These Are Denver's Best Bartenders, Class of 2016

Few things require on-point cocktails quite like the holiday season. A good mixed drink in the right glassware, with a well-appointed garnish, delivered at the appropriate temperature with fancy ice by a talented bartender is a thing of beauty that works well for any occasion and particularly well for family gatherings and festive celebrations.

Eater scoured the city to bring you the best of the best when it comes to booze, including but not limited to the best cocktail bars, the most talented mixologists, the secret to getting into the Mile High City's fanciest speakeasies, and a peek into the most exciting new drink menus before they are even released.

It matters who makes your drink which is why we're launching this with a glimpse at this year's class of Denver of Best Bartenders. Here's who they are, left to right:

Rachel McQueeney (Living Room), James Menkal (Departure), Holly Johnson (Retrograde), Alexis Osborne (Acorn), Jason Snopkoski (Avanti F&B), Heather Haas (RiNo Yacht Club), Ted Vong (Mister Tuna), Valerie Alvarado (Fireside at Grand Hyatt), Andreas Pejovic (Oak at Fourteenth), Danielle Solano (Hudson Hill), Brittany Wangsness (B&GC), Jonathan Feuersanger (Beast + Bottle).

In the coming days, we'll share more personal details on their lives, guilty pleasures, and dreaded situations.