Best Cocktails '98

Best Cocktails

Kon Tiki
4625 E. Broadway Blvd.

READERS' PICK: In the sere Southwest, it's pretty hard to achieve the effect of gently waving palms, soft sea air and azure coral lagoons. But what Kon Tiki doesn't manage with its Polynesian décor, it pulls off with its spectacular tropical cocktails. Fronting the hurricane-glass storm is the infamous Scorpion. Its formula is a closely guarded secret, but it features rum, gin and brandy blended with tropical fruit juices. Uniquely, it's also available for two, in a glass large enough to buoy a kayak. Close in its wake is a daunting fleet of fruity, rum-infused beverages, but purists or would-be sailors overdue for some shore leave might head straight for the Navy Grog: nothing more or less than three rums, including 151. But the seasoned South Sea adventurer knows to ask for the Zombie: one sip and surf starts roaring in your ears, accompanied by the distinct sound of island drums, and you start checking the menu to make sure your name isn't on it somewhere....

READER'S POLL RUNNER-UP: What makes a good cocktail is a good bartender. Like Kevin. He knows things. Like how to build a Zazarak, a fine cocktail that hails from that charming state of mind known as New Orleans. Kevin knows about the whole rye vs. bourbon controversy. He knows that the classic version is made with rye whiskey, not to mention peychaud bitters. Hard to find. But the Kingfisher Bar & Grill, 2564 E. Grant Road, has 'em. You can, of course use angostura bitters as well, a little dash of each. Kevin is there to discuss such things. He knows to swirl the Pernod in the old-fashioned glass, and toss it out before packing it with ice and rye and bitters, and he knows to put the little twist of lemon in and hand it to you. There. He can make other drinks. Just ask him.

CLUE IN: Is it the actual cocktail, or the venue surrounding it that makes sipping a fancy alcoholic concoction so pleasant? It's probably a combination of both, and the Shelter Cocktail Lounge, 4155 E. Grant Road, musters the right mixture of effervescent atmosphere and chic swill to make drinking as vogue an experience as we could ever hope for. With its mod decor, JFK memorabilia, sassy barmaids and men dressed appropriately retro, The Shelter offers several cool distillations to whet your liquor-loving tongue. Let Misty, a.k.a. "Mixtress Misty," shake you up with a Cosmopolitan, stylishly served in a martini glass. Savor the taste of Cointreau and cranberry juice, nicely mellowing the bold flavor of Absolut Kurant, while delighting in the swingin' swankiness of the chain-smoking clientele.

1997 Winner: The Shelter
1996 Winner: Kon Tiki
1995 Winner: Kon Tiki