Bars across 18 states rank among best in US, new report says

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and sometimes you want to go to "a weird little cocktail spot."

If you're looking for a bar that fits the second description better, you may want to seek out one of the 42 spots labeled as the best bars in America by Esquire.

The outlet recently released the 2024 version of its list, highlighting bars across 18 states.

New York and California boasted the most honorees, with eight and seven of their bars landing on Esquire's list, respectively.

Among those was Part Time Lover of San Diego. Based on Japan's listening bars, Esquire pointed to the watering hole's “mid-century living room yet more luxe” ambiance. According to Nexstar's KSWB, Part Time Lover opened in 2022 and partners with Folk Arts Rare Records, a long-standing vinyl and music retailer in the city.

The Uncanny, a northeast Portland bar that deems itself as “a weird little cocktail spot" also made Esquire's list. The self-described "lovechild between a speakeasy and a dive bar" opened in 2023. The owner previously told Nexstar's KOIN some high-caliber cocktail bars give customers a pretentious attitude, but he wants The Uncanny to be welcoming.

Two Colorado bars also made the list: Aurora's Traveling Mercies and Denver's Sunday Vinyl. According to Nexstar's KDVR, the former is an oyster and cocktail bar run by Food & Wine Best New Chef Caroline Glover and co-owner Nelson Harvey. The latter opened this year and, like Part Time Lover, pairs vinyl with its drinks.

The Punch Room, found in Tampa's first five-star hotel, The Tampa EDITION, earned a nod from Esquire as well. The establishment is “dedicated to flavors and spirits of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico," Nexstar's WFLA reports. It was one of three Florida bars on the list, joining Miami's Kaiju and Miami Beach's Medium Cool.

You can view Esquire's full list here.

Other top-rated bars include Shipwreck Bar, a historic bar within a recently reopened Hawaii resort; Martiny's and a New York City bar that ranked among the best bars in North America earlier this year.