There has been a revolution slowly stirring in bars across the country and over the past decade that revolution has caught fire. Cocktail bars have sprouted up all over the country, offering the rarest of spirits and custom concoctions at the hands of the world’s best bartenders. The cocktail resurgence happened so quickly no one has taken the time to separate the wheat from the chaff, until now.

For its October issue, GQ traveled 34,462 miles around the country to bring you a list of the top 25 cocktail bars, lounges, and holes-in-the-walls of America. Seattle’s Zig Zag Café sits at the top of the list, with the following endorsement:

At Zig Zag Café, “patrons come for the easy conversation and the drink-all-day coziness. Above all, though, they come for the cocktails of Murray Stenson. The man is effortlessly talented, a bartender superhero. In fact, he may be the country’s best,” writes Kevin Sintumuang. “Each drink Murray pours is a mini-revelation, an introduction to rare spirits and a bold use of common ones.”

The Zig Zag Café is followed by these 24 bars:

2: Angel’s Share – New York
3: The Violet Hour – Chicago
4: Clover Club – Brooklyn
5: The Alembic – San Francisco
6: Death & Co – New York
7: PDT – New York
8: PX – Alexandria, VA
9: Comstock Saloon – San Francisco
10: Holeman & Finch – Atlanta
11: Tiki-ti – Los Angeles
12: The Patterson House – Nashville
13: Eastern Standard – Boston
14: Rickhouse – San Francisco
15: Anvil – Houston
16: Arnaud’s French 75 – New Orleans
17: Elixir – San Francisco
18: Columbia Room – Washington, D.C.
19: Cole’s – Los Angeles
20: The Whistler – Chicago
21: Drink – Boston
22: Pegu Club – New York
23: The Edison – Los Angeles
24: The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. – Philadelphia
25: Needle and Thread – Seattle

For drinking lessons learned, tips, and more information about each bar, pick up the October issue of GQ,available now on newsstands and on iTunes, or visit GQ.com.

Photo Credit: Mitchell Feinberg/GQ

Labor Day weekend is here, and summer is winding down, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t enjoy a refreshing cocktail in the late summer sun.

Grey Goose Vodka, one of the sponsors of US Open Championships, has created the Honey Deuce cocktail for tournament spectators. The drink will be served at satellite bars around the tournament grounds in a collector’s souvenir cup. Here’s the recipe:

1¼ part Grey Goose Original Vodka
2 parts fresh lemonade
¼ part premium raspberry-flavored liqueur
Frozen honeydew melon balls

Fill a highball or double old-fashioned glass with crushed ice. Add Grey Goose Vodka and fill the rest of the cup with lemonade to a half inch below the rim. Drizzle premium raspberry-flavored liqueur over the top. Garnish with frozen honeydew melon.

We have to admit it sounds delicious, and we’d love to be at the Open enjoying one of these drinks. We’ll have to settle for making some for ourselves at our Labor Day picnic.

Our friends at Maker’s Mark were kind enough to send us a bottle of their signature Kentucky Bourbon along with some great drink recipes. We chose this one as everyone gears up for Memorial Day and the unofficial beginning of the summer season.

Kentucky Lemonade
Yield – 1 serving

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 parts Maker’s Mark
* 1/2 part triple sec
* 4 parts of lemonade
* 2 parts lemon & lime soda

Directions:

Pour Maker’s Mark, triple sec, lemonade and soda into a shaker. Shake and pour over crushed ice.

You’ll easily recognize Maker’s Mark as it’s sold in squarish bottles and sealed with red wax that drips from the top. The signature look is one of many reasons this is a great addition to your home bar. Try the drink above for your cookout this weekend and your guests will be very happy . . . and refreshed!

Today is Cinco de Mayo, and we’re going to help you get the party started with a review of an excellent tequila.

The Cabo Wabo brand of tequila was created by The Red Rocker, Sammy Haggar, who also owns a night club with the same name in Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico. This premium tequila is the genuine article – 100% Weber Blue Agave.

The folks at Cabo Wabo were kind enough to send us bottles of all three varieties you see above, and we definitely had some fun giving them a try. The bottles have recently been redesigned, and as you can see they’ll look great in your bar or drink cart.

You can read more about the different kinds of tequila here, but the difference in the types of tequilas come from the amount of time they are aged from the time of distillation to the time they are bottled. The Blanco (or Silver) is bottled right away, while the Reposado and Añejo are aged longer which give them more color and more complex flavors.

I liked the Blanco the best, but all three varieties were great. If you’re only experience with tequila involves cheap shots at the bar, you’ll be shocked when you try a premium tequila like Cabo Wabo. The tequila is delicious and can be sipped like other high end spirits.

Of course, you can also shoot it and use it for great mixed drinks, so when you’re enjoying Cinco de Mayo today, order up some good tequila like Cabo Wabo and impress your lady friend!

All of us would love to have our own home bar stocked with our favorite liquor. If you already have one or you’re planning on putting one in your home, you’ve probably given some thought to the bar supplies you’ll need. Unless you’re a professional bartender, however, you’ll likely need some help on the essential supplies you’ll need to impress your friends and your gal.

Fortunately, The Bachelor Guy has put together a cool list of helpful accessories for your home bar. The gadget pictured above is a great example.

V-Rod™
This double ended bottle opener (and bartender life saver), performs double duty. One end opens capped bottles and the other pops off stubborn pour spouts from liquor bottles. (Plus you can recycle the Cap-On® by popping it out with the V-Rod™.) You can also customize a V-Rod™ with any design of your choice at www.logobarproducts.com $7.99.

Check out the entire list for some great recommendations and then plan a party and invite us!