Sally Kral

At Mexi Stone Street in New York City, the El Dracula cocktail (above) is a unique take on the classic Negroni, featuring hibiscus-infused Bahnez mezcal. Tequila’s popularity with U.S. drinkers is well documented, with the Margarita solidified as the country’s favorite cocktail for decades now. “But Tequila’s evolution and growth into a seriously appreciated spirit has taken more time,” points out Andi Miller, bar manager at Outerlands in San Francisco.

Olivero in Wilmington, North Carolina offers the My Second Rodeo cocktail (above), made with Cocchi di Torino vermouth plus rye, mezcal, amaro, Drambuie liqueur, and Angostura bitters. Vermouth’s handling behind the bar has been a bit of a rollercoaster, notes Roy England, beverage director and bar manager at Olivero in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Cocktail Hour At ABV in San Francisco, Kendra Hada’s hard-earned bartending skills are on display Kendra Hada curates spirit-forward and spirits-specific drinks at ABV in San Francisco. Kendra Hada didn’t set out to become a bartender. She was working as a server at Sunday in Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York in 2016 when she offered to help out in the kitchen to lighten the load, which led to her being asked to handle kitchen inventory and eventually bar inventory as well.