Charleston, SC
For Cocktails in Charleston, the local food press points to The Gin Joint, Proof Bar, and Doar Bros.. Picks from The Post and Courier, updated July 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in The Post and Courier. Updated July 2026.
The Gin Joint · Downtown
Top-notch cocktails with full flavor profiles on the menu — and the famous 'bartender's choice,' where you pick two words and wait for the surprise.
Proof Bar · Downtown
A founding father of the Charleston cocktail scene since 2012 — an intimate King Street bar nailing the classics from a Last Word to a Sazerac.
Doar Bros. · Downtown
A dark, Italian-inspired haunt for a mean Vesper, Negroni and Penicillin, plus a smoked pork-belly Manhattan.
Maison · King Street
A happy-hour find punching well above its price with sharp, affordable cocktails and warm service.
Bar George · Downtown
A stylish George Street bar for refined seasonal cocktails in a restored historic building.
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