Imbibe in this roundup of our editorial staff’s favorite drinking spots around the Valley in 2025.
Best French Wine Selection
Vincent on Camelback
Naturellement, there are bigger French wine lists at hotel restaurants with deep pockets, but chef-owner Vincent Guerithault has invested a fortune in wine at his small Southwestern bistro, curating an impressive list of Bordeaux and Burgundies, including a 2012 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru priced at $28,500 – should you have the wherewithal. 3930 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-224-0225, vincentsoncamelback.com
Best Low-Key Cocktail Menu
Huarachis
With chef Rene Andrade’s famed pollo asado, chicharrón vampiros and crispy potato tacos, you don’t need much in the way of drinks to make your meal sing – a Mexican Coke or a margarita suffice. But don’t skip signature cocktails like the Mexi-tiki Piña Vallet (rum, pineapple, coconut, lime, Fernet-Vallet) and the smoky yet bracing Inferno (green tea-infused sotol, ginger beer, lime and hibiscus). They could go toe-to-toe with the tipples at any craft cocktail bar in town. 814 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-773-1413, huarachis.com
Best Place to Mingle in a Sea of Drag Queens
Kobalt Bar
Kobalt brings the drama five nights a week with drag shows, RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties and weekend events featuring touring queens. But the real show? The crowd. Dozens of local drag stars turn up just to slay from the sidelines, towering over the bar and stealing the spotlight. 3110 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-264-5307, kobaltbarphoenix.com
Best Mocktail
Smartest Cocktail in the Room at The Ends
This frothy number offers the sex appeal of a fully leaded cocktail without the health or DUI risks. Although it’s actually good for you (thanks to raw egg, coconut milk and turmeric-enhanced superfood supplement Organifi Gold), its silky mouthfeel and exotic taste suggest decadence, not virtue. Guzzle with abandon. 7137 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale, 480-367-9900, endsrestaurant.com
Best In-Flight Refreshment
The Turbulence Martini at Carry On
When this immersive, aviation-themed Downtown bar hits a rough patch on one of its simulated flights, don’t fret. Turbulence means martini time, as the captain assures guests in his official announcement. This, followed by flight attendants making the rounds with a martini cart loaded with booze and accoutrements like blue-cheese stuffed olives.
2 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, carryonphx.com
Most Surprising Spot for an Espresso Martini
Churchill’s Cigar Bar
Though both the Phoenix and Scottsdale locations of Churchill’s boast a full bar, the Phoenix lounge on 44th Street alone has mastered a particular brand of low-key swank – expressed most artfully in its espresso martini, a frothy, smooth and sweet yet brooding drink. In a city spilling over with coffee-themed cocktails, it gets our vote for the very best. 5041 N. 44th St., Phoenix, 602-840-9080, churchillsaz.com
Best Cocktail Bar for A First Date
Highball Cocktail Bar
If your date is going well, have a nightcap at this nationally recognized and award-winning Willo District cocktail bar, the brainchild of Libby Lingua and Mitch Lyons. In its speakeasy-like environs, you can indulge in handcrafted drinks inspired by Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or elote. 1514 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, 602-675-4244, highballphx.com
Best Second-Hand Name
The Greedy Hamster
Once upon a time, there was bar in Denver called The Greedy Hamster. Great name, great place, but sadly, it closed during the COVID quarantine. When Phoenix couple Larry and Trish Macias wanted to name their new bar after the Denver original, they asked for the Colorado team’s blessing, to which their wish was granted. Toast to happily ever after at Phoenix’s very own Greedy Hamster with a glass of red from the 20-label-strong lineup. 4750 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-888-1667, thegreedyhamster.com
