Cheers!
A recent ranking has highlighted the top bars in the Western U.S., with California taking a significant lead.
The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s 2026 Spirit Awards showcased several standout bars from California, each offering unique drink experiences.
Included in the West’s Best US Cocktail Bars are various California establishments such as Baby Gee in Long Beach, Capri Club and Thunderbolt in Los Angeles, Tallboy in Oakland, The Snug in Sacramento, and True Laurel in San Francisco.
For the Best Bar Teams in the West, the list featured San Francisco’s Pacific Cocktail Heaven and True Laurel, along with L.A.’s Mirate, Real Charmer, and Thunderbolt. San Diego’s Real of the 52 Remedies and Oakland’s Tallboy were also recognized.
The Best US Restaurants and Bars in the West included Sacramento’s Cru and The Butterscotch Den, Palm Springs’ Bar Cecil, along with Donna’s, Kato Restaurant, Milate in Los Angeles, and Viridian in Auckland.
In the realm of Hotel Bars, Cavaña at the LUMA Hotel and Starlite at the Beacon Grand Hotel in San Francisco took home accolades, alongside the Manor Bar at Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito and Ponyboy in San Diego.
Additionally, the Best New US Cocktail Bars featured Bar Maritime at the San Francisco Paris Hotel, and five popular spots in Los Angeles: Daisy Margarita Bar, Damn I Miss Paris, Lucia, Not No Bar, and Vandel.
This ranking highlights premier bars across various regions in the U.S., with a more consolidated list to come later this spring.
On a related note, two bars from Los Angeles have been recognized in the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars for 2026.
Vandal and Thunderbolt from L.A. are among the top 100 bars in the continent, as determined by a vote from over 300 experts in the cocktail industry, including bartenders, bar owners, and drink writers.
