The Tangier sets itself apart by focusing on brown spirits. Not just whiskey, but anything aged—including rum or tequila. Even Tito's Vodka is aged on site for at least 30 days in charred barrels, producing an amber color well suited for an Old Fashioned. Overall, the cocktail menu is split between inventive specialty drinks and classic recipes, with three different variations on a Boulevardier.

French Cellar is a wine shop and tasting room by the team behind Partage (a French fine dining restaurant in Chinatown). It's a charming space with the glow of Edison light bulbs, bottles displayed in wood crates, and tables sitting atop oak barrels. The place is all about French varietals, with special attention paid to Burgundy and Champagne. However, you'll find a wide variety of flavor profiles represented and a well-trained team offering guidance.

Almost anything is better with a view in Las Vegas. That's why the new Resorts World made a point to have a cocktail lounge on the 66th floor of its Conrad hotel tower. Whether facing north (the Strip) or south (the Strat and Downtown), the scenery is ridiculous—especially at night through floor-to-ceiling windows. Walks-ins may get lucky with bar seats, but reservations are highly recommended.

If you're looking for a place to drink beer without one of our great local breweries attached to it, the Silver Stamp might be your joint. Located in the Gateway District (which is increasingly blurring together with the Arts District), the bar is a total throwback with wood paneling, mounted taxidermy, and quirky, vintage decor. Is it a den from the '70s? A basement from the '80s? Hard to say, but the beer selection is exceptional.

Great wine shouldn't have to be expensive. That's the idea behind Garagiste, a neighborhood wine bar in the Arts District by a pair of sommeliers with a long history on the Strip. The already extensive list is growing by the day, featuring a variety of styles, countries, regions, and prices. Garagiste makes a point to champion the natural or "low intervention" wine movement and small producers that aren't easy to track down.

The Laundry Room, a hidden speakeasy inside Commonwealth, is one of the most rewarding bar experiences in Las Vegas. The drink list is an impressive mix of sophisticated classics and inventive creations, but things work out even better when you let the bartender come up with a custom cocktail based on moods and words—like "smoky," "aggressive," or "Brad Pitt in Fight Club."

Lucky Day is all about tequila and mezcal with a rotating collection of agave spirits that can total more than a hundred at any given time. Enjoy them as flights or in one of ten house cocktails. However, the bar itself is almost like something you'd see in New York or Boston—a long hallway with a small patio spilling out into the lights and energy of the Fremont East district.

The oldest free-standing bar in Las Vegas used to be a place where people would grab drinks, sit on the roof, and watch nuclear test explosions go off in the desert (since Nevada was into that kind of stuff in the '50s). Atomic Liquors eventually closed down but returned as a craft cocktail destination in 2012. It's been a huge hit ever since, and much of Nevada's radioactive history is documented with artifacts on the walls.

Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse celebrated its 20th anniversary (a lifetime for a Vegas Strip restaurant) with a full renovation last year that added renewed sparkle and energy to the dining room. The Creole-seasoned steaks are as good as ever. But what about the drinks? The restaurant has one of the best whiskey and spirits lists in not only Las Vegas, but the entire country—with more than 700 options from nine countries and an impressive focus on verticals.

Back when Las Vegas was all about sugary libations and bottle service, the Downtown Cocktail Room came along with something different—inventive, complicated cocktails inspired by other cities ahead of the curve. The team works in a mixology "lab" to create clever drinks that rotate on and off the menu four or five times a year. Nothing is off limits, from absinthe and mezcals to anything and everything as garnish (including on at least one occasion, house-made chips and salsa).