into its imaginative vision that, looking out a “porthole,” you can almost feel the “ship” riding the waves. Why is this the best re- boot? Because it preserved one of our best bars through stormy waters. During the pandemic, UnderTow moved a few dozen yards from its previous spot inside a Sip Coffee & Beer. The tiki-style experience re- mains excellent and one of hospitality group Barter & Shake’s crown jewels. Rums, tequilas, and other tropical-leaning spirits take the stage. Flavors call to mind teal waters and giant sunsets. Tiki drinking doesn’t get better. EEEEE Sunbar 24 West Fifth Street, Tempe 480-687-8409 sunbaraz.com Don’t let Sunbar’s distractions — the pin- ball room, the outdoor patio bar, its small convenience store — fool you: The soul of the place is the cavernous nightclub-like venue in the heart of the property. It’s equipped with an enormous dance floor (the largest in the city), a premier PK Trin- ity Sound System (the only one in Ari- zona), a wall-sized LED projection screen, and multiple VIP areas. (Did we mention the massive laser light shows?) Since opening in 2019, Sunbar has been a major dance destination in Tempe, luring in throngs of patrons with its over-the-top amenities and high-profile DJ/producers in the mix every weekend via its connec- tion with Relentless Beats, the Valley’s most prominent EDM promoter. Some- times, being bigger is better, and in the case of Sunbar, it’s what makes it the best club in town. EEEEE Thunderbird Lounge 710 West Montecito Avenue 602-283-4621 thunderbirdloungephx.com A great place to day-drink erases all sense of time. The back patio at Thunderbird Lounge does just that, making clocks and email feel about as relevant as they were 500 years ago. Part dive, part hipster hang- out, part zero-fucks-given, and nothing but itself, Thunderbird provides a sticky haven to kick it with macrobrews, no- bullshit cocktails you could have made in high school, and newfangled hard seltzers. It’s not a place to oooh and aahh over craft libations or design. It’s just the ideal spot to have fun and snap open can after can af- ter can, forgetting it all. Lylo Swim Club 400 West Camelback Road (inside Rise Uptown) 480-536-8899 lylophx.com “Pool bar” might conjure memories of sugar-bomb frozen daiquiris or clubby bot- tle service that only oil barons can afford. Lylo changes the formula, introducing ca- sual Japanese-leaning food alongside flaw- less original cocktails. These come from the mind of Ross Simon, the “cocktailian” behind Bitter & Twisted and Little Rituals. They spotlight rum (mostly), and they are bomb. Two rums are blended into soft- serve ice cream for the deeply nostalgic Dole Whip. Another two rums lace the pineapple and lime juice to make a com- plex, supremely refreshing rocks drink. And an artful, three-berry frozen daiquiri will banish even the saddest resort daiquiri memories. Casey Moore’s Oyster House 850 South Ash Avenue, Tempe 480-968-9935 caseymooresoysterhouse.godaddysites.com On the (relatively rare) days when we feel like it’d be nice to escape Phoenix for a lit- tle while, but can’t, we head to Casey Moore’s. In addition to being one of the finest bars in the Valley, Casey’s is also a 207 SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 | WWW.BESTOFPHOENIX2021.C0M | BEST OF PHOENIX 2021 B E S T B A R P A TI O B ES DRINKING OO ni SI L T P ghtlif DE e B E S T NIGHT CL UB B T ESA O D TY-DRINK C PLA E
