From diners to dives, here are readers’ favorite cocktail bars in Tacoma
Tacoma has quite a few bars specializing in the art of the cocktail.
Recently, The News Tribune published a cocktail bar guide and asked readers to vote for their favorite cocktail bar in the city.
The results are in. Here are the top 10 cocktail bars in Tacoma, according to readers.
1. Wooden City
- 1102 Broadway Suite 102, Tacoma
- 253-503-0762, woodencitytacoma.com
- Hours TBD
This downtown restaurant has moved into new digs on Broadway, after leaving its former Pac Ave location. The new Broadway location recently had its soft opening, and it’s expected to open its doors to the public soon. A few changes might be coming to the menu, but the cocktails are here to stay. The drink menu includes classic cocktails and house specialties, like the Chaiwalla with clarified milk punch, coconut rum, cognac, chai tea, lemon and curaçao, and the Prairie Line with vodka, blackberry-fig shrub, lemon and ginger beer. Cocktails range from $13.50 to $16.
2. Corbeau
- 3819 N. 26th St., Tacoma
- 253-533-4833, corbeautacoma.com
- Open 4-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday
This upscale French bistro in Proctor offers lots of inventive cocktails. The Yokozuna has yuzu gin, lemon, sumo sake syrup, bitter melon lemongrass bitters, sparkling water and shiso, while the Mr. Snuffleupagus has tahini-washed rye, bourbon, crème de cacao, walnut bitters and black sesame sea salt. There’s also a Farmer’s Market special cocktail, which is a rotating seasonal drink made up of ingredients the restaurant has picked up at the farmer’s market. Cocktails range from $12 to $17.
3. Bar Rosa
- 1202 S. 11th St., Tacoma
- barrosatacoma.com
- Open 3-11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m.-midnight Friday, noon-midnight Saturday, noon-11 p.m. Sunday.
This hip bar in Hilltop specializes in wood-fired pizza and a hefty list of cocktails. The Cinnamon Bourbon Alexander has bourbon, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cream, creme de cacao and vermouth di torino, while the Bubbs & Sand has Laphraiog whiskey, spiced pear, house vermouth blend and fresh orange juice, topped with brut bubbles. Cocktails range from $14 to $16.
4. Proof
- 2312 N. 30th St., Tacoma
- prooftacoma.com
- Open 4-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday
This new-ish bar inside Anthem Coffee groups its drinks by strength — drinks in the “It’s an All Night Thing” section have lower ABV, drinks in the “Let’s Party” section has mixed drinks that are a bit stronger, while “Jesus Take the Wheel” drinks are quite strong. The South of No North cocktail includes tequila, cold brew coffee, Cynar liqueur, banana and foam, while the Boulevardier comes with chocolate milk washed bourbon, watermelon co-fermented coffee, infused bitter red and Punt e Mes vermouth. Cocktails range from $14 to $16.
5. Devil’s Reef
- 706 Court C, Tacoma
- instagram.com/devils_reef
- Open 5-10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday through Tuesday
This speakeasy-style tiki bar has a massive list of mostly rum-based drinks, split up into categories like Punches, Groggs, Forbidden Seas and Barbarous Coasts, The Oaths of Dagon and Eldritch Lore, Astro Exotica and Classics Revised. The Mercenary Sea has overproof Demerara rum, honey, spices and citrus, while the Fiji Rum Punch includes bitters, absinthe, lime, pimento, grenadine, Fiji and Old Fashioned Traditional Dark rums. Cocktails range from $14 to $20.
6. The Mule Tavern
- 5227 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma
- 253-247-6314, themuletavern.com
- Open 4-11 p.m. Sunday through Tuesday, 4 p.m.-midnight Wednesday and Thursday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Many of the drinks at The Mule Tavern use its homemade ginger beer. The menu includes eight variations of a Moscow mule, plus house-made sours. Other cocktails include the Purple People Eater with vodka, blueberry shrub, strawberry pucker liqueur, lemon and cherry bitters, and the Frisco with Sazerac Rye whiskey, Bénédictine liqueur and lemon. Cocktails range from $9 to $16.
7. Field Bar and Bottle Shop
- 2614 6th Ave., Tacoma
- 253-273-1427, fieldtacoma.com
- Open 4-10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, closed Sunday through Tuesday
This restaurant and bar on Sixth Ave has a rotating menu and comes up with new cocktails often. The latest creations include the Fifty-Fifty with Astraea Ocean Gin, tomato brine, smoked heirloom chile bitters, chili oil and a pickle garnish, and the Black Roses cocktail with Singani 63, Aguaviva Cachaca rum, rhubarb syrup, ginger, fresh lime, Wonderfoam and black lime spice.
8. The Huckleberry Club
- 1014 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma
- 253-300-8340, thehuckleberryclub.com
- Open 4 p.m.-midnight Monday through Friday, noon-midnight Saturday and Sunday
This bar in Hilltop has pinball, lots of experimental baked potatoes and quite a few cocktails, with many drinks featuring huckleberry. The Wildside Punch has Tito’s vodka, lemon, soda and huckleberry syrup, while the Amethyst Rockstar has Condesa gin, Cocchi Americano wine, Salers Aperitif, sage syrup and an orange twist. Cocktails range from $8 to $13.
9. Busy Body
- 2717 6th Ave., Tacoma
- busybodytacoma.com
- Open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. every day
This colorful rock ‘n’ roll bar on Sixth Ave has nearly a dozen fun cocktails. The Passion For Pain is a frozen cocktail with a house rum blend, passion fruit, pineapple, coconut and citrus, while the Sad Bastard has bourbon, cognac, lime cordial, falernum liqueur, blood orange ginger beer and bitters. Cocktails range from $10 to $15.
10. Knapp’s Restaurant
- 2707 N. Proctor St., Tacoma
- 253-759-9009, knappsrestaurant.com
- Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
This old-school diner and cocktail lounge in Proctor has been around since the 1930s. The cocktail list includes classics like a bloody mary and a margarita. There’s also the Villon Wake Up with Villon liqueur, Bailey’s and coffee, topped with whipped cream, and the Empress Collins with Empress 1908 gin, soda and lime. Cocktails range from $8.50 to $14.
Along with the cocktail bars listed in The News Tribune’s original guide, readers also gave love to The Church Cantina, Kingfisher and Rye Tavern, Airport Tavern, The Camp Bar, The Forum, Top of Tacoma Bar & Cafe, Park Avenue Tavern and Fergie’s On the Ave.
