Charleston is a drinker ’s town . There are over 160 taproom here , which solve out to about 1.25 bars for every 1,000 residents ( for you maths wonk ) . And that does n’t even include the apparently endless number of restaurants that are also known to sling a cocktail or two . With so much liquor flowing through the street of the Holy City , it can be hard to choose which cocktail are worth the plug . So we ’re here to narrow the lean down to 16 “ try before you die ” cocktail in this Charleston bar bucket list .
The Witchdoctor
The Macintosh
The thing we sleep with about cucumber cocktail is that they ’re so refreshing : they make you think of summertime , sunshine , and pulling fresh vegetable out of the shite . ( OK , again , maybe that ’s just us . ) Anyway , the Witchdoctor at The Macintosh is made with Svedka vodka , cucumber , elderflower , mint , and a Szechuan button . The Szechuan button used to be used in former - timey dentist ’s offices to numb a patient ’s rima oris , so it volunteer a fragile benumb sentience that ’ll leave you humming “ ching chang walla walla bing bang ” all night long . ( You be intimate , like that Witch Doctor song . )
The Red Wedding
Edmund’s Oast
Though known more for that giant bulwark - o'-beer , Edmund ’s Oast ’s cocktail menu still backpack a mean punch . You wo n’t go wrong choose any of the cocktails , but you could n’t possibly go more right than by choose The Red Wedding . Made with Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon and hibiscus / peppiness / thyme sweet tea ice cubes ( say that three meter tight ) , this seemingly simple cocktail bring on a completely new savour as the ice cubes start to melt . Much like that episode ofGame of Thrones , this is n’t a cocktail you ’ll soon block .
Disco Sour
492
When it come to cocktails that are just as pretty to look at as they are tasty , you ’ll be heavily - pressed to notice a better candidate than the Disco Sour at 492 . The drinkable – made with pisco , velvet falernum , lemon , and butterfly pea prime – has a blue ice cube that changes the drink ’s color as it melt ( hence the disco moniker ) . If you like mixing chemistry and cocktail , this is the one for you .
Moscow Mule
The Rarebit
Nowadays , it seems no cocktail menu is stark without the parole “ mule ” on it . But Rarebit ’s version , made with Sweatman ’s Ginger Beer and limeade , is a tried ( and test and tried … ) and true pilot that is precisely how a classic mule should be made . Just , please , don’t steal the copper visage .
The Red Scare
Zero Café + Bar
Everything that comes out of Zero Café + Bar ’s kitchen is a delicious workplace of art , so it ’s no surprise that the cocktails would be , as well . We wo n’t lie : the computer menu is middling intimidating , with drinks like the “ American Surrealist ” and the “ Alter Ego ” ( and do n’t even get me started on the “ Smoke on the pee " ) . But do n’t have that repel you forth . Put your trustfulness in Vinson Petrillo and company , and just roll in the hay that you ’re go to wish it . The beverage is an artful combination of tequila , PAMA , Jack Rudy grenadine , habanero dim-witted sirup , cilantro , and citrous fruit , resulting in one of the most complex and pleasing cocktails you ’re ever likely to try on : The Red Scare ( which is yet another intimidate name ) .
The Jewel Runner
Indaco
This cocktail was made in collaborationism with Limehouse Produce ’s “ Citrus Celebration , ” which further eating house to focus on lesser - cognize produce in newfangled and creative ways . In the case of The Jewel Runner , that produce was pomelo , which master mixologist Jared Chafin combine with Hat Trick gin rummy , Green Chartreuse , Herbsaint , lime tree , and theater - made coffee pecan bitter . This drink requires you to get out of your puff zona a little bit , but if you have an open mind , you ’ll be rewarded by the agency the citrous fruit and herb harmonize in your meth .
434
Halls Chophouse
You screw how sometimes a drink can be so delicious that you blank out there ’s intoxicant in it , and then after three or four just walk is hard ? ( Just us ? OK … ) Well , that ’s the 434 from Halls Chophouse . The bartenders blend ananas and orange - infused vodka and shake it with ice until it ’s skillful and cold , then teem it into a drinking glass – and that ’s it ! The beverage taste just like yield juice , and can easy take down a grown humankind if he ’s not measured .
Jasmanian Devil
O-Ku
There are a few reason you should try the Jasmanian Devil from O - Ku . First , it has a uproariously ingenious name . secondly , it was a 2010 Bacardi Mojito Challenge winner . Third , because you care your cocktail to be both spicy and fresh . Habanero - instill Bacardi Silver is mixed with passion yield , mint , lime , and simple syrup , a combination that , at a glance , seems like it should n’t work . But trust us , it does .
Double Standard
The Cocktail Club
It takes a lot of preparation and patience for the Double Standard to come to life . First , Cocktail Club infuses its gin with serrano , and the vodka with cucumber . Then , a ginger simple syrup is made . From there , calcined lime juice , cilantro , cucumber water , and celery bitters are added for a cocktail that ’s a little spicy , a piddling refreshing , and a lot delish . And only then comes the cocktail mover and shaker .
Pink Rabbit
Proof
Every cocktail on the menu at Proof is a solid choice , but for this list , we ’ve decided to go with the Pink Rabbit : a spicy strawberry cocktail crafted by mixologist Craig Nelson . He habituate ancho chile liqueur , Reyka vodka , a house - made strawberry smoothie , and strawberry slices for garnish . ( Did we make you think about strawberries ? ? )
Old Fashioned
The Belmont
Belmont has been describe as a “ bartender ’s bar ” because of its comfortable , intimate atmospheric state and wide-ranging , but consistent , cocktail list . The Old Fashioned make the inclination of Charleston ’s substantive cocktails because owner Mickey Moran has dedicated an intact varlet of his drink fare to amaro . There ’s no muddled fruit or weak ice cubes to dilute the flavour of the drink . This is an Old Fashioned that Don Draper himself would be proud to drink – and you will , too .
Champagne Nitrotini
Grill 225
The coolest cocktail in Charleston ( and we mean that literally ) is the one that ’s infused with liquid N , aka the Nitrotini , at Grill 225 . There ’s a whole slew of them on the Nitrotini bill of fare , but most of them are over the top and by all odds cater to mass with a angelic tooth ( lookin ’ at you , Cotton Candy Nitrotini ) . The Champagne Nitrotini , made with Louis Perdrier Champagne , pomegranate schnaps , and Cointreau orange liqueur , is still on the sweet side , but a little more mellow . Is it kind of a gimmick ? Sure . But is it still fun to drink ? You reckon . Justdon’t review them on Yelp if you do n’t like it .
Singapore Sling
Voodoo
People sometimes blank out that great cocktail exist outside of the Peninsula , but Voodoo – part of the Smoke & Mirrors Restaurant Group ( recall Tattooed Moose or Meat House Butcher Shop ) – is a smashing example of that . The Singapore Sling , made with gin , Heering Cherry , Cointreau , Bénédictine , house - made grenadine , bracing calcium hydroxide , and pineapple plant , and served in a gay and tropic toucan glass , might look ingenuous enough , but will “ get your ass in a slingback if you ’re not heedful , ” according to the card .
Expatriate
McCrady’s
McCrady ’s – aka Husk ’s fancy older brother – is the epitome of molecular gastronomy , so you’re able to anticipate nothing less than extraordinary from the cocktail menu . The Expatriate is a gravid example of the level of particular it puts into every boozing and sweetheart . One line from the cocktail ’s formula is : “ twofold variant into a chilled coupe , spray angostura bark bitters with an atomizer onto foam for garnish . ” ( Thosearen’tjust a whole bunch of words we made up . ) This cocktail is frothy and nutty , with hints of pep and honey , that ’s intended to be an “ ode to the benne seed and its rich chronicle in lowcountry cuisine . ”
Lil' Shor-Tea
HōM
When it come to tasty cocktails in Charleston , Upper King St ping niff lounge and burger joint HōM ( say like “ home ” ) is n’t usually at the top of people ’s “ must - test ” leaning . But here ’s why that should change : the Lil ' Shor - Tea . Made with vodka , luxardo , lime , and sweet tea , this simple cocktail has a really interesting profoundness to it because it ’s refreshful and not too perfumed , and will make you wish you were sitting on a beach somewhere .
Bartender’s Choice
The Gin Joint
OK , so this one might be considered cheating , but get a line us out . You walk up to the bartender and give him or her two adjectives : something like “ fizzing ” and “ strange , ” or “ spicy ” and “ vegetative . ” Then , watch them whip you up something totally unequaled and delicious . It take a lot of the pressure off of trying to decode cocktail menu lingo , and permit the barkeep get a little creative .
Sign up herefor our daily Charleston email and be the first to get all the food for thought / drink / fun in town .
The Macintosh
Sydney Gallimore/Thrillist
Paul Cheney/JWKPEC Photography
The Rarebit
Zero Cafe/Thrillist
Courtesy of Indaco
Courtesy of Halls Chophouse
Courtesy of O-Ku
Courtesy of Cocktail Club
Courtesy of The Cocktail Bandits
Courtesy of Belmont Lounge
Courtesy of Grill 225
Courtesy of Voodoo Tiki Bar
Courtesy of McCrady’s
Sydney Gallimore/Thrillist
Courtesy of The Gin Joint
