The 20 Best Cocktails in America

Of course we're gonna feature the one from good ol' Los Angeles:

The Martini - Musso & Frank
Los Angeles

The M&F martini is to, say, an appletini as a Hepburn–Tracy picture is to something by Jerry Bruckheimer—a triumph of clarity and craftsmanship over empty bombast and idiotic fireworks. At this 80-year-old Hollywood institution—with its world-weary waiters, dark-leather banquettes, and spirit-fortifying steaks—your martini is presented at your table with its overflow in a tiny carafe. The first sip is enough to make you want to drink three, go schtup a contract player, and then green-light an epic.—BRETT MARTIN

And if you happen to be in other parts of the country, check these out:

The Margaveza - Daddy’s
Brooklyn

Daddy’s is a rock ’n’ roll bar tucked into an obscure block of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that’s staffed and patronized by obscure Brooklyn musicians. Ask for the Margaveza, a drink originally invented by former bartender Eric Copeland, of the band Black Dice. It’s wildly simple: a twelve-ounce bottle of Sol poured into a pint glass, topped with four ounces of frozen margarita, and garnished with a lime. All for five bucks. Why didn’t anyone think of this before? Get it at Daddy’s, get it at your local bar-with-a-margarita-machine, get it anywhere there’s a blender and at least one person who can play all of Slanted and Enchanted dead drunk and blindfolded.—WILL WELCH

The Sungold Zinger - Range
San Francisco

All summer the ’tenders of this friendly little bar work their wrists like mad, muddling tiny Sungold tomatoes with gin and elderflower liqueur. (It’s a wonder they don’t get carpal tunnel syndrome.) Among a steady flow of drinks made with whatever’s looking best at the market, Range’s Zinger is like a sweet, hip cousin of those bloody old twins, Mary and Maria. Plus, any cocktail that incorporates vegetables while tasting more like a gin gimlet than Spicy Hot V8 is worth its weight in Sungold. So shut up and drink your vegetables!—JAMES O’BRIEN

All photo credits to GQ.com/Men.Style.com

For a listing of all 20 cocktails, check out the complete article over at GQ.com/Men.Style.com