Downtown & the Gulch
On an overcast Sunday, this taproom feels like the Cheers bar. Staff and locals are chatty, and the not-too-hoppy beer is easy to sip over a lazy hour or…
Must-see nightlife in Southern USA
Asheville
Unlike the spit-shined, well-oiled breweries elsewhere in Asheville, the grungier Wedge in the River Arts District is happy to keep things edgy. The beers…
Fayetteville
The Vault's aesthetic is an interesting blend of modernity and the rusticity baked into the surrounding forests and mountains of Northwest Arkansas. It's…
The Triangle
Connoisseurs of classic cocktails should plant themselves down at this long and very serious Chapel Hill bar, the best in town for mulling over mixology…
French Quarter
A cop, a reporter and a tourist walk into a bar. That's not a joke, just a good description of the eclectic clientele you get at this excellent…
Knoxville
Popular with outdoorsy types coming back from the Urban WIlderness, dog-friendly Alliance's SoKno taproom offers 12 taps, some of which are devoted to…
French Quarter
By all appearances, the Napoleon House's stuccoed walls haven’t received so much as a dab of paint since the place opened in 1805. The diffused glow…
New Orleans
There are plenty of cafes in Mid-City, but Station is a significant caffeinated cut above the rest. The coffee is simply thoughtfully curated and brewed…
French Quarter
Run by the folks from nearby Bar Tonique, this spot focuses on great brews, though you can get a fine cocktail if you so desire. Even folks without much…
The Triangle
Calling itself a 'plow-to-pint' brewery, Fullsteam has gained national attention for pushing the boundaries of beer with wild, Southernized concoctions…
Coastal North Carolina
Behind Clawson’s on Front St, you'll find this cozy cubbyhole hangout, housed in a historic bakery. The walls still contain the original brick ovens –…
Coastal North Carolina
For a cup o' Joe with bite, head to this small independent java house in Wrightsville Beach. The owners have combined their love of scuba diving, shark…
South Carolina
Inspired by the variety of entertainment provided in a 1900s vaudeville house that once stood in its place, this venue triples as a gastropub, game center…
Charleston
Church on Sunday or craft beer and yoga? Holy City ain't scared! Sunday morning yoga at 10am ($15) is par for the course at this North Charleston…
Nashville
The Bible Belt loosens a notch for this welcoming gay bar and dance club on, of all places, Church St. High-energy drag shows start at 9pm, 11pm and 1am…
Outer Banks
This simple but stylish wine and craft-beer bar is a welcome respite from OBX's typical fare. Select from 24 wines (in the self-service tasting bar) or 24…
Outer Banks
Part gourmet-food shop (head here for beach picnic provisions), part wine store, Zillie's is one of the classiest spots for a glass of Argentine Malbec or…
Louisville
Germantown's craft cocktail anchor is this satisfyingly retro establishment that serves a small but serious list of tipples. The semicircular red leather…
Atlanta
This industrial-hip coffeehouse near Georgia Tech's campus, the original of four locations in the city, brews the joe of choice for severe caffeine…
East Tennessee
Dubbed 'the Barn,' this big-windowed moonshine distillery and tasting room has a front-row seat on the action at The Island, an outdoor retail and…
Chattanooga
One of the anchors of the newly hip MLK district, this 20-tap microbrewery ironically added a garage door so that it appears that its taproom is housed in…
Nashville
Americano brings something new to the Nashville coffee scene: a great place to hang out. With an eye for design, the owners have crafted a comfortable and…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This Bywater dive attracts a neighborhood crowd seeking cheap beers, chilled-out banter and frequent events, from blues-rock gigs to sci-fi readings by…
Charleston
This delightful Jazz Age gastropub serves up excellent craft cocktails (from $10) that tend to pair well with the lip-smackin' Southern grub. Think a …
Knoxville
This marvelous speakeasy, named for a former Knoxville mayor, sits inside a cosy space that served as the library in a former iteration of the Oliver…
East Nashville
Thinker, writers and (web)surfers hunch over laptops in the cavernous interior where the coffee is house-roasted and sacked, and where rocker Robert Plant…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
This grotty spot seamlessly blends punk-rock sensibility with the occasional confused French Quarter tourist. Like many older New Orleans businesses, R…
Savannah
If the name of this place made you smile, you'll be right at home in this gamer's pub, which features video-game consoles, board games and drinks named…
The Triangle
Half bar, half bottle shop, and a refreshingly grungy alternative to Chapel Hill’s smattering of breweries, this place offers 18 taps of local and…
Tennessee
The patio at this primate-themed coffee shop is the perfect place to relax, the buzz of espresso machines whirring behind you. From dawn til dusk, Frothy…
Charleston
A bright downtown tasting room where you take shots of small-batch gin, whiskey, vodka and amaro, right in a row. Tasty cocktails are also available, and…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
From the front, it’s a well-decorated Bywater house. Walk inside and there’s a restaurant, sauna, leafy patio with bar, heated outdoor pool, 25ft…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
Dark and sexy, Lost Love is that vampy Marigny goth or moody artist your momma told you to stay away from, mixed with a bit of blue-collar dive-bar…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
The drinking venue at the Peter & Paul ups the game of what is possible at a hotel bar. You'll find a series of rooms running from a cafe in a former…
Downtown & the Gulch
You won't be raving about the ambience on any postcards home, but this small (but devoted!) bar in the Gulch is one of Nashville's best for taking a deep…
New Orleans
My Whole Life Is Thunder. Shochu Wanna Party. The Rubio. Treo knows how to name a cocktail – and, more importantly, how to mix one. Tipplers have a choice…
Louisville
Megapopular Monnik is in up-and-coming Schnitzelburg. There are 20 taps – the IPA stands out – in this restrained hipster environment where the beer isn't…
New Orleans
Toward the quiet end of Magazine St, Monkey Hill looks and feels like a neighborhood bar, but it’s also one of the best happy-hour spots (3pm to 7pm…
New Orleans
A neighborhood bar – a very good one at that – with a mostly college and post-college crowd attracted by two pool tables and a commendable beer selection…
New Orleans
From the street, this scruffy pub looks like a nothing-special neighborhood dive. But with more than 40 beers on tap and another 135-odd in bottles, plus…
