3rd St. & Washington
Where: Majerle's, 24 N. 2nd St., 602-253-9004
Drink: The Suns Bomber (a shot of grapefruit liqueur dunked Jäger-bomb-style into a glass of orange energy drink), $9.
Scene: This sports bar owned by former Suns great Dan Majerle always features a lot of game-time action on its HD screens.
Washington & Central
Where: The Copper Door at Hotel San Carlos, 202 N. Central Ave., 602-253-4121
Drink: The Humphrey's Palm Room Mojito (combining Bacardi Razz, black raspberries, mint, and sugar cubes), $8.
Scene: The Copper Door is one of the more upscale stops. Take in the ambiance while drinking a mojito and then consider a dip in the hotel's rooftop pool.
Van Buren & Central
Where: Seamus McCaffrey's, 18 W. Monroe St., 602-253-6081
Drink: Guinness, $5.50.
Scene: A downtown Irish drinkery offering a quaint, old-timey feel essential for any pub, as well as live music on the weekends.
Roosevelt & Central
Where: Portland's, 105 W. Portland St., 602-795-7480
Drink: The Urban Cosmo (a concoction of Ketel One, cranberry and lime juices, and Cointreau), $10
Scene: This wine-centric eatery is constantly packed with well-heeled urbanites and office workers sucking down chic drinks and spirits.
Thomas & Central
Where: Club Central, 3121 N. 3rd Ave., 602-200-8121
Drink: Tap That Ass (a mix of Hennessy, cranberry juice, and Alizé), $8
Scene: A two-story nightclub with a dance floor, stage, two bars, and karaoke. Proprietor/barkeep Wilford is a nice fella who chatted us up for a couple of hours as we knocked back his powerful concoctions.
Osborn & Central
Where: Alexi's Grill, 3550 N. Central Ave., 602-279-0982
Drink: Crown Royal with a splash of ginger ale, $6.50
Scene: The bar at Alexi's, which is separated from the restaurant, seems like the kind of place where traveling businessfolk hunker down for a cocktail after saying a long-distance goodnight to their spouse and kiddies.
Indian School & Central
Where: George & Dragon, 4240 N. Central Ave., 602-241-0018.
Drink: Tetley's ale, $4.75
Scene: The G&D was destined for a spot along the light rail, as it's a natural for any kind of pub crawl. You can't go wrong with this drinkery: occasional live bands, pool tables, soccer on the tube, and a signed photo of Joe Strummer behind the bar.
Camelback & 7th Ave.
Where: Charlie's, 727 W. Camelback Rd.
Drink: $3 beer pitchers from 2-7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with $1 happy hour drinks from 7 to 9 p.m.
Scene: Charlie's is a country-themed gay bar that also appeals to the Latin and straight crowds. Expect to see plenty of dudes of all ages (including many guys in their 30s and 40s) in cowboy shirts and hats.
Camelback & 19th Ave.
Where: Four Kings Cocktail Lounge, 5041 N. 19th Ave., 602-433-1066
Drink: Rum and Coke, $2.75.
Scene: The lounge tends to get a lot of retirees during the day, with a younger crowd at night. It often can be selective about who gets in the door, discouraging attire like hoodies and beat-up tennis shoes.
