Nevaeh Dawkins

BEST BAR TO DRINK ALONE

Lux Lounge

666 South Ave. | 585-232-9030 lux666.com

Drinking solo? There’s plenty to keep you entertained at this South Wedge watering hole. If you feel chatty, take a seat around the outdoor stove to warm up and converse with the steady cast of characters that hang around Lux. There’s also a much-loved and heavily used jukebox and cool art to keep your senses occupied. However, if you just want people to leave you alone, that’s doable, too. Park yourself at the corner of the bar and do your thing. The barroom is dark, even in broad daylight, so you’ve got some cover. After all, Lux also won best dive bar. Finalists: Nox | ROAR | Skylark

Also consider...

The Cub Room

739 South Clinton Ave. | 585-504-2790 Thecubroomroc.com

There’s no point in sugar-coating it: I’ve been stood up at The Cub Room a couple of times. But since the bar has an awesome selection of whiskies, I just stuck around for a bit and had a pleasant drink or two. I never knew I could enjoy being brushed off so much. The Cub Room is lit warmly and dimly, a nod to the speakeasies of old it was modeled after, and the patrons don’t waste their time gawking at the lone figure perched at the gorgeous wood bar. The atmosphere is laid back and you feel comfortable there all on your own. Additionally, the barkeeps are good conversationalists — I chat with them whether I’m alone or with others. But you can easily enjoy your drink in quiet solitude, if that’s more your speed. JEREMY MOULE

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BEST BARISTA

Rory Van Grol (Ugly Duck Coffee)

89 Charlotte St. uglyduckcoffee.com

A hardcore punk vocalist-turned caffeine purveyor, Rory Van Grol is one of those seminal Rochester characters that makes the city special, and is as much a conversationalist as he is a barista. Walk into Ugly Duck on any day of the week and you’re likely to find Van Grol toiling away among the steam valves, and always bearing a big, jovial grin. Get him talking about coffee or stories from the local music scene and you have a surefire way to kill a few hours. Finalists: DeeDee Krupkin (Ugly Duck Coffee) Angelina Viglione (Fuego) | Devan Colucci (Fuego)

BEST BARTENDER

Tony Hayward (Lux Lounge)

Lux Lounge 666 South Ave. | 585-232-9030 lux666.com

In the 15 years that Tony Hayward has tended bar at Lux, he has become an essential and beloved part of the community there, providing not only great service but also fostering a safe space to unwind. Hayward stays busy behind the bar slinging drinks and humorous quips, and always has an eye on customer interactions, ready to intervene in defense against a creeper or someone who’s gotten out of line. Lux DJ Ben Frazier says of Hayward: “He’s just a real, warm, gregarious guy, full of self-deprecating humor, who tries really hard to make everyone feel at home at Lux — without suffering any bullshit!” Finalists: Donny Clutterbuck (Cure) | Joe Bolam (Char Steak & Lounge) Victor Santiago (Bachelor Forum)

BEST BEER SELECTION (BAR OR RESTAURANT)

Rochester Beer Park

375 Averill Ave. | 585-685-8212 rocbeerandpark.com

Despite its name and initial appearance from the street, Beer Park is not a trailer park-themed beer bar, but a bar modeled on a nostalgic era of RV campsites, down to kitschy logos and bisected camping vehicles. The bar features over 60 beers on tap, about half of them held under the craft umbrella. Outside, find a patio space decked with purposely tacky neon green astro-turf. Finalists: Strangebird | Three Heads Brewing MacGregor’s Grill and Tap

Then again...:

Donnelly’s Public House

1 Water St., Fairport | 585-377-5450 donellysph.com

This neighborhood bar off Liftbridge Lane in Fairport is a favorite among villagers and visitors alike for its friendly atmosphere and rotating selection of 33 beers on tap. Pub lore has it that a backroom in the building houses hundreds of novelty brewery taps the pub has cycled through since its founding in 2004. The beer menu is carefully curated and stocked with in-demand beers from across the country, and its descriptions of each are encyclopedic in their detail, giving discerning beer drinkers and fairweather drinkers alike what they need to make an informed choice. When in doubt, ask the bartender to surprise you. You won’t be disappointed. Donnelly’s also serves beer to go in 32-ounce cans — a convenient holdover from the depths of the pandemic. With beers from California to New York and the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters, this pub was made for you and me. DAVID ANDREATTA

BEST BEER SELECTION (STORE)

Beers of the World

2599 East Henrietta Road | 585-334-0034 mybeersoftheworld.com

Beers of the World is a shop whose name speaks for itself. Inside this sprawling warehouse of brewing spectacles you’ll find everything from beloved local favorites to craft beers from across the United States and hard-to-find brews from across the globe. Whether your tastes lie in the Costa Rican mainstay Pilsen or a Russian Imperial Stout from Saint Petersburg’s Baltika Brewing, there’s a little something for everyone here, so long as you don’t get lost among the shelving. Finalists: MacGregor’s Grill and Tap Room | Strangebird Three Heads Brewing

But also...

One Stop Brew Shop

2512 Ridgeway Ave.| 585-830-8299 onestopbrewshop.com

Tucked away in an unassuming plaza in Greece, one could easily mistake One Stop Brew Shop as just another generic bottle shop slinging cans of Genesee and Rohrbach. And while you will find those beers there, the small shop’s selling point is an incredibly well-curated, diverse selection of beers impossible to find anywhere in Rochester. Owner James Hilbert sees to that, personally sherpaing bottles across the state to One Stop from breweries like Queens’ Finback and Poughkeepsie’s Plan Bee. The discerning drinker will also find a respectable collection of Belgian Lambics on One Stop’s shelves. GINO FANELLI

BEST BLOODY MARY The Revelry

1290 University Ave. | 585-340-6454 therevelryroc.com

In recent years, there’s been a trend of topping the near-meal that a Bloody Mary already is with garnishes stacked ridiculously high — to the point of balancing atop the beverage an entire bacon cheeseburger speared through a straw. But amid all of this excess, the Bloody Mary at The Revelry stands out as a sleek, simple cocktail crafted with careful attention to freshness and flavor. The beverage was formulated by The Rev’s former general manager Patrick Stetzel, who with his bar team came up with the recipe for a Bloody Mary competition at The Main Street Armory in 2017. His concoction won, and has been on The Revelry’s menu ever since. Stetzel says that the drink gets its zip from Japanese Togarashi, aka “7 Spice,” in addition to the fresh-juiced lemons, celery, and cucumber in the recipe. And the garnish? Minimalist and aromatic sprigs of basil and thyme, with a sprinkling of fresh cracked pepper. Finalists: Roam Cafe | Titus Tavern | Vertex

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BEST CIDERY

Schutt’s Apple Mill

1063 Plank Road, Webster 585-872-2924 schuttsapplemill.com

Schutt’s Apple Mill has been making its crystal-clear and sweet apple cider the same way since Paul “Great Grandpa” Schutt opened the place in 1918, and got into the hard cider business several years ago with its introduction of its popular “Great Grandpa’s Grog” line. The line features two ciders: “Relic,” a smallbatch hard cider with a balanced profile, and “Fried Cake,” a sweeter variety inspired by the family-owned FILE PHOTO farm’s award-winning fried cakes. The ciders can be had by the pint or the growler in the farm’s tasting room, which also has a rotating stock of ciders from other cideries on tap. Finalists: Blue Barn Cidery | Muller’s Cider House | Seed and Stone

BEST COCKTAILS

Restaurant Good Luck

50 Anderson Ave. | 585-340-6161 restaurantgoodluck.com

Good Luck is known for its inventive and flavorful cocktails as much as its food. Consider the Good Luck’s old fashioned, which is anything but. It has the whiskey, the bitters, and the citrus peel of the classic, but instead of a plain ol’ sugar cube it has Demerara, which evokes a caramel flavor. Or consider the La Escopeta, a tequila-based cocktail that includes ancho chile liqueur along with serrano and Bermuda peppers. The drink has a pepper scale next to its menu entry, virtually guaranteeing that it’s going to be a spicy experience. Finalists: Cheshire | The Daily Refresher | The Revelry

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ROAR Nightclub

Best Bar Best LGBTQ+ Bar Best Place To Go Dancing Best Karaoke Best Pickup Bar Best Trivia Night

6x “Best Of” winner!

On the bar scene, a mighty ROAR

621 Culver Road | 585-434-1248 roarroc.com

There’s a neon sign over the door at ROAR: “A DJ and a Drag Queen Walk Into a Bar.”

But this isn’t the set up for a joke. It’s the premise for Rochester’s reigning gay-owned nightclub, which scooped up six “Best of Rochester” awards.

Since opening in November 2019, ROAR has filled a gap in the LGBTQ+ community left by the closings of Tilt Nightclub, Muther’s, and Club GQ. It was while working in those venues that ROAR owners David Chappius (aka drag queen DeeDee DuBois) and Michael Ruger (aka DJ Mighty Mic) first met. (Chappius and Ruger are also “Best of Rochester” winners.)

After Tilt closed in 2018, the duo started a pop-up act called “DeeDee’s Night Out” which traveled to different regional locations.

“We weren’t ready to stop doing what we do,” Chappius said.

With the encouragement of their husbands, Ruger and Chappius found a space at 621 Culver Road, next to the former Sticky Lips BBQ, and opened a club while keeping their full-time day jobs. They managed to stay in business — and retained most of the original staff intact — through the pandemic lockdown.

Now, they’re back to full operation every Wednesday through Saturday.

“We like to have fun, and that’s what this place is,” Chappius said. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we’re community oriented, and everything we host or benefit fits the model of our business.” Before ROAR, Chappius spent more than 20 years performing as a drag queen. By day, he works in finance for a construction company. His and Ruger’s past gigs at LGBTQ+ clubs factor heavily into the ROAR experience. “Drag is a part of everything we do at ROAR, which really sets us apart from other nightclubs in the area right now,” Chappius said.

Wednesday is trivia night hosted by drag queen Samantha Vega, and Thursday is karaoke night hosted by drag queen Chaka. On the weekends, the chairs and tables are removed to make way for elaborate drag shows and late night dancing (a floor-to-ceiling dance pole is a go-to photo opp for many guests). Select Sundays feature a drag brunch, and there’s a monthly Bingo night. No matter the day, the crowd is always filled with familiar faces.

“So many of our guests have become regulars and extended family,” Chappius said. “People may also be surprised at our age range. We are 18-plus because we want transgender youth to have a safe place to be their authentic selves, but our average age is in the mid-30s.”

ROAR has a few plans for 2023, including booking national DJs, porn stars, drag queens, and go-go dancers for events as well as continuing to spotlight local talent.

“We’re here to be creative and have a good time,” Chappius said. “Not to do the same things that are already being done.” LEAH STACY

Finalists

BEST BAR

Abilene Bar and Lounge Bachelor Forum Lux Lounge

BEST LGBTQ BAR

Avenue Pub Bachelor Forum

Lux Lounge

BEST PICKUP BAR

Bachelor Forum Lux Lounge Restaurant Good Luck Swan Dive

BEST KARAOKE

The Angry Goat Pub Firehouse Saloon Lux Lounge

BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

Game Night Rochester @ Radio Social Old Stone Tavern Roc Brewing Co.

BEST PLACE TO GO DANCING

JuiceBox Lux Lounge Vertex

BEST COFFEE

Ugly Duck Coffee

89 Charlotte St. uglyduckcoffee.com

Ugly Duck began in 2015 as a pop-up espresso bar operated by perennial Best Barista pick Rory Van Grol but has since grown into a popular brick-and-mortar coffee shop where you can get everything from an excellent cup of plain black coffee to The Snug, a combination of espresso, maple syrup, Fee Brothers molasses bitters, and steamed milk. It also has a strong cold brew that will please your taste buds while jolting you awake. Ugly Duck is a multi-roaster shop, meaning it doesn’t roast its own beans but rather carries and brews handpicked selections from places like Ithaca’s Gimme! Coffee and other small independents. Finalists: Cafe Sasso | Fuego | Java’s

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Running a close second . . .

Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters

Several locations | fingerlakescoffee.com

Finger Lakes Coffee is ubiquitous in Rochester. You can buy bags at Wegmans, Lori’s Natural Foods, and other grocery stores; from the roaster’s kiosks in local hospitals; and at Finger Lakes Coffee shops in plazas and Syracuse’s Destiny USA mall. The company roasts its own beans and carries a very wide selection of flavored coffees, single-origin beans, and blended roasts. The Italian roast is unlike anything offered by other roasters in the area. Those beans produce an exceptionally dark brew with strong roasted flavors and subtle bittersweet notes of dark chocolate. It’s fabulous in a press pot, especially if made strong. JEREMY MOULE

BEST CRAFT BREWERY

Three Heads Brewing

186 Atlantic Avenue | 585-244-1224 threeheadsbrewing.com

The brainchild of three of the most distinctively Rochester characters you can find, Three Heads broke into the Rochester craft beer scene in the early 2010’s with its flagship The Kind. A bitter West Coast IPA, it was the height of trendiness at the time. But times change, and so have the beers coming out of this NOTA mainstay. Yes, you can still get The Kind. You can also get a sour mimicking Hi-C Ecto Cooler, monstrous barrel-aged stouts, and on very special occasions, one of the best barleywines you can find in New York. Finalists: Strangebird | Rohrbach | Swiftwater

BEST DISTILLERY

Black Button Distilling

85 Railroad St. | 585-730-4512 blackbuttondistilling.com

Founded in 2012, Black Button Distilling is the first grain-to-grass craft distillery to open in Rochester since the end of Prohibition and it uses only locally-sourced ingredients. It’s Four-Grain Bourbon has received high honors at spirits contests, and its Lilac Gin, released every year around the Lilac Festival, has become a Rochester springtime staple. Black Button’s booze has been good from the start, but it has grown and refined its products and has started aging its whiskey longer, which should make for a richer, more complex pour. In July, Black Button plans to open a new distillery on University Avenue, leaving its first home on Railroad Street. Finalists: Finger Lakes Distilling | Iron Smoke

BEST DIVE BAR Lux Lounge

666 South Ave. | 585-232-9030 lux666.com

Lux’s house drink special is the Pabst Smear, a $3 order that will get you a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a well liquor shot of your choosing. The order screams dive bar the same way Lux’s dim lights and heavily-graffitied barebones restrooms do. The South Wedge establishment also has rotating art, a pool table, a heavily-used juke box, and a backyard with picnic tables and a fire pit. There’s no kitchen here, but there is Chex mix and on weekends you can usually find a food truck or two parked out front. Finalists: Joey’s | Marshall Street Bar and Grill | Skylark Lounge

BEST SMOOTHIES/JUICES Just Juice 4 Life

710 University Ave. | 434-2607 justjuiceforlife.com

Just Juice 4 Life owner Damaris Pinedo was working as a cytotechnologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, screening for cancer and infectious disease, when her cousin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She shifted her focus to nutrition, following her interest in finding ways to get vitamins to the body without having to do too much work breaking down food. Pinedo got certified as a holistic health coach, and began operating Just Juice from a renovated camper in 2012 before opening her first storefront the following year. The stylish shop has been at its current location on University Avenue since 2017. There, health-minded customers order power tonics, smoothies, and juice flights at the counter, or choose from the juices and fermented items in the grab-and-go coolers. A set of juices ideal for a cleanse can be custom ordered. Finalists: A&B Juice Lab | Refresh Cafe & Smoothie Bar Tropical Blendz Cafe & Juice Bar