinks, with unlikely combinations like the Alpine Pick-Me-Up, which has vodka AND grappa mixed with almond, Amaro, grapefruit, sage, and lime. Ladders line the back of the bar, which makes picking out a spirit feel like browsing for a good book at the library.
Holeman & Finch Public House
This intimate Buckhead gastropub has been around for over a decade and is known for its $17 cheeseburgers and custom cocktails. During happy hour on weekdays from 5-7pm, you can get dollar oysters and the cocktail of the day for just $7. They take their time making their house cocktails, with interesting combinations like H&F patron reposado paired with cold brew, orgeat syrup, pineapple, and burlesque bitters that they call the “Good Host”. Cocktails not your thing? No prob. There’s plenty of wine, local craft beer, and spirits on the drink menu to suit any Atlanta imbiber.
Kimball House
This Decatur drink depot was nominated for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2019. If that’s not enough to get you to visit the renovated early-twentieth-century train depot, how about the best (and most affordable) oyster selection in town? Still not doing it? What about the champagne services, unrivaled absinthe program, or expertly combined seasonal cocktails made with ingredients from the restaurants own garden?
Barkeep Miles Macquarrie’s marvelous twists on the classics have earned KH national recognition. You can even order an old fashioned in a bottle made with a mix of bourbon and rye and cola bitters. Make sure you have some friends with you though–it serves four. This is a must-stop for fans of the green fairy to experience a full, classic absinthe service, complete with special spoon and a sugar cube. At the very least stop in for the raw bar happy hour, weekdays from 5-7pm.
Northside Tavern
This Westside dive bar has been open since 1972, and it has become iconic for its nightly live blues music. The drinks aren’t fancy. People come here for a shot of Wild Turkey and a PBR back, or a strong, simple cocktail with “and” in the title. It’s a hole-the-wall in the best sense of the phrase and has been called the best dive bar in Georgia by many publications. There’s no cover Sunday through Thursday, and it’s just 10 bucks to get in on Friday and Saturday nights–just another steal in this city where the cost of living is much cheaper than in larger cities like New York and San Francisco.
The Lawrence
Located in the heart of Midtown, The Lawrence is fronted by owner/master barman Eric Simpkins. The Juniper Street bar is consistent and reliable, serving up original beverages with unusual bases like lavender mint tea vodka. Besides the adventurous house drinks from the cocktail bar, there’s also wine by the bottle or glass and a beer selection that includes a rose cider from France and a few sour ales. The new American restaurant considers itself a social house and has a nice outdoor patio where you can enjoy dinner and drinks al fresco.
The Porter Beer Bar
We almost got through this list without mentioning a beer bar! This Little Five Points bar has more than 800 beers on the menu, sorted by draft, bottle, and vintage. Atlanta’s premier beer bar is the destination for true connoisseurs and craft-brew enthusiasts, but they’ve got a nice whiskey selection, full cocktail menu, and wine list, too. Lunch and dinner are served daily, but they’ve got great snacks to soak up the suds too, like Belgian fries with herb and garlic aioli served with charred onion mayo and salt and vinegar popcorn. It’s also home to one of Atlanta’s best Bloody Marys, made with house-infused four-pepper vodka and decked out with pickled okra. It’s the perfect pairing for The Porter’s weekend “Hair of the Dog” brunch menu. Check their website for beer-related events like festivals and tastings.
The Sound Table
As the name might imply, The Sound Table is half nightclub, half cocktail lounge. It was one of the first cocktail bars in the city when it opened on Boulevard and Edgewood in 2010, and really helped relaunch the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Since, they’ve seen some of the best of the best behind the bar, including Navarro Carr and Paul Calvert. This is a great place to bring a date, down a classic or house cocktail, and get on the dance floor. The dapper Edgewood spot has DJs spinning Wednesday through Sunday, filling the industrial space with a sultry mix of funk and soul.
Ticonderoga Club
Nominated for a James Beard award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2019, the Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market became an instant classic when it opened in 2015, thanks to its five founders, three of whom are considered founding fathers of Atlanta’s craft cocktail movement: Greg Best, Paul Calvert, and Regan Smith. There are no dues to become a member, simply sidle up to the bar and treat yourself to a drink like the Five O’Clock Nowhere, made with Tio Pepe Fino Sherry, Madeira, lime cordial, sorghum, and a splash of tonic. A cocktail mecca minus the pretense, this Inman Park locale is also an eatery, celebrated for its clam roll.
Miller Union
No “where to drink” list would be complete without a wine bar! Miller Union takes the cake in Atlanta, with all the sparkling, red, and white vinos you can imagine by the glass, bottle, and half-bottle. The wine menu is delineated by country and region, with prices that will make your rent be late. Co-owner and front-of-house maestro Neal McCarthy’s creative wine program is heavy on Old World varietals, which pair perfectly with the farmstead-driven fare. This spot in west Midtown was also nominated for a James Beard award in 2019 for Outstanding Wine Program. Their food isn’t so bad, either.
Two Urban Licks
An oldie but a goodie, Two Urban Licks has been around since 2004, making it practically ancient in the revolving door restaurant biz. The former warehouse in the Old Fourth Ward makes the cut for their 26-foot wine-on-tap barrel wall, the first of its kind in the U.S. Stainless steel barrels full of innovative, domestic and international wine sit prominently in the restaurant in a temperature controlled glass enclosure. Wines are drawn by gravity, poured as a half glass, glass, mini-thief (10oz), half-thief (20oz), or full thief (42oz). There are some tasty house cocktails on “draught,” which you know are fancy because it’s not spelled with an “f”.
House infusions include lime and agave tequila, lime vodka, Virgil Kane ginger bourbon, and blackberry and lemon gin. The beer program is also state of the art, with a small selection of cans, bottles, and more on “draught”. Two Urban Licks has garnered an abundance of local and national accolades in the past 15 years, thanks to its boozy drinks, (still) delicious rotisserie fare, and live blues music. The city views aren’t too shabby either.
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