🌟 Our Favorite Sips and Tipsy Picks in Seattle 🌟

Seattle, Washington has a rich and diverse history – from a rough and swampy seaport to a tech and medical hub. We also hear they have a pretty good football team. So it should be no surprise that the city’s restaurant and bar scene is equally as diverse and interesting!

For our first time in Seattle, we knew we had to visit Pike Place Market. Yes, we saw a guy throw a fish. Yes, we saw the line outside the original Starbucks. There are dozens of fantastic local shops inside this shopping area. But did you know there are some excellent cocktail and beer options as well?

Radiator Whiskey makes the most out of a relatively compact space, which includes a wall of whiskey and cocktails on tap. You can’t miss the giant barrel on the wall! The bourbon selection from the tap is nice, but the batched cocktails from the tap are a wise choice! 

If a touch of Paris or a jazz club is your speed, Zig Zag Café is the answer. They’re a bit #offthetipsypath down the stairs on the side of a building at the market, but your reward is great food, drinks and atmosphere! We enjoyed our time here. Pro tip - check out their Happy Hour. It is where the locals gather.

Down the street from the market is another great classic cocktail spot with a taste of old Seattle, The Diller Room. It’s hard to miss this place with all the neon, which fits the history as a former hotel lobby from 1890. The cocktails are fantastic – think Black Manhattan and Espresso Martini - and they do have an impressive lineup of whiskey!

Just across the street, we felt compelled to do a local whiskey flight at Von’s 1000 Spirits … because why wouldn’t you with a menu that does indeed include that many? We also had a great classic Manhattan and Gin Martini. Just sitting at the bar and staring at the shelves is impressive! It’s popular with the tourists, but we saw plenty of locals here too enjoying their fantastic Happy Hour! That’s always a good sign.

And just down the street is Pioneer Square, Seattle’s “original” downtown. There are a couple of bars on the block that each claim to be the oldest in the city. Look them up and try them for yourself. 

If you’ve heard anything about the Seattle cocktail scene, you probably have heard of Canon. They literally wrote the book – as in a cocktail manual that is found at bars around the country. When you step in the door, it’s easy to see why – three sides of the room lined with bottles from bar to ceiling. Along with the fantastic cocktails, we couldn’t resist trying a flight of the local bourbon, featuring several distilleries in the Seattle area. We liked them all well enough that we will visit some on our next trip!

Tavern Law is an excellent place for cocktails on Capitol Hill. But if you know to ask, you should get on the list for their upstairs speakeasy, Needle and Thread. The name is a nod to the “sewing circles” that disguised brothels in the region over the years, likely in that very space. You get there by making a phone call – enough said. The atmosphere and décor is right out of the Prohibition era and the cocktails are top notch. Make sure to take time to have a drink at both venues – the Smoked Old Fashioned at Tavern Law is a great choice!

Another Capitol Hill spot we really enjoyed is The Doctor’s Office. It’s an intimate tasting room with creative cocktails and excellent service. We sat at the bar and watched the experts make their take on an Old Fashioned and a Black Manhattan. Their food also pairs well with the drinks. And if we could give extra points for a restroom, we would – don’t miss the paint job and space-age toilets WITH a remote control!

One of the more unusual and creative spots for a drink in Seattle is actually under an attraction called the Spheres. Deep Dive is like taking a tunnel to a cool underground theme park and finding excellent cocktails. The décor is a mix of elegant warm leather with a touch of steampunk. This one is worth the visit all the way around!

Speaking of unusual, how about some fantastic cocktails while being eyeballed by an elephant? Yep, that’s Unlisted in a nutshell. This intimate speakeasy just north of the Space Needle stands out for its eclectic décor – and they have an animatronic elephant in the middle of the bar. And yes, it will move its head from time to time. Her name is Ruby and she’s from the 1931 World’s Fair! The cocktails were worth the visit also! It’s a #tipsypick.

The folks at Bathtub Gin & Co lean into their menu with a surprising array of gin cocktails. The space is full of brick and leather, with the required bathtub references spread around. We even trusted our very friendly bartender when we said we like bourbon. She made a cocktail from a dark gin aged with cacao and mushrooms, among other things. It tastes better than it sounds! This is a speakeasy, meaning look for the wooden door.

And finally, if red lights and strong drinks are your vibe, Rich Rich would fit the bill! We ended one of our nights here and they treated us well! Check them out.

One note - the folks here do love their craft beers – there are too many breweries to list, so we decided to save those for another visit. We’ll have to include wineries and distilleries, because there are a number of those within a short drive! That’s our take on Seattle for our first visit! 

What did we miss? Any that excite you?

🍷 No Whining About the Wine Bars in St. Pete 🍷

If you haven’t caught up with us on our blog, you might not realize we’re pretty fond of the cocktail scene in St. Petersburg, Florida. Now we’re getting up to speed on the vibrant wine scene! 

First, we’ve shared before in previous posts about a couple of our favorite #tipsypicks – Bar Chinchilla and Dracula’s Legacy. These are our go-to spots every time we’re in town. We’ve also had a lovely dinner and some wine at Sauvignon previously. So, you can read more about those here.

Recently, thanks to our friends at Zero/Zero in Knoxville, we’ve started exploring the world of natural wines. That is wine made without pesticides or additives. And they recommended one of our new favorite stops in St. Pete – Cellarmasters. It’s almost like a speakeasy because it’s tucked behind a wine bottle shop and can be hard to miss if you don’t see it’s there. But you’ll be glad you found it! The bartenders are all friendly and knowledgeable! They call it “The dive bar wine bar.” They will take the time to find out what you like and recommend something just for you. There are lots of great spaces to hang out or chill for a date night. This one is definitely on our regular list now!

Wine tastings and wine flights are great ways to figure out your wine palate. Now there’s a spot in downtown St. Pete just for that! It’s appropriately named Try Wine Company. You have the option of purchasing curated flights of various wines or pouring your own samples from dozens of machines around the shop. We chose the curated route along with some fantastic charcuterie specific to the flights. The wines came in test tubes, which was a nice touch. We very much enjoyed this experience!

What could make a glass of wine even better? Maybe enjoying it with a good book! You can do both at Book & Bottle. We discovered this little shop a few years ago but never took the time to enjoy it until recently. It’s a combination wine store, bar, and bookstore! They have a wide selection of wines by the bottle or glass that you can enjoy with a book you can purchase from the shelf in the same space. When we visited, there were lots of people sitting at the bar and at most of the tables, many of whom had… you guessed it… a book in hand. This is a great place to spend a few quiet hours with friends or just by yourself reading.

Our next stop is one that we’ve walked past a dozen times but either couldn’t get in or didn’t try. But we’re glad we did this time! Bacchus is appropriately named for the Roman god of wine and revelry. We found a bit of both! Bacchus reminded us most of a European market where you can get wine by the glass or bottle and fresh deli meats, cheeses, and produce. There are tables outside on the sidewalk as well as room inside. Jazz music in both places add to the ambiance. It’s ideally located close to the Pier and Beach Drive!

So, if wine is your thing, there are plenty of options in St. Pete! In fact, we have a couple more on the list for next time. If you’ve been to The Study or Lolita’s Wine Market … let us know what you think, and we’ll check them out!

#tipsypick for this time (if we have to pick one) - Cellarmasters

Hidden Hotel Bars and Other Gems on South Beach

 

After a couple of rocky visits during the pandemic, we decided to give South Beach in Miami another chance. We’re glad we did! The street parties are gone, and Ocean Drive is back to the lively and fun vibe that brought us there.  We have lots of favorite spots here already, but there’s always room for more…

South Beach is a destination that puts hotel bars in the spotlight. We’ve been to others like New York, Nashville, and Las Vegas, but we found some real hidden gems on our most recent visit to South Beach!

If you think the scene is all about Latin music and tropical drinks, let us introduce you to Medium Cool! This is an underground speakeasy in the Gale Hotel with amazing cocktails and live jazz most nights. Yes, live jazz on South Beach! Their food menu is also worth a try. Check their website for schedules, as the program often changes to live DJs later in the evening. But this is one spot we will return to again! #Tipsypick

Hotel bars in Miami often cater to the festive crowd. But Water Lion is a wine lovers’ dream! An intimate space inside the Sagamore Hotel, it’s not hidden by any means. But the owners seem to like to keep it low key so you can take your time with their extensive wine selection, including tasting flights. The bartender (and wine expert) was very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive during our visit. This is a great spot for a date or to just escape the hustle of Ocean Drive!

Speaking of escape … how about a hidden getaway to the South Pacific? The Bamboo Room is a tiki room by Trader Vic’s tucked behind the Esme’ Hotel that feels like it’s an ocean away! It’s the first location of the group’s upscale concept. The drinks are creative and strong… perfect for sipping in a lattice chair below a tribal mask. Their version of the classic Mai Tai aka the “Miami Tai” is notable. It’s a fun stop for a drink or two!

For a break from the shopping on Lincoln Road, Privilege is an upscale cocktail spot in the Albion Hotel just off the main shopping avenue. They have a great happy hour and a solid Old Fashioned. It’s a bit #offthetipsypath so be sure to keep your eyes peeled when you enter the hotel lobby!

What would you call a lovely natural wine bar tucked on the “backside” of a French Bistro? Bar Derriere of course! Despite the cheeky name (see what we did there?) Bar Derriere is a great place for a glass or bottle of wine and bites of food under the stars. They have an impressive list of natural wines from around the world. Those are wines made without additives or preservatives. It’s like kicking back by your garden shed with wine that won’t give you a hangover (but we make no guarantees).

And finally, there’s a new game in town for craft beer at the beach!  While not in a hotel, South Beach Brewing Company is located in the heart of South Beach just steps from Ocean Drive! They have a shaded patio where you can try all their brews along with wine and fantastic food options. Welcome aboard!

And don’t forget, our previous trips (link) include some details on other South Beach hotel bars including The Betsy, MiniBar, and Swizzle!

Our #tipsypicks for this trip… Medium Cool and Water Lion! Though you can’t go wrong with any of these options.