The Best Craft Cocktail Bars in St. Pete-Clearwater

Located in the heart of quaint Safety Harbor – a friendly, walkable town known for its charming Main Street – is the 1920s-style Gigglewaters. This restaurant, bar and one-screen movie theater shows favorite film classics that add a wonderful dose of nostalgia to your dining experience. Here, a menu of upscale American comfort food from burgers to melts is punctuated by a selection of creative hand-crafted signature cocktails.

Old Fashioneds (with an option to have your drink "smoked") include The 1919, a pre-prohibition style drink favorite with Four Roses bourbon, Demerara, bitters, a Luxardo cherry and a flamed orange peel. Gin lovers can order a Bee’s Knees with New Amsterdam gin, smoked honey and fresh lemon juice. For something sweeter, try a Lucky Coconut martini made with Rumhaven coconut rum, fresh cucumber and lime.

No matter which cocktail you crave, the swanky speakeasy ambience will turn an ordinary evening into an extraordinary experience.

The craft cocktails rotate seasonally, but are tasty any time of year at Urban Stillhouse in St. Pete, a 16,000-square-foot entertainment space presented by Horse Soldier Bourbon. Not surprisingly, bourbon reigns supreme here, from classics like the House Old Fashioned to interesting renditions such as the True Grit (Horse Soldier Small Batch Bourbon, Luxardo maraschino, Giffard vanilla, Turkish tobacco bitters and torched cinnamon). If you can’t decide, you can always go for the Horse Soldier Bourbon Tasting Flight, which comes with all three bourbon offerings plus a pour of Commander’s Select.

Honoring the art of distilling, the ambience is intimate-meets-industrial with plenty of copper, brick and soft lighting. Brunch and dinner feature sophisticated American cuisine centered around a wood-fired grill. Look for hearty steak and seafood dishes to complement your cocktails such as the Baked Lobster Stillhouse, Wood Grilled Elk Chops or the Moroccan-Spiced Pork Shank. A cozy tasting room adds to the full spirit experience.

Long-time local mainstay Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber Restaurant in Clearwater Beach is the place to go for a perfect blend of the fresh seafood, comfort food and refreshing cocktails. Ever-changing daily menus feature market fresh seafood and butcher block favorites, while the cocktail menu showcases favorites from signature margaritas to flavorful martinis like the Espresso, Coconut Key Lime or the Drunken Apple Crème Brûlée.

The Beachcomber is the kind of place where the bartender will remember your drink order when you return the next day. The casual ambience and nautical-themed décor will remind you that you’re at the beach at this landmark that’s been family owned and operated since 1948. Live piano music adds to the experience.

With St. Pete’s prime coastal locale, which offers easy access to fresh fish, it’s no surprise that this local seafood restaurant is super-popular. Trophy Fish touts itself as a one-of-a-kind “bait shop chic” fish house serving a new genre of cocktails termed “boat drinks.” Seafood is the star of the menu, with the ever-changing catch-of-the-day offering fresh-of-the-boat selections.

Meanwhile, with a motto like “Pouring our spirits to raise yours,” Trophy Fish mixes one-of-a-kind nautical-themed creations like the Hemingway daquiri, the Salty Dog or the Dark & Stormy, as well as signature favorites like the Pistachio Mai Tai, the Blood Money and the Fin & Tonic. The restaurant’s goal is to utilize the freshest ingredients in its boat drinks to complement its fresh seafood dishes. Take a sip of one of these flavorful cocktails and you'll appreciate St. Pete's booming culinary and drink scene.

We can’t think of a more perfect combination than the one served at Intermezzo, a specialty coffee bar by day that transforms into a craft cocktail bar by night. Located in St. Pete’s popular EDGE District, Intermezzo is inspired by European and American cafés from the ’50s and ’60s that served as welcoming spots where creatives would gather over drinks.

The daytime caffé menu serves coffees, lattes, teas, beer, wine and day cocktails (after all, you're on vacation). Go for both in one with a selection of coffee cocktails like the Caffe Mezzo made with vodka, Borghetti espresso liqueur, cold brew and chocolate bitters.

The evening cocktail menu adds a long list of spirits and amazing house cocktails such as the Matcha Melon Fizz (Blanco tequila, Midori melon liqueur, matcha cordial, fresh lime, coconut, egg white and soda) and a Parfait (Bacardi ocho rum, aged cachaca, banana, lime, pineapple amaro, granola dust and milk-clarified with strawberry yogurt). With a warm and friendly atmosphere, Intermezzo invites you to “come for the coffee, stay for the experience.”