Alibi
108 East University Drive, TempeAlibi is on the rooftop of Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown. (The hotel is also home to Alter Ego.) Take the elevator to the 14th floor, and you'll find a full-service bar with 180-degree views, a menu of street food designed by Executive Chef Ken Arneson, and specialty craft cocktails. Millennials will have a hard time not ordering the Kissed by a Rose: Effen Rose Vodka, Pama pomegranate liqueur, Marie Brizard watermelon liqueur, lemon juice, and hibiscus flower water.
Floor 13 Rooftop Bar
15 East Monroe StreetAt Floor 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Phoenix, you can soak up rays from the Sonoran sunsets while lounging on the sundeck of one of downtown's historic buildings. The bar also offers a small-bites menu that pairs well with its wide variety of alcoholic beverages. Also cool: Alfred Hitchcock filmed the opening sequences of Psycho right at Hilton Garden Inn, and there's an homage to it on the 13th floor by the elevator.
From the Rooftop
222 East Portland StreetThe rooftop bar at Cambria Hotel Downtown Phoenix gives you a straight-shot view of all the best scenery in the Valley: downtown Phoenix, Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak. Head up to From the Rooftop for after-dinner craft beer and cocktails. And for fans of hyper-local drink names, try the Camelback Daquiri: Bacardi Light Rum, Agave de Cortes Mezcal, lime, and Orange Sunshine bitters.
Fuego
401 West Clarendon AvenueThis colorful bar, found by entering The Clarendon lobby and hooking right, is an ideal happy hour spot for visitors and a day drinker’s paradise for guests. The space offers a lounge area with seating, a moody bar area adorned in colorful tiles and light fixtures, a sunny dining room, and a backyard garden-like patio. Jeff Ward’s Fuego Bistro offers Latin-infused food alongside margaritas, mojitos, and mules, as well as sangria and umbrella cocktails. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m. daily.
Jade Bar hosts happy hour every night of the week.
Heather Hoch
Jade Bar
5700 East McDonald Drive, Paradise ValleyPerched on the north side of Camelback Mountain amid the luxurious Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, this lounge is as good as any in the Valley to get that we're-not-in-Phoenix-anymore feel. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide a prime view overlooking Paradise Valley, and the people-watching is nearly as good. And, of course, Jade is never better than during the magnificent Arizona sunsets, when the sky seems extra beautiful while sitting on the patio with a signature cocktail nearby.
Little Rituals
132 South Central Avenue, Fourth FloorAt the ritzier, more intimate Little Rituals, Aaron DeFeo executes intense, cocktail-geek-tickling drinks in a plush room with a view of Chase Field and distant mountains from the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott. Split spirit bases are the norm. Ingredients like Amari, house liqueurs, and salty foam provide delicate edits, usually many in a single drink. A daiquiri, for example, gets fortified with curry and Szechuan peppercorn. As the night grows late, digestivo service (Negroni and adjacent drinks) begins.
Lon’s Last Drop
5532 North Palo Cristi Road, Paradise ValleyLocated on the grounds of the historic (though not overly fancy) Hermosa Inn, Lon’s Last Drop gets its name from a painting by Arizona artist Lon Megargee, the founder of the Hermosa Inn in the 1930s. The painting is of a cowboy watering his horse from his Stetson hat, and Lon’s has similar cowboy energy, with five outdoor fireplaces, lots of beer and whiskey, and a wood-burning oven. Try the house favorite cocktail, The Last Drop, made with Tucson’s Whiskey Del Bac Single Malt Whiskey, Luxardo apricot, Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth, and blood orange.
Lustre Rooftop Bar at Hotel Palomar
2 East Jefferson StreetSweeping views of South Mountain and the downtown Phoenix skyline make Lustre Rooftop Bar at Hotel Palomar one of the go-to open-air lounges for travelers and Valley locals. Lustre has ample seating space with sofas and tables, a pool, and a full bar featuring local brews like Four Peaks Kilt Lifter and San Tan Brewery's Mr. Pineapple on tap. There are also signature cocktails like the Lustre G&T: Bombay Sapphire Gin, cucumber tonic, and dehydrated limes.
Lylo Swim Club
400 West Camelback RoadLylo Swim Club is an outdoor bar in the new boutique hotel Rise Uptown (formerly Arrive Phoenix) with a drink menu crafted by Ross Simon (of Bitter & Twisted and Little Rituals). Here, you'll find familiar cocktails like a mojito and caipirinha, as well as some signature drink orders. Among the latter, we recommend the Dole Whipped, the Opposable Rums, and the Lazy Daze — Del Maguey Vida mezcal with fresh mango, passion fruit, lemon, orange bitters, Jarritos grapefruit soda, and a spiced mango spear.
Mix Up
5200 East Camelback RoadThere’s no hotel bar more refined than Mix Up inside the Royal Palms Resort and Spa. Located at the foot of Camelback Mountain, Mix Up offers seasonal and innovative drinks from cocktail consultant Kim Haasarud and head mixologist Brian Downing. Whether you’re there on a whim or simply enjoying one of the bar's many weekly happy hour specials (Pizza & Punch Tuesdays, Women & Whiskey Wednesdays, Bourbon & Burgers Thursdays, or live music Fridays and Saturdays), Mix Up offers the perfect pairing of fine liquor and lifestyle.
Outrider Rooftop Lounge
7142 East First Street, ScottsdaleSet atop the Canopy by Hilton Scottsdale Old Town, Outrider Rooftop Lounge is found on the Scottsdale hotel’s seventh floor. There are killer views of Camelback Mountain, as well as open seating, private cabanas, a fire pit, and, of course, a bar serving Arizona-inspired cocktails. A favorite is the Gooseberry Elixir: Tequila Herradura with cilantro, kiwi, squeezed lime, and elderflower.
Wigwam Bar
300 East Wigwam Boulevard, Litchfield ParkHotel bars usually offer a well-crafted menu of drinks and finger food, and Wigwam Bar — located, of course, at The Wigwam resort — is no exception. The open-air courtyard is especially enjoyable during happy hour: From 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday to Thursday, The Wigwam Bar offers $5 draft beer and $8 margaritas, sangria, and glassfuls of Sterling Vineyards wines. To pick at, try the chile queso nachos, Sonoran Quesadilla, or the Wigwam Wings.
