Charleston's cocktail scene is commendable, as you may have read about in my biweekly "Bar Tab" column in the Food section of The Post and Courier. I've been on an ongoing tour of the beverage scene, from longtime mainstays to new and exciting endeavors. There's something to be said of perfecting the classics as well as providing unique modern twists.
Here's a nice mix of the two, featuring some of my favorite places to drink cocktails around the Lowcountry. As a whole, The Gin Joint’s bar program is meant to encourage creativity and push the team outside the box of what the general public sees as a cocktail, said co-owner Wells Bolt. 182 East Bay St.
Despite its name, The Gin Joint doesn't offer only gin, though it is the liquor of choice for a significant portion of the menu. There is also rum, mezcal, vermouth, tequila, rye and brandy, applied most thoughtfully to a variety of top-notch cocktails that are offered along with full flavor profiles on the menu. My favorite thing to do here is opt for the bartender's choice.
You can choose two words from a list — like "refreshing" and "unusual" — and then wait for the surprise result. I've never had a bad drink from this method; in fact, all of them have been nothing less than fantastic. Sit at the cozy back bar or on the sunlit patio and enjoy.
1956 Maybank Highway The only place on this list to draw you off the peninsula is by far worth the trip. Bar George, located next to the Terrace Theater on James Island, offers delicious and refreshing cocktails (and food). The Spanish Fly, Raspberry Painkiller and Batters Box are a few favorite options that can pair well with an appetizer of chilled broccolini or spring chicory Caesar salad with Peruvian chicken.
Plus, tiki happy hour from 5 to 6 p.m. daily does not disappoint.
A variety of cocktails are offered at Doar Bros. in Charleston. 225 Meeting St.
When it comes to cocktail bars that do the classics right and still keep things fresh with modern takes, up near the top of the list is certainly this intimate and moody Meeting Street Italian-inspired haunt. Doar Bros. offers a list of modern cocktails and classic cocktails to choose from.
Recently, I tried a drink based off the flavor profile of a Bojangles Bo-Berry Biscuit (it was delicious), and in the past I've raved about their divine clarified milk punch. Don't miss the pop-up Italian Night dinner one Wednesday a month, which includes traditional dishes alongside paired beverages. 437 King St.
Proof has been serving up a list of quality classic cocktails since 2012, making it a true founding father of the Charleston cocktail scene. The cozy, dark bar that can serve as a quiet nightcap or lively party, depending on the night, offers an extensive menu of drinks, and it does them all well — from a Jungle Bird to a Last Word to a Sazerac. If you're feeling daring, try the My Elephant's Keeper, served with pickled boiled peanuts.
A drink called a Seven Day Weekend sits on a tray at Little Palm in Charleston. 237 Meeting St. The summer vibes are exquisite at this poolside cocktail bar at the Ryder Hotel.
The breezy bar — that has now expanded from the poolside to an extensive back patio equipped often with a DJ playing music from a balcony above — features tropical wallpaper and gold fixtures on the interior as well as lounges by the pool shaded with millennial pink umbrellas. It's the perfect place to relax in the sunshine while enjoying a refreshing vibrant cocktail like the Seven Day Weekend, Easy Breezy or Happy Now. You'll certainly feel like you're on vacation here.
There are frozen and mocktail options as well. 4 Cannon St. Tucked away a little off the main thoroughfare of King Street is this little nugget where you'll find fantastic cocktails and fare alike.
The Dirty Green Tomato is a fun spin on a dirty martini that tastes like you're drinking a salsa verde or eating a summertime tomato sandwich, in the best way possible. The Spray Tan is another highlight with pineapple and lemongrass rum, citrus, ginger and clove. If you stay for dessert, you have to try the strawberry ice cream if it's on the menu.
The Den at Frannie & The Fox offers martinis, caviar, wine and small plates. 181 Church St. One of my favorite places in the fall and winter is The Den at Frannie & The Fox inside Hotel Emeline.
The Den is the more intimate room at the back of the restaurant that doubles as a private event space. When it's open to the public, you can enjoy a range of martinis there, including one that comes with a caviar bump and another paired with sweet jelly spheres. During the holidays, it's a snug place to try a holiday beverage surrounded by classy but festive decor.
If you choose to stay in the main restaurant at Frannie & The Fox, you'll still find drinks like the Miss Casanova, a hibiscus orange chipotle daquiri with rum, along with hearty Italian fare like the beef and pork meatballs, fennel sausage pizza and rigatoni. 708 King St. This year's prime find for me in the cocktail world was Maison, a place I had the pleasure of visiting during happy hour and being unexpectedly blown away by the quality of their affordable cocktails and friendly, knowledgeable service.
I sat at the bar, though the outdoor patio is also prime real estate, and enjoyed drinks that included the Reine Noire with rum, Dry Vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino and China China and the Parisian Negroni with gin, Salers and Vermouth Blanc. The Jade Mountain at Beautiful South is a matcha colada. 128 Columbus St.
Suite 101 This new restaurant by the owners of Kwei Fei that features Southern China cuisine is a contender for the best cocktails in town. I haven't gone wrong with a beverage here yet, but there are certainly some standouts on the menu. The Beautiful South Martini is a fantastic spinoff, featuring sesame-washed gin, fino cherry, vermouth, MSG and salt.
Then there's the Jade Mountain with rum, lime, piña, honey and a matcha coconut creme to make it green on top of a "mountain" of crushed ice. I'd be remiss not to mention A Vision as well, one for the baijiu drinkers or curious. The Chinese liquor is blended with piña and basil for a delicious refresher.
Pair with dishes like the bamboo shoot lettuce wraps, General Tso's chicken or pork dumplings. 32 N. Market St.
Suite C If you're perusing the Market, this spot is certainly worth a visit for a happy hour or nightcap, preferably before or after the tourists flock in. I sat at the bar recently, which by the way is embedded with little angel wing seashells (a touch I personally loved), and every single cocktail I indulged in was excellent, from the Harriott's with vodka, white grape, basil and serrano pepper to the Sun Go Down with coconut rum, matcha and yuzu. The bill is served fittingly in a copy of "The Tempest," the Shakespearean play.
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