Best Bars in America

Wednesdays, 10 p.m.

After debuting a pilot last year, the Esquire Network has just launched the first full season of its latest alcohol-themed reality series, Best Bars in America, a show devoted to exploring the entries from Esquire magazine’s annual list of the best drinking establishments in the country. The show (which piggybacks the new craft-beer-centric Brew Dogs on the same night) is hosted by Jay Larson and Sean Patton, a couple of young, charming comedians who barhop via cab across one drinking city per episode. And just like the Esquire list curated each year by Dave Wondrich, the bars featured on the show are a great variety of swanky old-school joints, craft-cocktail hipster spots and neighborhood watering holes. On the recent episode in Austin, Texas, for example, the bars ranged from the dark and nondescript Cloak Room (where “there is no friggin’ blender,” and where Texas politicians slip away for deal-making session over mid-day martinis); to the craft-cocktail hotspot Bar Congress and its sister nightspot, Wonderland; to the hidden-in-plain-sight speakeasy Midnight Cowboy (the site of a former massage parlor/brothel). The common thread of good drinks, great atmosphere, and people who are game for anything (especially the hosts) is the ideal mix for a fun bar and a really fun show.