We have South x Southwest on our minds and decided to do a little research before we head out to Austin, Texas!

Haddingtons all American tavern is the perfect Happy Hour spot with it’s long indoor bar and breezy patio. The carefully crafted cocktails take a modern twist on some of our favorite cocktails.

Our favorite: Haddingtons’ signature cocktail, the Duck Fat Sazerac. Don’t let the duck fat scare you off, it adds a delicious richness to this whiskey cocktail.

For all the drink recipes check out foodie blog Serious Eats.

It’s time to refine your pallet and explore the wonderful world of mixology! Time to put down the Red Bull & Vodka and try something worth sipping on!

Next time you go to a Happy Hour with your coworkers pick a cocktail that really makes a statement! LA Weekly did the heavy lifting on the top 55 cocktails in LA and we narrowed down our favorites.

1. Mojito Sphere: At Providence get 3 Courses of “cocktails”: three spoons; three spheres: a mojito, a greyhound and a gin and tonic. Our fav is the Mojito hands down!

2. Flaming Honey Bowl: Taste of the island to be shared at Rosemead tiki institution Bahooka

3. Tequila con Sangrita: At Border Grill, the spicy, citrus-based house sangrita is just right mixed with tequila.

Maciek Stępiński, Idea(ł), 2009

On 19th October Waterside Contemporary opens its Hoxton outpost. The first exhibition from the independent visual arts gallery formerly named Waterside Project Space, is entitled They Don’t Know Why, But They Keep Doing It. According to gallery founder Pierre d’Alancaisez this group exhibition explores ‘ideology in the post-ideological landscape’. Rejecting the structures ideologies assign to reality, the six artists – Grzegorz Drozd, artist duo Karen Mirza and Brad Butler, Javier Rodriguez, Konrad Smoleński, Maciek Stępiński and Radek Szlaga – present thought-provoking works in paint, installation and video. As explained by curators d’Alancaisez and Piotr Sikora, ‘the artists’ rejection of the institutionalised fuels the creation of new ideologies. They don’t know why, but they keep doing it’. Get your head round this exhibition as a warm up for the annual art fair, Frieze, taking place 13th-16th.

Javier Rodriguez, News Extra, 2011

Until 5th November, at 2 Clunbury Street, London N1 6TT

The Breakfast Club, a cosy cafe with a fun-loving ethos and outposts in Hoxton, Spitalfields, Angel and Soho is a great destination for, well, breakfast. The sunny yellow exteriors have beckoned to many in need of indulgent nostalgia and a hearty meal, whether in the form of pancakes or the traditional English breakfast. There’s a distinct 80′s feel, harking back to the cult classic movies such as the 1985 film of the same name with Molly Ringwald and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. In fact, the furniture is as mismatched as the characters in The Breakfast Club movie. Pull up a chair and prepare to fall in love with the quirky charm of one of the gems of London’s independent cafe scene.

On the corner of Portobello Road in Notting Hill sits the fabulously retro cocktail bar Trailer Happiness – in their own words – ‘a brilliant lounge bar, den and kitschen’. Heading downstairs the chic hangout has the easy luxe feel of a Californian-style bachelor pad, with a tiki twist. J.H. Lynch and Tretchikoff prints hang on the walls and 60′s beaded curtains provide decoration. The couches and stools are low to the ground, but this isn’t about pastiche, it’s about fun. The food is hearty: expect such dishes as Uncle Leroy’s Lamb and Lemon Racks, Alabama Black Snake Sesame Shrimp and Where You Been All My Life? Crispy Roast Duck. Washed down with one of the Tiki Classic or Homage cocktails it’s a surefire way to start a classic night out. For a more educational night the bar also offers cocktail classes – perfect for the suave bachelor in training.

If you’re looking for a rum-soaked evening there’s no better place than Barrio North on Islington’s Essex Road. Founded by financier-turned-DJ Ferdie Ahmed his love of travel and rum formed the basis of the Barrio concept. The Spanish word ‘Barrio’ literally translates as ‘neighborhood’ and that concept runs through the watering hole in the community spirit and chilled out vibe. A dilapidated, deconstructed and reclaimed aesthetic is created through the school desks which lined up, rainbow light bulbs and creeping leaves, not to mention the vintage caravan which stands proud at the back of the bar. The drinks menu is unique and wide-ranging and in making the cocktails no detail is too small; the bar staff take their time and present the drinks beautifully.

Here’s our pick of the best cocktails:

Gunpowder: ‘Strong Havana Club rum, honey and spice served the Cuban way, only without the…’

Brazilian Lady: ‘An exotic seduction of Abelha cachaca, passion fruit and cool lemon’

Pacific Twitch: ‘Aloha! Sailor Jerry spiced rum, apple, ginger, falernum and Ting’

Barrio Club Cocktail: ‘Silky Martin Miller’s gin, homemade gin liqueur and raspberries’

Or if you’re feeling brave try ‘The No Brainer’: ‘Two expressions of Herradura 100% agave tequila party with exotic guava and pineapple juice, super fresh grapefruit and lime before being charged with some fine bubbly’, which is served up in a giant mug shaped like a wrestling mask!

Summer’s the perfect time to get down to the Queen of Hoxton as, following the rooftop launch a couple of months back, there’s a whole host of activities in full swing on the roof. This month saw the Music and Makers market (above) and over the summer the Roof Top Film Club continues with such classics as Jaws, Roman Holiday and The King’s Speech. With its view of the City around Liverpool Street and the twinkling lights that come on at night this can be quite a magical spot in the midst of East London. Plus, should the weather be more drizzle than sizzle there’s always a magnitude of exciting events happening on the ground floor and in the basement. The rooftop bar and kitchen is open daily from 12 – 10pm.