Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Subscribe
  • World's Best
  • A-List
  • Trip Ideas
  • News
  • Hotels + Resorts
  • Cruises
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Trip Ideas
    • Spring Vacations
    • Summer Vacations
    • Fall Vacations
    • Winter Vacations
    • National Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Destination Weddings
    • Honeymoon Destinations
    • Beach Vacations
    • City Vacations
    • Country Vacations
    • Family Vacations
  • Destinations
  • Travel Tips and Intel
    • Best Travel Apps
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Gadgets
    • Luggage + Packing Tips
    • Offbeat News
    • Points + Miles
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Agents
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
  • World's Best Awards 2018
  • A-List 2018
  • Hotels and Resorts
    • All Inclusive Resorts
    • Beach Hotels
    • Boutique Hotels
    • Pet-Friendly Hotels
    • Mountain + Ski Resorts
    • Luxury Hotels
    • Spa Resorts
    • Vacation Rentals
    • Hotel Openings
    • Hotel Reviews
  • Book a Trip
  • T+L Travel Guide App
  • Gift Guides
  • Holiday Travel
    • 4th of July Travel
    • Labor Day Weekend
    • Thanksgiving Travel
    • Christmas Travel
  • Travel Video
  • Food + Drink
    • Restaurants
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Wine + Vineyards
    • Beer + Breweries
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Food Fairs
    • Celebrity Chefs
  • Style
    • Fashion
    • Beauty
    • Shoes
    • Shopping
    • Travel Accessories
    • Travel Bags
  • Weekend Getaways
    • Getaways from Chicago
    • Getaways from Dallas
    • Getaways from Houston
    • Getaways from Los Angeles
    • Getaways from NYC
    • Getaways from San Francisco
    • Getaways from Seattle
  • Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • All Inclusive Cruises
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • Family Friendly Cruises
    • River Cruises
  • Top Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Casinos
    • Colleges + Universities
    • Festivals
    • Landmarks + Monuments
    • Museums + Galleries
    • Parks + Gardens
    • Theater + Dance
    • Zoos + Aquariums
  • Check-In
  1. T+L
  2. Food and Drink
  3. Cocktails + Spirits

Cocktails + Spirits

Cocktails allow a bartender to truly flex his or her creative muscle. Augmented by a counter full of syrups, shrubs, bitters, and sodas—often made in-house—cocktails are an avenue for pure expression, leading travelers to scour the world for ever distinct, more surprising flavors and presentations. 

Cocktail culture, too, adds to the mystique: from private roof terraces to unmarked speakeasies to Victorian-style lounges with oil lamps and waistcoated bartenders, the full experience relies heavily on a sense of place. That’s why so many travelers consult Travel + Leisure’s guide to the world’s best cocktails when planning a trip. Drawing on our network of reviewers and experts, we sift through the pile to bring you the very finest places to knock one (or a few) back.

Where to drink

Now that mixology has officially made it into the mainstream, cities around the world continue to up the ante with brilliantly conceived concoctions. Travel + Leisure keeps tabs on its favorite cocktail destinations, championing new takes on classics—like a rose petal-infused Gin & Tonic—as well as inventive use of exotic ingredients such as coconut cream, Japanese Shiso leaf, and house-fermented herbs.

Many of our favorite drinking dens are about more than just cocktails. From San Francisco to Cape Town to Edinburgh, patrons can also enjoy Michelin-starred cuisine, live music, and festive themes—a spaghetti western saloon in London, for example, or a Charleston bar that projects black-and-white movies onto the wall. 

The latest on cocktail culture

There’s no end to the creativity: catering to travelers’ diverse tastes, bartenders at the world’s top bars will happily whip up a cocktail based on individual preferences—just name a spirit, call out a flavor profile (‘spicy,’ ‘citrus’) and watch the magic unfold. Feeling adventurous? From micro-cocktails to caramelized sugar masterpieces, Travel + Leisure devotes serious time finding the game-changing cocktail trends that are shaking up the scene.

See More
Cocktails + Spirits

These Cherry Gin Cocktails Are the Perfect Fall Drinks You Didn't Know You Needed

Featured

Cocktails + Spirits

This English Farm Produces Cow’s Milk Vodka You Can Now Buy in the U.S.

Cocktails + Spirits

The 25 Best Distilleries in the U.S.

News

Applebee's Is Celebrating Halloween With $1 Cocktails All Month Long

Latest from T+L

Halloween

You Can Have Your Face Carved on a Pumpkin While Sipping Champagne at This NYC Hotel

More From Cocktails + Spirits

News

Scotland’s New Whisky Trail Takes You to Some of Its Most Stunning Remote Islands (Video)

News

Where to Find the Best Deals on Rum for National Rum Day 2018

Bars + Clubs

The Best Rooftop Bars in NYC

News

A Whisky-themed Hotel Is Coming to Los Angeles

Luxury Hotels

You Can Have Your Own Margarita Butler at This Mexican Resort

Food and Drink

3 Books for Travelers Who Love a Good Cocktail

News

Apply for This 'Ginternship' and Get Paid to Drink Gin and Tonics

News

U.K. Cracks Down on Drunk Passengers With Proposal to Put Alcohol in Sealed Bags

Trip Ideas

You Can Take a Tequila Train to Mexico's Most Magical Town

News

Coca-Cola Is Launching Its First Ever Alcoholic Drink

Cocktails + Spirits

The 7 Best Key West Bars to Visit in 2018

News

These New Zealanders Made a Makeshift Island to Get Around Their Town’s Alcohol Ban

Subscribe & Save

Subscribe today for just $1 an issue!
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Sign Up for our Newsletter

Receive exclusive travel deals, insider tips, inspiration, breaking news updates, and more.
Sign up
Travel + Leisure
TRAVEL
  • Travel Guides
  • Hotels + Resorts
  • Travel News
  • Travel Tips
  • Travel Videos
  • Flight Deals
TRAVEL + LEISURE
  • T+L Travel Guide App
  • World's Best Awards
  • Best Travel Agents
  • Romantic Travel
  • Cruises
  • Weekend Getaways
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Tech
  • Attractions
  • Check-In
CONTACT
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Give a Gift
  • Reprints
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Sitemap
  • Ad Choices
COMPANY
  • Careers
  • Meredith Corporate Site
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your California Privacy Rights
© 2018 Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group. All rights reserved. TravelandLeisure.com is part of the Travel & Leisure Group. Travel + Leisure is a trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. | EU Data Subject Requests
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.