H. Harper Station

Owner and chief mixologist Jerry Slater runs this food-industry favorite that conjures a Southern vibe with its brick-lined room (a former train depot), punch served in crystal bowls, and dependable nibbles like deviled eggs and pimento cheese. Slater and his bartenders turn out smart, adventurous cocktails with a riot of spirits, bitters, and flavorings like lapsang souchong tea syrup, but they also craft an excellent rendition of a Vieux Carré, the classic New Orleans drink.

Best of Atlanta 2013: Standard Setter 
Classics (a bracing Manhattan, a not-too-sweet mai tai) and newfangled concoctions (the rum-laced Smoke Screen, with lapsang souchong tea syrup and a mescal rinse) are made with equal care at Jerry Slater’s handsome bar and restaurant, housed in a former train depot in Reynoldstown