Top Barman

Ask anyone who's serious about cocktails, and they'll tell you that Murray Stenson at ZigZag is Seattle's best barman. Knows his drinks, knows and remembers his customers. Seattlest was hooked from hello on our first visit. Murray introduced us to cask-strength Macallan's, Hendrick's gin, super-premium vodkas. He works fast (not for nothing is he called Murr the Blur) but never seems rushed; he dips a straw and tastes a drop of virtually every drink before it's delivered to the customer.

Back in May, Esquire named ZigZag one of the best bars in America. Now Playboy has discovered Murray, naming him one of the top ten bartenders in the country. ZigZag's owners Kasey Fitch and Ben Dougherty are thrilled. So are regulars like Charles, whose namesake Chas cocktail is now part of ZigZag's drink menu.

Notes Robert Hess, Seattle-based cocktail guru, "It wasn't that long ago that people thought good coffee came from a can, or good beer came from large commercial breweries. Perceptions change, fortunately. And now we have our own Murray Stenson showing us that good cocktails can also be a thing of beauty."

ZigZag Café, 1501 Western Ave., 206-625-1146