These hidden bars in Tucson are waiting to be found | Subscriber

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Ed Reno, right, and son Eddie Reno discuss the University of Arizona as a possible college for Eddie as they gaze out over the skyline from the outdoor deck of the Moonstone Bar at the Graduate Hotel.

Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star

When it comes to Tucson bars, out of sight doesn’t necessarily mean out of mind.

Some of the city’s most interesting and busiest pubs are hidden from the street, hidden in the back rooms of restaurants, retail stores and on the roofs of hotels.

Check out some of these hidden spots the next time you’re in town.

Portal Cocktails, 220 N. Fourth Ave., is located in a cocoon-like structure in the back of the Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine Bar.

Mamta Popat / Arizona Daily Star

Portal cocktails

220 N. Fourth Avenue, portalcocktails.com

The portal is located in a cocoon straight out of a science fiction film, behind the Ermanos Craft Beer and Wine Bar on North Fourth Avenue and offers unique cocktails in comfortable surroundings. Serious. They have some of the most comfortable seats in town.

With bar manager and cocktail guru Ryne Hoffman at the helm, Portal knows his way around a drink.

Enjoy a “quickie,” a mini cocktail that serves as a starter for the main course, or grab a full-size adult drink, libations with clever names like Monsoon Mule or Naked and Famous.

Portal is a feather in the cap for Ermanos, a restaurant that excels in the kitchen and with its beer and wine range.

Sean Farrell drinks a shisha while doing his job at The Castalian Spring in the back of the Espresso Art Cafe on Main Gate Square.

Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star

The Castilian spring

With all of the activity along East University Boulevard, it’s easy to miss the neon cocktail sign that sits in the window of the Espresso Art Cafe.

But if you push your way through the throngs of students writing papers to the front of the cafe / shisha bar, you will find a separate section of espresso art devoted to the joys of alcohol and Greek design.

Manager Isaiah Bruno said the former employee who built the bar studied classical literature at the University of Arizona, hence the Greek script found along the frame – you can see the same inscriptions on the Temple of Apollo in Delphi .

Get there early and you might find another Castalian Spring grad or two puffing at a hookah and working on their papers and projects.

Amber Dietz, bartender at the Short Rest Tavern, serves drinks to guests at the bar behind the Tucson Games and Gadgets in the Tucson Mall.

Josh Galemore, Arizona Daily Star

Short rest tavern

4500 N. Oracle Road, facebook.com/ShortRestTavern

Perhaps the most unremarkable of all Tucson’s hidden bars, Short Rest Tavern is located in the back of Tucson Games and Gadgets on the northwest end of Tucson Mall.

Games and Gadgets owner Mark Kadow opened the fantasy-themed craft beer bar to keep players happy and hydrated as they play round after round of in-store tabletop gaming.

Catan is not your thing? On a Friday evening, bring your best friends to themed evenings with quirky themes like “Lord of the Rings” and “Studio Gibley”.

The Still is a speakeasy style bar in Vero Amore known for its craft cocktails.

Ron Medvescek, Arizona Daily Star

That still

2920 N. Swan Road, facebook.com/the

Designed with the classic Whisper Pub in mind, The Still is tucked away behind the scenes at Vero Amore, a high-end Italian restaurant on North Swan Road.

The Still regularly posts new and changing cocktail specials on its Facebook page, which always look delicious. The Tropic Psychosis, a new addition, mixes rum with brown butter with pineapple juice, pomegranate molasses and amaro montenegro.

Make your reservations at thestilltucson.com. From there, instructions are given on how to gain access.

Bartender Jessa Karam prepares a drink in the Moonstone Bar at the Graduate Hotel among dream catchers made by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star

The moonstone

930 E. Second St., facebook.com/moonstonetucson

Located on the roof and right next to the pool of the Graduate Tucson Hotel, The Moonstone is as much an experience as it is a place to enjoy a delicious craft cocktail.

Large windows surround the bar and offer sky-high views of everything north and east of the UA. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Picacho Peak to the northwest of the city.

When the weather cools, take your cocktails outside and sip on the terrace that surrounds the moonstone.

“The outdoor seating is extremely popular, especially when the sun goes down,” said Jody Hall, general manager of the hotel.

The drinks menu includes beer, wine and cocktails. They even have Arizona Jell-O-Shots for when you want to feel like a college student again

“They’re based on vodka,” Hall said of the gunfire. “We are constantly changing the flavors, cherry, strawberry. We adapt to the seasons. “

sidecar

139 S. Eastbourne Ave., barsidecar.com

Nestled in a tiny place south of the Pizzeria Falora in the Broadway Village Shopping Center, SideCar has been producing delicious craft cocktails since 2013.

The bar describes itself as a neighborhood craft cocktail bar – that hood is Broadmoor-Broadway, south of Broadway and west of South Country Club Road – and has both indoor and outdoor seating depending on the weather.

Leah Schwersinske, Operations Manager at SideCar, said management took time during the pandemic to add additional patio space.

“Some days everyone wants to hang out outside,” she said. “The larger terrace is so wonderful now, especially if you are having a special occasion like a birthday.”

Our hot Tucson summer recommendation: The Thyme and Tonic, made from Texas vodka, Genepy des Alps liqueur, thyme, basil and lemon.

Bartender Mike Walsh is on the phone at the Tough Luck Club on Reilly Craft Pizza at 101 E. Pennington.

Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star

Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink

101 E. Pennington St., reillypizza.com

Beyond the bar area in the main dining room, Reilly makes this roundup for two reasons: its beer garden area at the back of the property and its Tough Luck Club, which is located in the downtown basement. No area is visible or accessible without first walking through the restaurant.

The beer garden offers a communal

Atmosphere with long tables, a large projection screen to watch the game of the day and a huge wall with column after column of craft beer options, about 28 in total. About 60 percent of the beer on offer comes from Arizona breweries. The beer garden also offers the restaurant’s full menu.

The Tough Luck Club, located in the former morgue of the Reilly Funeral Home, has a decidedly chilled out atmosphere and a healthy selection of recently revamped cocktail options.

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