From Classic to Creative, Pensacola’s Margarita Scene Has It All
Salt or no salt? It’s the cocktail that keeps everyone’s thirst quenched: the margarita.
All the Buzz – Delightful Downtown Cocktails
Whether you like your martinis dirty, your bourbon neat, or your brew stout, marg my words – Downtown Pensacola has an intoxicating bar scene with a recipe that’s two parts delicious, one-part Gram’able, a spoonful of sophistication, and a dash of fun.
Let’s call a spade a spade – Sid Williams-Heath likes a stiff one.
Case-By-Case
Eclectic has a name in the Perennial Hospitality Group, and regardless of your taste, there’s something for everyone throughout their properties. Perfect Plain Brewing Co.'s taproom is just as charming as it is crafty, and their beer selections offer a wide variety of options to guarantee the party is HOP’in. Directly behind Perfect Plain grows Garden & Grain, an outdoor cocktail garden whose menu is handcrafted, meticulously curated, and accommodating of public and private events within the garden itself and the adjoining Grainhouse. If you prefer inside and up-scale, then The Well is the one for you. Adjacent to its sister properties, The Well wins in aesthetic and setting. Their Old Florida feeling lounge provides a luxe atmosphere that pairs perfectly with their high-caliber cocktail program. The funky, upbeat bar experience continues with Perennial, an outdoor daiquiri concept that nails the patio pour.
The New Old-Fashioned Way
Pensacola’s preservation and reuse of historic structures as gathering hubs for cocktail and cuisine is sub-lime. Take Lily Hall, a new beverage beacon featuring boutique hotel rooms, delectable dinners, and a hidden speakeasy, which resides in a former Baptist Church gone underground punk venue ultimately listed on “Pensacola’s Seven to Save” list. Its rebirth gave way for Sister Hen – a blind pig era establishment that requires entry through the ice box or taking the back door to claim one of the limited seats. (If their honey-combed ice cubes don’t win you over the second you pick up your first Bees Knees, the pep soon-to-be in your step from their espresso martini surely will. 10/10!)
Keeping the quirky libations alive is Play, the interactive neighborhood bar that has everything you need for a good time – from vintage arcade games, Skee-Ball machines, air hockey, pool tables, karaoke, and what’s voted as Pensacola’s best signature drinks.
Road Block on the Rocks
Transport yourself back in time to the Gulf Coast’s Entertainment Destination since 1967 known as Seville Quarter. The block-wide New Orleans-inspired structure is coined as the place where Pensacola goes to party. The once only beer-and-peanuts saloon has grown to include seven rooms – from the two-story Phineas Phogg’s “boom boom room” to Rosie O’Grady’s dueling piano show. You can watch the debauchery across the block from a more elevated experience – literally on the balcony of Seville’s highball older sister, The District. The 1888-structure has been converted into fine dining downstairs and a refined piano bar upstairs flowing outside onto the charming balcony with gas lantern views. The sunset, the breeze, and the Pinot are the garnish on the picturesque Florida terrace, while the revolving talent inside will mix up your feels over your mixed drink.
Looking to experience a little bit of all the bars? Be sure to check out the guided tours of Pensacola Pub Crawls to start planning your own cocktail journey.
Pensacola’s serving a buzz, and your next night on the town need no shaking and stirring any further than Downtown’s variety of cocktails and entertainment.
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