Alaska 14

The Guatemala Holla is proud to present our new recurring feature on the best bars in the world. Entry number one: The Showcase Lounge in Seward, Alaska. The Yukon Bar across the street was nice in its own way: They had a live DJ, and a back door that was wide open with a cardboard sign taped on it that told people to go around to the front where they would check ID's, which sign at least one group of youngsters ignored while we were there, to the great displeasure of some bouncer/bartender type. But this isn't about the Yukon, which also had a tacky thing where you write on a dollar bill and pin it to their ceiling which gave it a couple demerits but it was otherwise fine. It would be fine, were it not in a fight to the death with its across-the-street rival, the Showcase Lounge.

First of all, the Showcase Lounge has the sign you see above, which: Awesome. Second, the Showcase Lounge has the interior you see below: Leather seats from a bygone era, and all the walls lined with these weird display cases full of a surely priceless collection of elaborate decorative bottles. And, the drinks were fine and the bartender was nice enough, and I think he was wearing a crazy Hawaiian shirt, but maybe my memory is failing me. And of course maybe I just have to rationalize that it was worth it because I probably got lung cancer just by walking in.

In any case, congratulations to Showcase Lounge, our inaugural Best Bar in the World!