Day Drinking in Arizona

I’ve always loved the drinking songs of Tom T. Hall. The classic, to me anyway, is “I Like Beer”. That song gets right to the point and addresses the situation head on. Another favorite from Mr. Hall is “Day Drinking”, a story about a couple of guys out on the town since 9:30 or 10:00 that morning. Not only that, but they are regulars at spending the daytime hours in bars telling the waitress how they won the war. Thinking about that song, along with a couple of afternoon beers, it occurred to me that Phoenix is a town with some great day drinking bars. Bars that are at least as much fun during the day as they are at night, some might be more so. We have plenty of them, so let’s focus on the ones that feature great craft beer.


Right at the top of the list has to be TT Roadhouse. Located on 68th Street, just north of Thomas in Scottsdale, this tiny bar is real easy to drive right by. Once you get in there, its an enchanted world. A dozen or so tap handles, featuring a variety of great beer, including Moose Drool, SKA Decadent, Bell’s Oberon, New Belgium Ranger IPA and more make this a great place to hang out on a bar stool all day. Everything about the place is fantastic. The jukebox has been described as the best in the Valley, and it is one of those few bars that looks good with daylight streaming in the windows. It’s not exactly classy, but definitely more than a dive bar. They describe it best when they call themselves “A maverick cult on the fringe of respectable drinking.” That, along with a friendly bar staff and owner and a good mix of people hanging out says all you need to know about TT Roadhouse.

Sun Up Brewery at 322 E. Camelback is on our list. A small bar and dining area gives way to a courtyard which seems comfortable even during the worst of the summer, and beyond that, the brewery building which also has a large open space filled with tables, and another bar. Brewmaster Uwe Boer can frequently be seen through the glass working hard on his amazing beers. Everything from the Trooper IPA to the Armadillo Red and the Light Rail Cream Ale get his exacting attention. There are several other beers always on tap, and expect to find a cask conditioned specialty most of the time. The food is outstanding so you can maintain your nourishment while having a couple of beers. Best of all may be that they are less than a five minute walk to the light rail stop at Camelback and Central.

If you ever had a drink in Tempe, you probably know the Yucca Tap Room, but did you know that they now have some great beer there? And you may think that Yucca is all about great bands, and it is. Still, sitting there during the day time nursing a Bell’s Oberon or a Left Hand Milk Stout poured off the nitrogen faucet makes for a relaxing afternoon. You have the opportunity to shoot a little pool or play an arcade game or two in case you need a break from relaxing on your bar stool watching the world go by. Of course Yucca is one of those rare places where you can start your day at 6:00 AM with Happy Hour.

If you don’t like pool and arcade games, or just sitting there staring out the window, how about a little Off Track Betting? Stray Cats on University in Tempe allows you to bet on the horses while enjoying some fine craft beer. Have Ska True Blonde, Dale’s Pale Ale or New Belgium 1554 on draft while you wager on the ponies. You may not win, but you will never have enjoyed losing so much.

If you’re up in North Phoenix, stop by Mellow Mushroom at I17 and Deer Valley. Located in the middle of two large shopping areas, you can relax and unwind at a bar featuring 36 craft beers on tap, over 50 bottles and cans of craft beer, great pizza and a couple of truly fun daytime bartenders. Happy Hour, with half price pints, starts at 3:00, but you’ll probably arrive right after lunch and spend the afternoon.

On 7th Street at Sheridan, look for The Main Ingredient. Matt Diamond, who has been behind the scenes at many great bars and restaurants in Phoenix, steps out front to present his version of a great bar. With a patio as big as the inside, a top notch staff, and Sonoran Inebriator, Oskar Blues Gordon and Avery White Rascal on tap, how can you go wrong? Couple that with fantastic food and you can let the day run right in to the evening. If you need anything else…Happy Hour runs all day until about 6:00 PM.

If wine is more your thing, take a trip to Cave Creek and try out Brix in the Stagecoach Village shopping center. Described as, “If Billy the Kid and Wyatt Earp drank wine, this is where they would drink it,” Brix is a fine place to while away an afternoon. A wonderful selection of wines, an owner who will talk sports, country music, politics or just about anything else that interests you and a diverse clientele make this a great stop. On any given day, you might find yourself sitting next to the guitar player from one of the hot local bands, a professional bull rider, or any of the other fascinating people you might meet there. This is one of those places where one visit makes you a regular. And, look for some good beer to be available there shortly.

There are a few other spots in town like Moto on 7th Street and Glendale, Buffalo Wings and Rings in Chandler, Whole Foods (yes Whole Foods, go there and you will understand) in Chandler and De La Cruz if you are out in the Gold Canyon area. All offer good beer and a good environment to spend an afternoon with.

No matter when you have a beer, whether it’s a breakfast beer, a beer with lunch, an early afternoon, or starting the evening off, day drinking is a nice change of pace. Enjoy the places above and go for the good beer whenever you can.