Best Happy Hour in Tucson

The Barrio Brewing Company, located in one of downtown Tucson's historic warehouse districts, has quickly established itself as a local landmark. This vibrant bar, grill, and brewery, which opened back in 2007, proudly brews up 12 microbrews, several of which you'll find on tap on any given night. This dark, cool converted warehouse has quickly become a favorite with locals in the know. Tucson Blonde, Red Cat Amber, Copperhead Pale Ale, Barrio India Pale Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Nolan's Porter, Taylor Jayne's Raspberry Ale, Hefeweizen, Nut Brown (fall seasonal), Rich Rod Red (seasonal) are just some of what you'll find on tap at Barrio Brewing Company.

Pasco Kitchen & Lounge specialized in urban farm fare and handcrafted drinks. The emphasis is on local and seasonal ingredients, transformed by modern technique and culinary creativity. The food is a fun mix of American comfort food, Mediterranean nibbles, and Southwestern-inspired modern American. During happy hour, try the Chef's Tacos, made with pico de gallo, drunken beans, shredded cabbage, cilantro, limb and topped with fresh Oaxaca cheese. Choose your filling from a selection of shredded beef, organic veggies, free range chicken, or heritage pork. The food is serious business at Pasco, but so are the drinks. The house mixologists use natural ingredients to craft one-of-a-kind drinks. Stop in during the lively hour hour to sample the menu, which goes from 3 pm to 6 pm Monday through Saturday.

Dante's Fire is a new player on the Tucson food scene, but it's quickly established itself as a fine dining destination. The menu is Continental American cuisine, but don't let that label fool you. This is a small plate lover's paradise. Exciting, creative flavor profiles and unexpected pairing are the name of the game. Start with the Arugula & Bleu Cheese Salad, featuring a fresh raspberry vinaigrette. The cocktail menu is equally adventurous. For a refreshing cool-down, try the cucumber martini. It features the essence of cucumber foam. The menu is divided into fun and fanciful sections inspired from Dante's classic poem: choose something from the "Limbo," "Greed," "Anger," and "Atonement."

A lot of folks will tell you that this bar used to be a fallout shelter, but the truth is it was actually built as a bar back in 1961. The round, windowless structure is packed to the rafters with 60s era kitsch, from JFK memorabilia to black velvet paintings and groovy lamps. The retro vibe is augmented with a continual showing of 60s B movies and plenty of period music, occasionally provided by DJs fond of deep cuts and rare grooves. Bartenders mix up all the retro cocktails you can handle, but don't fret if your personal favorite is something invented last year--they can make those too. And if you're in the market for some new bad jokes to share with your friends, a visit to the restrooms here should be high on your list of things to do.

Good Oak Bar is an Arizona craft beer and wine bar that celebrates the state's finest locally made beers and wines. Located in downtown Tucson in the historic Rialto Building, just across the street from Hotel Congress, Good Oak Bar is adjacent to Diablo Burger Kitchen. This is a great place to sample the best brews made in Arizona, including regional favorites like Old Bisbee Brewing Co.'s Copper City Pale Ale, Papago Brewery's popular Orange Blossom Madarin Wheat Ale and several Tucson-made craft brews. There's also an assortment of Arizona-made wines. The bar also has a full menu that includes gourmet pub fare made with locally sourced ingredients.

Elliott's on Congress is a friendly downtown bar and grill with a menu of gourmet food and drink. Popular starters include gooey jalapeno shrimp and cheddar boats, burger sliders and cod tacos. The menu also includes a large selection of specialty salads, burgers and sandwiches. The restaurant's specialty is duck, so you'll find a large selection of duck dishes, including duck egg rolls, pato tacos (duck tacos), duck sliders and a triple-decker duck club sandwich. The restaurant offers popular happy hour specials and hosts a gourmet brunch on the weekends. Elliott's has a lively happy hour from 4 to 7 pm daily, with $3 house infused vodkas, $3 for all beer selections and $2 cocktails.

Established in 2010, Scott & Co was founded by the same folks that brought 47 Scott to Tucson, downtown's popular destination for modern American comfort food in an intimate bistro-style space. Scott & Co. is an intimate speakeasy style bar with a seasonal menu of hand-crafted cocktails. Head bartender Ciaran Wiese and the team of mixologists at Scott & Co. display a genuine passion for developing new and delicious infusions. Although the atmosphere at Scott & Co. is great, this is the kind of place you go to for truly exceptional mixed drinks. You won't be disappointed by house-crafted creations like The Lionheart, made with Blanco tequila, green chartreuse, bitter orange amber, rich allspice dram, and agave nectar.

Thunder Canyon boasts several award-winning brews such as Bing Bang Ale with a hint of cherries, Catalina Pale Ale, Sandstone Cream Ale, Obsidian Porter, Thunderhead IPA, and Blackout Stout. And their food is impressive too. Wood fired oven pizzas top the list, but there's a great selection of traditional pub fare like fish and chips, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, cottage pie and pasta. Plenty of vegetarian options, as well. No doubt, there is something for everyone on the menu. And if you're a beer connoisseur, you will want to stop by for a drink, even if there isn't a big game on the screen. There are two locations in Tucson: Downtown and the Foothills Mall.

This lively downtown Tucson restaurant celebrates the city and its confluence of culinary traditions. Chef Janos Wilder has developed strong ties to the Southern Arizona gardeners and farmers for a farm-fresh menu with a strong emphasis on regional and indigenous ingredients. Try the Shrimp with a Sense of Place, a delectable entree featuring shrimp mojo de ajo on freshly ground corn masa, spicy black bean puree, salsa fresca, cholla bud escabeche and queso fresco. For an entree rich in local ingredients, try the ancho chile and chipotle braised lamb shank Tohono O'ohdam squash, served with local honey puree, greens, braising liquids and minted jalapeno vinaigrette.

Located over the picturesque courtyard of St. Philip's Plaza in midtown Tucson, Union Public House blends the atmosphere of a friendly public house with the hospitality of traditional southwestern culture. The food is made-from-scratch modern American fare crafted from local and sustainable ingredients. On tap, there are 30 beers on any given visit, plus a long menu of handcrafted cocktails. There are plenty of TVs with top sports programming for the happy hour crowd, and a lovely al fresco dining room to enjoy a meal or drink with friends. The happy hour - known here as "the social hour" - is full of great bites and drinks.