Shaking Things Up: Welcome to Philly’s Cocktail Revolution
Jorgen Eriksen, general manager and beverage director of Palizzi Social Club and the President’s Room / Photography by Michael Persico
Say goodbye to the mustaches and faux speakeasies, to the tweed-clad whiskey chasers who defined Philly’s cocktail culture for so long. We’ve entered a new era — and it’s tasting much more interesting.
From bars pushing the limits of agave and fermentation to America’s new favorite Japanese-inspired lounge, here are the drinks worth having, the trends to watch, and the game-changing bartenders revolutionizing the scene.
How One Night in Chinatown Changed Philly’s Cocktail Scene Forever
Inside Hop Sing Laundromat
At 8 p.m. on the last day of February, 2012. That’s when Philadelphia’s modern cocktail renaissance began. And I was there to see it happen.
I wasn’t alone. Foobooz founder Art Etchells was there with me. As was pretty much every food and drinks writer in the city. And all of us were gathered for a special invite-only night of cocktails at Lê’s brand-new Chinatown bar, Hop Sing Laundromat.
Something you have to understand if you weren’t there: A lot of people thought there was a non-zero chance that Lê had gathered us all together in one place on the same night to have everyone killed. The press had not been friendly to him or his bar. People in Philly’s nascent cocktail community hadn’t exactly welcomed him. And if I had to guess, I’d say that at least half the crowd gathered at Hop Sing that night in February had only come to watch him crash and burn. Keep reading …
Reuse, Repurpose, Reimagine
Illustrations by Ellaphant in the Room
There’s not much room behind the bar at Caletta, but the bartenders glide seamlessly past one another in a well-choreographed routine that’s all the more impressive during a busy aperitivo hour. Bottles pour to the rhythm of cocktail shakers as a steady stream of bright spritzes, floral-forward martinis, and tropical drinks made with pineapple and Chinola mango slides across the bar and into the hands of patrons filling up the lounge and poolside patio.
The space may be small but it’s certainly not limited, thanks to Benji Kirk’s ingenuity in giving food waste a second life on their inventive menu. “We don’t have a lot of space for much stuff back here,” says Caletta’s beverage director. “I always try to see what we can repurpose so that I’m not adding extra to the little space we have.”
It makes sense from a practical standpoint, but it’s also part of Kirk’s overall philosophy of reducing food waste, and being next to Bastia means they’ve got a wide variety of ingredients to reimagine.
Stone fruits that would otherwise be paired with Ibérico lomo are made into fruit syrups; citrus peels are used for a super juice; mushrooms are transformed into tinctures; and overripe grapefruits, limes, and lemons find their way into house-made bitters. Recently, Kirk started making artichoke amaro from the thorns and petals Bastia discards for its shaved artichoke salad. And to extend summer’s bounty through the fall, they’re fermenting locally grown corn for piña coladas.
Caletta’s beverage program may be intimidating and esoteric — the team does spend nearly three eight-to-12-hour days per week to prep — but Kirk and their team aren’t pretentious about it. “We’re here for the guests,” they say. “If someone wants a vodka soda, we’re going to make them the best vodka soda they’ve ever had.” — Kae Lani Palmisano
Meet the Bartenders Changing the Way Philly Drinks
From left: Jamaar Julal of Honeysuckle; Paul MacDonald of the Lovers Bar; Dan Suro of La Jefa; Nikki Graziano of Bar Palmina.
An agave expert modernizing a Mexican tradition, a self-trained bartender pouring booze-free spirits, a scientific mind wielding wild yeast to make ferments, and a mathematical mind who built an algorithmically-driven bar menu: There has never been a more exciting time for the cocktail industry in Philly, and it’s all thanks to these bartenders and drinks experts. Keep reading …
Got Milk?
Clarified milk — made by curdling milk with spirits and citrus, then straining to a clear liquid — has been around since the 1700s. But judging by bar menus across Philly, it’s back.
“You’re getting a clear drink that has a ton of flavor,” La Jefa’s Dan Suro says of milk-washed cocktails. It takes the edge off the alcohol, leaving a milder taste and an elegant texture, like that in La Jefa’s Ponche (a clarified spin on a Guadalajaran punch), made with peanut butter–infused rye, pajarote tamarind, and cucumber. It feels rich, mixing nutty and grassy notes. Yet it’s light as silk.
“To me, it’s about the mouthfeel,” says My Loup bar director Jillian Moore. She clarifies oat milk to bring a supple texture to her Key Lime Pie and Swamp Water cocktails. The latter stands out, with milk balancing the tropical, herbaceous overtones of the pineapple and green Chartreuse.
It’s also an excellent canvas for dessert drinks. Middle Child Clubhouse’s Cannoli Milk Punch, for instance, uses almond milk, which makes the chocolate and pistachio creamier while softening the whiskey and orange liqueur. It’s reminiscent of an Italian cookie dunked in milk. No wonder it’s a crowd-pleaser. — Chloé Pantazi-Wolber
Clarified-milk cocktails are having a moment in Philly and making a splash on bar menus. Here’s where to find the best. Keep reading …
How This Philly Bar Became One of the Best in America
Rob Scott, beverage director at Almanac
Omotenashi, the Japanese style of intuitive hospitality, underpins the Almanac experience. Part of it is physical: the warm or chilled oshibori towel that greets guests when they arrive, for example, or the liquid amuse-bouche of a small mug of tea that follows. The other, deeper part is emotional. Before I can even register embarrassment, my spill is wiped clean, two fresh coasters simultaneously appear, and the Kasugai Sour is steady and shining again. “We want to incite joy,” Scott says, “and a little bit of awe.” Keep reading …
Philly’s Most Exciting Reimagined Cocktails
Every good bartender knows the classics like the Old Fashioned, the martini, and the French 75, to name a few. But the great ones build upon them. Across the city, a new generation of Philly bartenders are adding their own twists to our time-honored favorites, rewriting recipes that not only pay homage to the originals but also create entirely new genres. So, think outside of The Savoy Cocktail Book, and order something that’s a little bit different than “the usual.” Keep reading …
Inside Philly’s Most Exclusive Bar
Cocktails and snacks in the President’s Room
The sound of smooth jazz gets closer as I teeter up a narrow flight of red-carpeted stairs in heels. At the top, a two-person band — a woman crooning to a wistful melody played by a keyboardist — performs on a stage. The music brings a sultry vibe to the President’s Room, the intimate bar at Palizzi Social Club, where patrons with a coveted gold seal on their membership cards gossip over martinis and arancini. Friends swap stories and laughs, while couples nurse after-dinner drinks and bemoan the limited street parking in South Philadelphia. Keep reading …
Published as “Shaking Things Up” in the November 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.