The South's Best Bars 2019

Key West, Florida

This salty bar opened in 1933, on the very day that Prohibition was repealed. It’s known for having served the lights of the literary world—Ernest Hemingway’s revolving door of friends—alongside bonafide bootleggers. It wouldn’t be a trip to the Keys without one of its notorious Sloppy Rita’s or Sloppy Joe sandwiches. Like a rare Cuban rum, this dive just gets better with age. Read more.

sloppyjoes.com

Pensacola, Florida

Located on the state line between Florida and Alabama, the Flora-Bama is what beach bar dreams are made of. And its signature drink, the Bushwacker, has been the house specialty practically since it’s been open and serving. Like a boozy adult milkshake, it’ll have you in the coastal state of mind.

florabama.com

Beaufort, North Carolina

This funky bar resides in a century-old converted bakery, and you’ll find the vintage brick building quite cozy. Every patron, from grizzly fisherman to fancy city folk, gets along just fine. As for entertainment, pick your poison: live music, board games, or something off its bookshelf. So grab an IPA (house choice: Abundant Sunshine IPA by Waterman's Brewing), and sink into a seat.

thebackstreetpub.com

Clemson, South Carolina

Now, every college town boasts a favorite sports bar—but few have a bar so collectively beloved as The Esso Club at Clemson University. Originally housed in a small gas station, the well-known bar now sits in the shadows of Death Valley, serving up its signature “Build Your Own” Bloody Mary bar. You’ll find walls covered by Clemson Tiger memorabilia and alumni saddled up to the bar.

theessoclub.com

Grayton Beach, Florida

A scarlet-lit, bohemian anomaly on the polished, planned-community-lined Highway 30A, this Grayton Beach mainstay somehow combines a ’70s Parisian beatnik bistro with a beach vagabond vibe. Come for the perfectly blackened grouper, stay for the house margaritas and live music by The Red Bar Jazz Band. 

theredbar.com

Editor Note: On February 13, the beloved Red Bar was destroyed by fire. Plans to rebuild are in the works.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Like tasting Café Du Monde’s beignets or Domilise’s po’boy, you’re going to need to try the Carousel Bar’s Vieux Carre for the most authentic New Orleans experience. Take a spin on the functioning, slow-turning carousel (once visited by the likes of authors Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner) while sipping on its original Southern cocktail of whiskey, cognac, and sweet vermouth. Bartender Walter Bergeron first stirred the now-iconic drink in 1933.

hotelmonteleone.com

New Orleans, Louisiana

A walk from the green jacket-guarded entryway through an ancient archway to the courtyard’s flaming fountain for a orange-and-cherry-garnished hurricane (which was invented at Pat O’s in the 1940s) remains an essential French Quarter experience.

patobriens.com

Charleston, South Carolina

Nothing captures the feel of Charleston, with its historic cobblestone streets and towering steeples, more than The Bar at Husk. Located in the carriage house next door to Sean Brock’s famed Husk restaurant, this two-story bar draws you in with century-old exposed brick walls and a cocktail list from heaven—and you don’t even need a reservation. Try the Charleston Light Dragoon Punch, the longest running cocktail on the menu that boasts a recipe dating back to 1792. 

huskrestaurant.com

St. Augustine, Florida

This restored 1920s ice factory, near Flagler College in St. Augustine, is serious about having fun. One side is a distillery, the other a bar and restaurant with a focus on farm-to-table food and craft cocktails made with fresh-pressed juices, three different kinds of ice, and other specialty ingredients. Two bars keep your thirst at bay, while a wait staff dressed in overalls, vintage dresses, and Rosie-the-Riveter kerchiefs brings the personality. Read more.

iceplantbar.com

Asheville, North Carolina

Originally just a brewery located in downtown Asheville, Thirsty Monk now dabbles in the world of spirits, too. Thanks to its newly opened bar, Monk’s Flask, in Biltmore Park, you can enjoy both concepts while visiting the quirky mountain town. Currently, its favorite cocktail is a pick-me-up version of a Mint Julep, called the Rattle Skull, that’s infused with its coffee-imbued stout beer.

monkpub.com