Tastemaker Awards

10 best bartenders in Dallas serve crafty drinks and warm hospitality

Dallas' best bartenders, class of 2023.

Courtesy photo

Our latest chapter in our 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, honoring the people who make our local restaurant scene soar, covers an irrepressible group: bartenders.

They're one of the categories featured in a special editorial series in which we've elected nominees, and whom we'll celebrate at a party on May 4 at Fashion Industry Gallery (F.I.G.) with tastings and awards to the winners. Tickets are on sale now.

We've already profiled the nominees for Rising Star Chef, Neighborhood Restaurant, Bar of the Year, Brewery of the Year, and Best New Restaurant (don't forget to vote!), and we'll soon be covering Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Wine Program, and Best Burger.

Bartenders are a creative group possessing a wide range of skills: precision, hospitality, multi-tasking, teamwork, patience, attentiveness, the ability to perform under pressure. It's also a creative job that allows room for personal expression and a large degree of autonomy.

Here are our nominees for best bartenders of 2023 in Dallas:

Christian Rodriguez - Tipsy Alchemist
Rodriguez hails from artsy San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and learned the craft cocktail ropes at The Standard Pour. He's done cocktail pop-ups in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, donating tips to charities including a dog shelter, Planned Parenthood, and hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. He's been with Tipsy Alchemist for four years, and also helped open Tipsy Alchemist in Austin.

Elizabeth Hooker - Billy Can Can
North Carolina native moved to Dallas for a job with the Dallas Mavericks before changing careers into the food & beverage industry. She's been behind the bar at Armoury DE, Ruins, Nick & Sam’s, Drake’s, and craft cocktail bar The Parliament, and is currently with Billy Can Can in Victory Park, while she pursues certification as a sommelier.

Haley Merritt - Midnight Rambler
Native of El Paso started her craft career at Deep Ellum bars Hide and Ruins as a bartender and manager, before rising to fame when she won The Shake Up, an all-female cocktail competition organized by bartender/advocate Rosey Sullivan. Merritt's been working at Midnight Rambler for two years, and loves a craft cocktail, but hospitality is her first priority. "You can make someone a fancy cocktail, but if they’re having a bad time, that's what they're going to remember," she says.

James Slater - Chimichurri
Slater's a returning nominee who has worked at high-profile spots including IdleRye, Oak, Knife, Spoon, Five Sixty, the Joule, and the Network Bar in Trinity Groves. He's created many noteworthy cocktail menus, including the one at Chimichurri where he also serves as bar manager.

Jermey Elliott - Double D's
Elliott has worked in the industry both in Dallas and Arizona, including Parliament and Milkshake Concepts in Dallas, and at Bitter & Twisted, an acclaimed cocktail lounge in Phoenix. He came back to Dallas in 2021 for the opportunity to develop Double D's, a new bar from This and That Hospitality that opened in spring 2023.

Kelsey Hanshew - Armoury DE
A career bartender since her early '20s, Hanshew started out at corporate restaurants in the Grapevine area, before relocating to Dallas, where she joined the team at Armoury, and also tended bar at the Granada Theater on the side. At the Armoury, she learned the ins and outs of craft cocktails while working her way up to bar manager, and has represented the bar at competitions around the U.S.

Leonard Madison - SER
Madison started his cocktail journey at Great Wolf Lodge where he worked for a decade, then got a huge opportunity at Cowboys Stadium, when he was hired as mixologist at the Cowboys Club, a members-only private social club for the Dallas Cowboys. During COVID, he started a mobile bartending business called Fort Pours, then joined SER as part of their post-COVID reopening team.

Tab Hirschey - Coupes
Since moving to Dallas in 2015, Hirschey has worked at bars at Jose, Bourbon & Banter, and The Standard Pour among others, before joining the NL Group as Beverage Director where he helped reopen Dakota's Steakhouse. He left the NL Group for Coupes, helping design the physical space and menus, then signed on as general manager.

Taylor Witt - The Mitchell
Witt began his DFW career in Fort Worth, starting out in the fine-dining world at restaurants like Truluck’s, Del Frisco's where he was wine director, and Rise Souffle, where he served as wine manager. He switched more intensely into spirits after moving to Dallas, first at Reveler's Hall in Bishop Arts, then at The Mitchell, the craft cocktail nexus in downtown.

Vanessa Chambless - Cock & Bull
Calling Chambless a bartender understates the role she's assumed at most of the bars where she's worked, often serving as a manager, as well. A longtime industry veteran, her career dates to the heyday of Deep Ellum, and she's worked at legendary places such as Club Clearview and the Elbow Room. She's been a fixture and customer draw at Cock & Bull for more than a decade.

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Global tastes

New botanería pairs drinks with free bites near Dallas Farmers Market

Chef Karla Soria Palomino's menu delivers authentic Mexican flavors and bold heat.

Photo credit: Paul Torres.

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There is a novel concept open in the Dallas Farmers Market district: Called Sor Juana, it's a botanería inspired by traditional Mexican establishments where drinks are served alongside complimentary snacks and bar bites.

Located at 1908 Canton St., the space provides an immersion into Mexican culture through its food, beverages, decor, and overall atmosphere.

Sor Juana comes from Alexandra Hernández and Karla Soria Palomino. Hernández brings a background in front-of-house hospitality, theatre, and events while Soria Palomino contributes extensive kitchen experience from restaurants across Mexico and Dallas.

The inspiration behind the name and concept comes from 17th-century nun and scholar Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Recognized as the "First Feminist of the Americas," she was a literary trailblazer who learned to read and write during an era when women were denied an education. Considered one of the greatest poets of the Baroque period in what is now Mexico, Sor Juana defied societal norms, stood up to the male-dominated clergy, and excelled in science, mathematics, music, and culinary arts.

“We wanted to pick a strong woman from Mexico as the emblematic figure of our botanería — traditionally run and frequented only by men,” Hernández says. “With our women-run botanería, which is a unique concept for Dallas, we are creating a space for everyone.”

The frame for their idea is a landmark Dallas building originally constructed over a century ago for the Desco Tile Company. Designed in a Venetian Gothic style with exterior arches and columns, the interior features original chandeliers alongside decorative, colorful tilework — including a wall fountain, a fireplace, and terrazzo floors — all preserved intact for Sor Juana, with a few new tile accents added to the bathrooms and bar backdrop.

Historic Dallas architecture meets traditional Mexican hospitality at Sor Juana.Photo credit: Paul Torres

“We tried to respect the architecture of the building by adjusting our concept to the space, rather than forcing the space to adjust to us,” Hernández says.

The duo worked with interior designer Callie Windle on the details, sourcing decorative pieces from artists both in Mexico and locally (many of which are available for purchase).

The 90-seat venue features comfortable seating centered around a dynamic bar program managed by Saúl Hernández (previously of Midnight Rambler, La Viuda Negra, and Las Almas Rotas).

True to the hospitality spirit of a traditional botanería, patrons receive a complimentary botana (bar bite) with every drink purchase. While the offerings rotate regularly to maintain an element of surprise, options range from spiced nuts, fresh fruit, and popcorn to more substantial plates like tacos and caldo de camarón.

The creative cocktail menu ranges from $12 to $16, anchored by their signature “La Nueva Sangre” — an orange blossom gin cocktail balanced with beet juice, lemon, passion fruit, and lavender bitters. Hernández notes the drink is “as complex and interesting, with a little bit of everything, just as Sor Juana was.”

The bar also pours Mexican imports alongside local favorites Shiner and Michelob for $7, wines, and zero-proof options including non-alcoholic champagne.

Happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday from 5:30-7:30 pm, featuring $6 beers, $8 wines, and $8 cocktails infused with house-made Mexican chili oil macha sauce.

Beyond the complimentary botanas, the venue offers a full food menu designed by Chef Soria Palomino. It comes with a playful warning: “Expect bold flavors and a little heat — that’s what the cerveza is for.” Signature items include ceviche, mezcal-glazed wings, tacos, and tostadas, all centered on authentic Mexican flavor profiles.

For dessert, they feature a ganzote crafted by Diana Zamora of Nena Postrería, inspired by the classic packaged Gansito sponge cake.

Community events play a major role in the space, including lotería nights, "Bring Your Own Vinyl" Sundays, and rotating local DJs every other Friday. The team is actively taking community feedback to build out future programming, including upcoming collaborative dinner series.

“Events are a way to build community and bring people together,” Hernández says. “When we started crafting this concept, we looked at every detail — from the playlist to the food and cocktails, as we wanted a total experience where every element comes together and complements the rest.”

Sor Juana is open 2-10 pm Wednesday-Thursday 12 pm-12 pm Friday-Saturday, 12-10 pm Sunday. Metered street parking is enforced until 6 pm, with free parking available afterward.