Haute Top 5: Best Cocktail Bars in Atlanta in 2017

Located in the historic Decatur train depot, Kimball House puts major emphasis on their raw bar and on their crafty cocktails. With the cocktail menu changing regularly, you will always find something over-the-top and very innovative. And, of course, you can use their Absinthe service, which comes in a glass with iced cubes and chilled water.

Think gastro pub with craft cocktails in a tony Buckhead spot located right beside Lenox Square. With a focus on cocktails you can expect the most knowledgeable servers and the coolest craft cocktails. The latest must-try Breakfast of Champions cocktail, created by beverage director Vinnie Dugan combines Four Roses Yellow Label bourbon, Camus VS cognac, simple syrup, Hoodoo chicory liqueur and Cocoa Puff-soaked milk.

Southern Art is the Atlanta debut of acclaimed chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and two-time James Beard Award recipient Art Smith and combines a hip, urban eatery with classic southern charm, offering southern-inspired cuisine and cocktails in a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere. Bourbon Bar – an award-winning bourbon-centric bar and lounge alongside Southern Art restaurant – features carefully selected bourbons and craft American whiskies, as well as a variety of hand-crafted signature cocktails.

Home of the best gin tonics in town, Cooks & Soldiers’ cocktail menu will not disappoint. In addition to the gin tonic menu with options of house, lemon and Seville orange, enjoy delicious sips of the “Blind Tiger” with gin, lime juice, maple syrup and cava.

Heading to an event at Phillips Arena, Centennial Olympic Park or (in the near future) Mercedes-Benz Stadium? Stop by Alma Cocina before the show to enjoy one of the best margarita and cocktail selections in town. This upscale Mexican mainstay boasts its own exclusive Herradura Reposado tequila blend, so you won’t find these creative concoctions anywhere else! Be sure to try the Amatitan, beverage manager Kit Lewis’s favorite cocktail on the menu. The cocktail blends the custom “Double Reposado” Herradura with fresh citrus and a high quality orange curacao, perfectly balancing the acidity and sweetness of the margarita and allowing the spirit to shine through the cocktail.