What unites the Best New Bartenders class of 2024 is less a stylistic approach to cocktails than a shared belief that drinks provide the perfect platform to connect—with guests, local communities, even one’s own heritage. For this class, the history of each ingredient is considered as much as its flavor. A New York Sour, for example, made with Puerto Rican rum and Brooklyn Amaro, pays off Paying homage to the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City; toasted rice-infused rye sweetened with pandanus syrup creates an Old-Fashioned that recalls two popular ingredients of Vietnamese street food; and a dark and gloomy nightcap reflects the dark and gloomy song that inspired it. Individually, these drinks tell personal stories. Taken together, they offer a snapshot of the bright future of bartending.

Jordan Valls | Portland, Ore

Accordingly Jordan Vallsthis frozen drink was inspired by two legendary coffee cocktails – San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe’s Irish Coffee and New Orleans’ Erin Rose’s Frozen Irish Coffee – with a distinct Palomar twist. Aged Jamaican rum forms the base, complemented by coffee liqueur and brandy, sweetened with the bar’s coconut masala syrup and enriched with sweetened condensed milk. The made-to-order drink is decadent yet refreshing.

Kitty Bernardo |

This simple, thoughtful martini twist was developed for the first bar program hosted by Kitty Bernardo in New York City in 2023. It may seem surprising coming from a bartender at Paradise Lost, which is better known for its maximalist approach to drink making. But according to Bernardothe drink’s simplicity fits a bartending style they’ve developed since moving to New York in 2018, and reflects the types of drinks they personally enjoy. Inspired by their late best friend, who pushed them to pursue their passion for bartending, the Tiny Sparrow Martini is “a love letter to our friendship – this cocktail combines elements of our Vietnamese and Filipino cultures to create a more drinkable and unapologetically Southeast Asian martini.”

Thi Nguyen | Washington, DC

“Sticky rice and pandan are popular ingredients in Vietnamese street food, known for their distinctive taste and aroma,” explains Thi Nguyenwho uses both in this take on the Old-Fashioned. The base is toasted rice-infused rye, sweetened with a pandanus simple syrup and finished with two dashes of Angostura bitters. “The toasted rice adds a lovely nutty and toasty flavor,” says Nguyen, “while the pandanus syrup adds a vanilla-coconut essence.”

Allison Everitt |

Allison Everitt describes their refreshing, low-ABV Bamboo Spritz as “a thirst-quenching patio crusher.” Everitt takes a sparkling twist on the classic Bamboo, using a split base of manzanilla sherry for saltiness and bianco vermouth for an herbal, lemony quality. A topping of cava and hop water takes the drink into spritz territory, while aromatic cucumber rounds out the drink via a long ribbon garnish.

Jackson-Mercier |

This equal parts cocktail was designed as a nightcap, something that Jackson Mercier he could serve it to guests as the last drink of an evening, or to enjoy himself after Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge closes. The name comes from the title of a song by the punk rock band The Misfits. “A dark and brooding song became the basis for a dark and brooding cocktail,” Mercier explains of his drink, which combines bound apple brandy, Averna and Génépy (Mercier prefers the Wisconsin-made Heirloom Génepy brand). Finally, a few dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters lend an aromatic nose that “acts like a tapestry that ties the room together,” Mercier says.

Antonio Jiménez | Philadelphia

“As a proud Boricua, I always try to find ways to incorporate my own culture into everything I create,” says Antonio JiménezHead bartender at Bolo in Philadelphia. This version of the New York Sour, a whiskey sour topped with a splash of red wine, is no exception. Made with a Puerto Rican rum — “my hometown rum,” says Jimenez — and an amaro from Brooklyn, this recipe pays homage to the Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City.

Shaun Williams |

“Pam is my mom and she can’t have citrus in her drinks, so it can be difficult to prepare things for her,” says Shaun WilliamsBartender at the Jewel of the South in New Orleans. Pam’s favorite order is “gin with cranberry,” which is what this large-format drink is built around. Instead of fresh orange juice, Williams goes with housemade Sunny D, while adding ginger ale for effervescence and absinthe “to add a little heat, like you would with a punch.”

Justin Brody | Mystic, Connecticut

“What does it even mean to be a tiki drink?” is a question that was there almost as long as the style has existed. It is also a question that this recipe raises. Its creator, Justin Brodyfrom The Port of Call in Mystic, Connecticut, was inspired by Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and its model, the 1968 novel Do androids dream of electric sheep?, to develop this unconventional, alcoholic cocktail, possibly Tiki style.

Tom Liu | Los Angeles

An interpretation of Japan’s chu-haiThis cocktail combines buckwheat tea (“soba cha” in Japanese), which “has a refreshing yet nutty and earthy flavor that goes well with this complex barley shochu,” says Tom Liuwith lemon juice for acidity and body and brine for a spicy kick. The drink is usually carbonated, a technique common at Thunderbolt bar in Los Angeles, where Liu is head bartender. At home, try this version that uses concentrated buckwheat tea and soda water instead.

Manny Hernandez | Watsonville, California

This cocktail is an ode to Watsonville, California, where Manny Hernandeza cantinero at Stokes Adobe. The Central Coast community “is an important agricultural area for the area where I live and for the entire United States,” he says. Hernandez combines ingredients that represent the diverse products grown there – from the raspberries in the syrup to the aloe in the liqueur – with a spirit, mezcal, that “has a connection to my identity and honors the cultural roots of the many Mexicans who work in the fields of California.” The name of the drink is also symbolic: “The ingredients in this cocktail represent the dreamer who works hard for family and community.”