Chef Amy Beaumier and bartender Matthew Gomez weave their love for the Wu-Tang Clan and Korean flavors into a stunning menu of cocktails and small plates. While they recommend the Teacher’s Pet (calvados, Cocchi Rosa, Braulio, crème de cacao, bitters, saline, and absinthe) or the Kimcheech & Chong (mezcal, citrus, orgeat, kimchi, and peach bitters) for first timers, you’ll probably be tempted by the Pisco and Paparazzi, which comes garnished with a Polaroid of you drinking it.

Greenwood’s all abuzz about Sophon, Seattle’s newest Cambodian diaspora bar-resto, and it can still be tricky to get a table. But fun fact: There are frequently walk-in seats available at the bar. After you’re set up with a plate of p’set ang (spicy grilled trumpet mushrooms) and sach chrouk (caramelized, star-anised pork belly), what you’re probably looking for is a cheese-flavored cocktail, and you’ll be in luck. The Khlang, made with brie-infused rye, nocino, sweet vermouth, and delicata squash tincture, is a rounder, nuttier, deliciouser take on a Manhattan. And since you’re at the bar, you might as well get a Mekong, which isn’t available to the table sitters — it’s coconut cream, blended rum, ripe mango AND unripe mango, and a bespoke orgeat made from roasted peanuts and fish sauce. These two should be plenty to show newcomers why this vibrant new spot has been so hyped since Day 1. There’s just nothing like it in town. 

Backed by an impressive alcohol inventory, this pocket-sized Sunset Hill bar specializes in Prohibition-influenced cocktails with a contemporary twist. Each drink boasts a mosaic of carefully selected ingredients that coax out flavorful overtures not seen in most cocktail classics. A prime example is the Nightclub on the Corner, a mai tai riff with aquavit, amaro, lemon, pineapple, and falernum.

According to owner and seasoned bartender Paul Shanrock, Stampede’s goal is “to be the most fun, delicious bar.” This ambition shows in this cocktail den’s menu, which changes every six months to explore new flavors and guest reactions. Here are unexpected pairs like aperol and mezcal or tequila and sherry, merged beautifully together with a plethora of house-made ingredients (smoked salted whipped cream, anyone?). 

Good luck finding this place. In this sidewalkless industrial neighborhood near Fisherman’s Terminal, it’s a feat of navigation to locate the right warehouse, never mind the correct entrance. Once you step inside the fluorescent-lit hallway, you’d still never dream there’s a darling little cocktail bar at the end of it. SennzaFinne is a local amaro producer, and in fact, they have an extra good-smelling secret lounge stashed away down by the train tracks, only open from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, where patrons can enjoy cocktails du jour among the open bins of calendula and angelica. A recent chalkboard special was the One from the Heart: mole-infused tequila, cold brew, spiced syrup, and SennzaFInne’s “Winter” amaro made with cedar, hazelnuts, coffee, chicory, and cacao. 

Before opening its Capitol Hill doors in 2020, the Doctor’s Office conducted over 300 blind taste tests and gathered spirits from around the world to fine-tune the recipe for every classic cocktail on the menu. As owner Matthew “Dr. Matt” Powell puts it, “The only way to know we could honestly tell a guest, ‘This is best Negroni I’ve ever had’ was to try every combination. So that’s exactly what we did.” 

Owner Anu Apte describes Rob Roy as “a cocktail den celebrating classic drinks with a bit of punk cheek.” Drinks like the Saffron Sandalwood Sour (a gin sipper with saffron sharbat and egg white) and the Old Soul (bourbon with Jelinek fernet and Genepy Des Alpes) show why working a bit of cheek into traditional flavors has helped this bar stay a Belltown favorite for over a decade and earn a 2023 James Beard nomination.

Slinging bold cocktails with vintage-style bar tools beneath Pike Place Market, Zig Zag has earned acclaim from locals and tourists alike. Traditional tastes may prefer the Affinity (essentially a Manhattan with Highland Park Scotch) while more adventurous palates may go for the Vesper, I Hardly Know Her, which throws together vodka, aquavit, vermouth, and yuzu curacao.

The near two-story-high shelves of liquor bottles behind the bartop are what draws the eye when entering, but your attention quickly shifts to the beautiful cocktails. Delectable examples include the Casamento (gin, hibiscus, acai, lime, curacao, and aloe liqueur) and the Golden Ratio (rye, cognac, Montenegro, vermouth, cardamom, and bitters). There’s also a South American-influenced food menu.

Rum is the specialty spirit at this Jamaican and New Orleans-influenced bar and restaurant in Columbia City. While known for its homey soul food, just as much dedication goes into its lineup of summery cocktails. Peach Me I’m Dreaming is a refreshingly tasty introduction, crafted with plantation five-year rum, vermouth, lemon, herbal liqueur, and ginger syrup.

For cocktail nerds who don’t take themselves too seriously, how about chugging some crafties in a WWE-themed dive? Decked out with floor-to-ceiling wrestling art and memorabilia, White Center’s Lariat Bar is so dedicated to the bit it even has a miniature wrestling ring that doubles as a stage on karaoke nights. Cocktail menu mainstays include the Shayna Basil-er (a tribute to legendary wrestler Shayna Baszler) with Grey Goose, Giffard Peach, watermelon, basil, grapefruit, and bubbles, or the Hillbilly Gin, with Hendrick’s, Giffard Framboise, cardamom bitters, and lemon. Don’t miss their list of nonalcoholic drinks either, labeled “Kayfabe” — our favorite culinary wrestling analogy in a while, possibly ever.