Once again, it was a red-letter year for new bars, cocktail lounges and speakeasies. Our five favorites.
BEST NEW BAR OF THE YEAR
Tell Your Friends
Those austere, artful cockails! That dazzling 1920s design! The wicked-cool jazz combo at night! And, oh, yes – that slightly unnecessary wait upstairs to get your table. They take the speakeasy illusion seriously at this baroque, subterranean hideaway in North Scottsdale, and we’re more than happy to play along. tellyourfriendsaz.com
The Westward
So hush-hush that it doesn’t have a website or Instagram account – even prisons have Instagrams! – this Verrado hideout inside The Craftsman Cocktails & Kitchen is unmistakably a speakeasy, but even more transportive is the next-level charcuterie board. thecraftsmanaz.com
The Madam
A story-driven cocktail lounge in the spirit of Platform 18 and Second Story Liquor Bar, this atmospheric gem at The Scottsdale Resort & Spa specializes in high-concept dessert cocktails with ingredients like praline-pecan liqueur and vanilla-citrus foam. thescottsdaleresort.com
Blue Stave
with a secret drinking nook called The Gatsby and cocktails with names like the Oliver Twist and 6 A.M. in Cabo, you know what this Uptown bar is selling: urbane and slightly louche booze-nerd escapism. Take us away. bluestave.com
Wander
located inside the Chateau Luxe venue in North Phoenix, this cloak-and-dagger hideaway is an event unto itself – an immersive cocktail experience is only open on Friday and Saturday evenings. wanderspeakeasy.com
