VinePair

JUNE 6, 2025

Yangdup Lama, director of cocktails & spirits, Sanjh Restaurant & Bar , Irving, Texas “Bartenders are too preoccupied with the projection of their knowledge within the industry and culture. I love thoughtful technique and creativity, but some modern cocktails are becoming unnecessarily complicated.

Bartender 98

Bartender Bartending High Volume Head Bartender 98

VinePair

JULY 8, 2025

You can’t talk about the evolution of American cocktail culture without Trader Vic’s. They really introduced Americans to rum blends, house syrups, and a style of cocktail that influenced nearly every cocktail bar you see today. I mean, come on — Julio is the Ambassador of Tequila to the U.S. That says it all.

Craft Cocktails 111

Craft Cocktails Bartender Bartending Bar 111

VinePair

DECEMBER 5, 2024

Excellent craft drinks, yes, but ones that were free-poured, doled out with haste, and in high volume. There were some cocktails that were being seen all over the city such as the Appletini and the Cosmopolitan. Of course, there was a really great underground scene of cocktail culture. It felt so off for me.

Bartender 105

Bartender Bartending Hospitality Bar 105

VinePair

JUNE 5, 2025

Then there are the cities that may have been long visited for reasons unrelated to cocktail culture, but which are now, at last, putting their creative or financial muscle to use behind the bar. The Liquor Store, another must-visit cocktail bar in the city, falls under the same banner. Who wouldve thought?

Bar 102

Bar Cocktail Culture Head Bartender Bartender 102