5 Great Spots in Tucson Arizona for Imbibing

Tucson is one of only two cities in the USA that UNESCO has designated 'City of Gastronomy', and it has a drinks scene to match. Craft breweries are booming, providing beers to quench the desert dweller's thirst, while distilleries, cocktail bars, and cafés are all thriving in a climate that lends itself to al fresco dining and drinking. And yes, there’s also wine.

1. Sky Bar Tucson

Tucson's clear desert skies lend themselves to stargazing and the city is surrounded by observatories. Dark sky ordinances are in place, and Sky Bar Tucson makes unique use of these. Telescopes are put out on the patio every night, with astronomers on hand to explain what's happening. The chance to sip on a Margarita while watching a meteor shower is pretty cool.

Their bar menu has been voted Best Bar Menu in Tucson, and during the day the place operates more as a café though you can also order food from the neighboring Brooklyn Pizza Company.

2. Reforma

You can't visit Tucson without trying a tequila and/or mezcal bar, and Reforma has one of the best mezcal collections in the city, and claims the biggest tequila collection in the whole of Arizona. Owner Grant Krueger made mezcal, in particular, his mission when he opened the bar a few years ago. There are now about 50 different mezcals behind his bar, along with other Mexican spirits such as sotol and bacanora.

Bacanora is the spirit made in the Mexican state of Sonora, which is across the border from Tucson just over an hour to the south. The Reforma cocktail list includes things like a tequila twist on a Moscow Mule, an Old Fashioned made with mezcal, and a Negroni made with tequila.

3. Saguaro Corners

The saguaro cactus is an Arizona icon, and Saguaro Corners is a restaurant/bar that has stood outside Tucson's Saguaro National Park East since 1956. The park is a perfect place to work up an appetite and a thirst, and Saguaro Corners is the perfect place to satisfy them. Standing alone, there are views of mountains in several directions, and you can sit out and watch those spectacular Arizona sunrises start to paint the sky. If you have been out hiking, you'll probably want to choose from the 16 craft beers that they have on tap, about half of them from Arizona.

4. Monterey Court

Monterey Court is the place to go if you like some music with your Martinis or want to check out local arts and crafts in the small shops that are part of this small café/restaurant complex. There's live music almost every night, and for Sunday Brunch too, and it's the kind of place musicians like to hang out even when they're not playing. If you see names like P.D. Ronstadt and Bobby Ronstadt, both regulars here, then yes, they are related to Tucson's own Linda Ronstadt.

Food and cocktails are both good and reasonably priced, and highlights include their Spiced Pear Manhattan and a Jalapeno and Cucumber Margarita which includes their house tequila that's been infused with habanero peppers. There's always a good range of local craft beers on tap too.

5. Arizona Wine Collective

If you think Arizona and wine don't belong in the same sentence, then a visit to the Arizona Wine Collective will definitely change your mind. This casual place combines wine bar, tasting room, and bottle shop. You can try a flight of three Arizona wines for $10, chosen from a list that regularly rotates. With almost twenty different wineries represented, it shows off the breadth of Arizona's wine-making. There are over 100 wineries in the state altogether.

If you want to learn more about Arizona wine then two of the state's three main wine-growing regions are close to Tucson. You can make vineyard visits around Sonoita, less than an hour's drive south, and in Willcox, about 80 miles east.

Travel, BarsMike GerrardJuly 9, 2021travelComment