This new bar was just named one of the best in the country. And it's located in Johnson County

The hottest new bars in the country, according to a national list, are a run-down bar near the coast of Portland, Maine, and a cocktail lounge in New York City's East Village that serves mango martinis.

There's also Shawnee's Wild Child, a newly opened bar whose owners pride themselves on their non-alcoholic cocktails.

Punch, an online guide “dedicated to drinks and drinking culture,” named the Johnson County-based business among its five best new bars in an article published this month. The Vox-owned publication also recognized Chicago's elegant Nine Bar and Philadelphia's farm-to-glass restaurant Poste Haste.

Perhaps Shawnee is an unusual place for nationally known bars.

At least that was the case until owner Jay Sanders' other bar next door, Drastic Measures, was named a James Beard Award finalist earlier this year. The suburb of about 68,000 has a growing bar scene that includes the new Friction Beer Co., District Pour House and Servaes Brewing Co., to name a few.

Sanders realizes it's a privilege to receive praise from a magazine that has been covering all things shaken and stirred since 2013 and that recently merged with Eater.

“If there was a magazine for a carpenter or a cabinet maker that everyone would read passionately, it would be the same thing that this magazine is for bartenders and foodies and wine lovers,” Sanders said.

Sanders will perform next to New York's Superbueno, which Sanders calls “the best bar in the country.”

“It has some of my heroes on it,” Sanders said.

Drastic Measures is known for its full-blown craft cocktails, but Wild Child, 11022 Johnson Drive, has a menu that's one-third wine, one-third cocktails and one-third non-alcoholic.

He believes his bar's place on the list is partly due to its extensive menu.

“I think it was the attention and care we give to our friends who don't drink,” Sanders said. “That stood out, and I think that's the direction a lot of places are going to go in the future.”

The highlight of the punch was the cucumber fernojito, a drink with non-alcoholic mint liqueur, cucumber juice, lime juice and mint.

To create drinks with ingredients that are difficult to replace, Sanders uses a special vacuum distiller to remove the alcohol from the spirits. The result: drinks like his non-alcoholic Negroni that taste almost exactly the same.

His French 75 Kakigori contains juniper hydrosol, non-alcoholic gin, lemon aperitif, non-alcoholic Verdejo sparkling wine and soft, Japanese-style shaved ice.

It's hard to say whether Wild Child has seen an increase in sales since the article appeared. Sanders said he's been “as busy as can be” since opening in July.

Since the bar can get busy, he recommends making reservations at wildchildkc.com.

Wild Child is open Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Friday from 5:00 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to midnight.