Wear Your Ugliest Sweaters to Phoenix’s Most Holiday Spirited Bars
It’s that time of year. Yes, the holiday season is upon us. To paraphrase the infinitely wise Michael Scott, it’s a time to spend with the people you love, but also a time to get drunk because nobody can say anything about it. Christmas is the booziest time of the year, so why not celebrate in style? These local bars know the real key to Christmas cheer is spiked eggnog and drink specials. So grab your ugly sweater and head to one of these festive locals.
Coach House
The words “dive bar” and “Scottsdale” go together like “the Grinch” and “holiday spirit.” You might be surprised to find an establishment like Coach House just a short walk away from Old Town Scottsdale. Coach House is a longstanding dive known for cheap drinks and holiday cheer. Every holiday season, this hole-in-the-wall is decked out in a Christmas display so magnificent it puts Clark Griswold to shame. You’ll find Christmas lights twinkling from floor to ceiling and surprisingly affordable drink specials no matter the day of the week.
#FrayLife Tip: Looking to unwind after Christmas dinner? Coach House is open 365 days a year.
The Van Buren
Let’s face it: Christmas music gets old fast. There’s only so many times one can handle another rendition of “I’ll be Home for Christmas” before needing a stiff drink (or two). This year, you can mix up your holiday playlist by making a trip to The Van Buren. This downtown Phoenix concert venue plays host to Young the Giant and Barns Courtney as part of the two-day Alt AZ Ugly Sweater Holiday Party. The event is sponsored by Modelo Especial, so there’s sure to be plenty of cerveza to go with the killer tunes. The party starts on December 10th and tickets are available here.
The 12 Bars of Christmas Bar Crawl
On the 12th day of Christmas, Bevvy gave to me: three dollar beers! Yes, Old Town Scottsdale is gearing up for their second annual 12 Bars of Christmas Bar Crawl. This all-day bash features drink specials at classic Old Town bars including Bevvy, Bottled Blonde, Whiskey Row, Gilligan’s and more. Online registration includes a “Bad Santa” stadium cup, a hat, and drink specials at all 12 participating bars. Ugly sweaters and Christmas onesies are encouraged. The event runs on December 1st from 12 pm – 8 pm and online tickets are available here.
#FrayLife Tip: Missed the deadline? You can register the day of from 12 pm – 4 pm on location at Bevvy.
Scottsdale Santa Crawl
Okay, I’m not sure Santa would approve of a “bar crawl” in his name, but I think jolly St. Nick will give us a pass on this one. The Scottsdale Santa Crawl is the bar crawl of the holiday season. By signing up, you’ll get a Santa hat, three $.01 drink vouchers and entry to all bars. There’s also a photo contest for the best costume, so be sure to dust off your old Rudolph costume from the third grade. The crawl schedule will be announced on December 7th and the event runs from 12 pm – 6 pm on December 8th.
#FrayLife Tip: You can get to and from the event for free. Use code ‘AZCRAWL’ for $20 in FREE rides from Lyft, sign up HERE!
Does your favorite bar go all out for the holidays? Let us know what other places belong on this list by tagging #FrayLife #PHXFray when you’re out rocking your ugly sweater this holiday season!
Speaking of the holiday season…have you made the trip to Glendale Glitters yet?
View More Articles By John Kuells