Zig Zag Cafe earned its place in cocktail history in a single act of rediscovery. In 2003, bartender Murray Stenson found the Last Word — a balanced equal-parts cocktail of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and lime — buried in a 1951 cocktail book and started making it for guests. Within a few years, the drink had spread to bars across the country and then the world. Zig Zag is why the Last Word is now a modern classic.
That moment tells you everything about what kind of bar this is. Zig Zag cares about cocktail history, works from the source, and executes with precision. The bar sits on the Pike-Pine staircase between Pike Place Market and the waterfront — a location that requires effort to find, which filters the crowd appropriately. The room is small and warm, the menu covers both classics and thoughtful originals, and the bartenders can tell you where every recipe comes from.
This is one of the bars that every serious drinker visiting Seattle should have on their list. Among the best cocktail bars in Seattle, Zig Zag represents the city's historic contribution to the American cocktail revival. If you want the full Capitol Hill experience afterward, Canon is a natural continuation. The history of cocktail culture in America runs through bars exactly like this one.