10Best: Drinks from TV's 'Booze Traveler'
There's no need to limit yourself to champagne on New Year's Eve. Every bar and lounge has a drink worth trying, says Travel Channel host Jack Maxwell, who proudly calls himself a "Booze Traveler." His show with the same name, which runs Monday nights at 10 p.m. ET, features memorable drinks around the world, but he has a long list of favorites back home too. "You can learn about people, places and culture through the lens of a cocktail glass," he says. He shares some favorite bars and drinks with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.
Black Cherry Manhattan, The Parlour Room
Los Angeles
Although located in the middle of Hollywood, this bar drops the pretension and focuses on good cheap drinks. "This is a place you can go with friends. It's like putting on an old pair of jeans," Maxwell says. And the drink is simple and straightforward too: bourbon, black cherry syrup, muddled black cherries and ice. 323-463-0609; vintagebargroup.com
Walk Me Down, Blues City Café
Memphis
This 100-ounce drink, sometimes called the Fall Me Down, takes a kitchen-sink approach to mixology, combining vodka, rum, tequila and gin with Blue Curacao and sweet and sour mix. It's served over ice in a saxophone-size container that comes with a neck strap. "On Beale Street you can walk with an open container, and it doesn't get more open than a 100-ounce drink," Maxwell says. 901-526-3637; bluescitycafe.com
Scorpion Cocktail, Vintro Hotel
Miami Beach
In Maxwell's mind, there's no better way to toast a sunset than lifting this drink, made with tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, jalapeno and cilantro on the rocks. "It has the heat in it from the jalapeno and a Latino feel with the cilantro," Maxwell says. "It's brightly colored like Miami." 305-674-9200; vintrohotels.com
Stoli Doli, The Capital Grille
Las Vegas
Although it's just fresh pineapples and vodka strained through crushed ice, Maxwell loves the drink at this upscale Strip steakhouse. "It's so simple, served with beautifully diamond-cut pineapples," he says. And the setting's a pleasure too. "It's nice and soft and quiet, unlike a lot in Vegas." 702-932-6631; thecapitalgrille.com
Black Dahlia, NoMad Bar
New York
While there are many variations on this cocktail, Maxwell likes the one at this Manhattan hotel bar, featuring Zwack, a spicy, herbal Hungarian liqueur mixed with sherry, Grand Marnier and lemon juice. "It has a unique taste and it's different." 212-796-1500; thenomadhotel.com
New Fashioned, Dierks Bentley's Whiskey Row
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Being a lover of the Old Fashioned, Maxwell was curious about this concoction made with blackberry whiskey, lemon juice, agave nectar, fresh blackberries and black walnut bitters, served over crushed ice. His conclusion: "It's a nice nod to the past -- a very dark, dense drink." 480-945-4200; dierkswhiskeyrow.com
Vieux Carre, The Carousel Bar and Lounge, Hotel Monteleone
New Orleans
This Crescent City classic was invented at a French Quarter bar which is shaped (and rotates) like a carousel. The drink combines rye whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, Peychaud's bitters and Angostura bitters. "You add bitters to take the sting out of the alcohol and this has two different kinds for a reason -- because it's a strong drink," Maxwell says. 504-523-3341; hotelmonteleone.com
Irish whiskey, Lincoln Tavern and Restaurant
Boston
When Maxwell was a kid, he used to shine shoes in South Boston bars. "When I get back to Boston there's nothing I'd rather do than round up the usual suspects and pub crawl through my old Southie neighborhood for some brotherhood and cocktails," he says. "It would be blasphemy to go in and order some kind of fancy cocktail. Whiskey rocks for me is fine." 617-765-8636; lincolnsouthboston.com
Zombie, Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco
Maxwell has always loved tiki -- and this bar, which celebrates its 70th anniversary next year -- is a classic. "When I can drink in a tiki bar, it's always fun. It's the surroundings that make cocktails special for me," he says. And there's no better tiki drink than a Zombie, made here with several kinds of rum plus lime, pineapple and papaya juices, along with a secret ingredient or two. "The name says it all, doesn't it? You drink a Zombie, you lose your brain." 415-772-5278; tongaroom.com
Old Style beer, Gold Star Bar
Chicago
Maxwell loves this cash-only dive bar, with free pool, an indie juke box, and low-quality TVs. "It's not fancy or pretentious. It's as down-home as it gets," he says. He recommends any beer available, along with a tamale if the vendor stops by. 773-227-8700; facebook.com/pages/Gold-Star-Bar/5140108660