Travel and Leisure lists the 10 best Cocktail Cities in the United States

There are many reasons why travelers take to the roads and skies to visit cities around the world. Foodies and party travelers alike can look forward to the cocktails they will experience in new areas. Travel and Leisure listed the top ten “cocktail cities” in the United States, and the list featured some expected locations and a few surprising entries.

According to Stacey Leasca the list of top cities for cocktails starts with staples like Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New York City in the top three positions. The rest of the list is stacked with popular destinations from the US including San Diego and San Francisco. But there’s one interesting addition coming in at number ten.

This list was comprised of those that would know the best. Travel and Leisure asked what they considered “some of the nation’s best bartenders” to share what cities they’d recommend as the best places to visit to grab a drink.

The top ten “cocktail cities” according to Travel and Leisure

Los Angeles

New Orleans

New York City

San Diego

Miami

Chicago

Denver

San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

Bentonville, Arkansas

These cities are praised for a variety of reasons. For example, Dan Lachenmayer notes that Los Angeles has influences from several different countries like Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Amir Babayoff, a well-known bartender in New York City, praised Miami for its atmosphere of beaches, vibrant drinks, and cultural influences from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. With St. Patrick’s Day looming, it’s understandable why a city like Chicago is also recognized as a city with great cocktails.

The surprise edition is Bentonville, Arkansas. A city of about 58,000 people, it pales in size to the others listed. But Alex Dominguez spoke highly of the city’s growing influence in drink culture.

Every city has a place with the best drinks in town. But Travel and Leisure went out of its way to highlight the cities in the US that must be on your list if you’re traveling with your palate in mind.