Downtown’s bar and nightlife scene is best than many consider
by Jeffrey Spear
When you haven’t visited Jacksonville’s downtown currently, you’re most positively lacking out. There are a stunning variety of bars and eating places providing all kinds of meals, drinks and leisure experiences, all contributing to a vibrant nightlife. To totally perceive what’s accessible, we visited some native favorites and found some fantastic new venues alongside the way in which.
An excellent place to start out, particularly on a balmy summer time night, is the rooftop patio at Cowford Chophouse. Whereas the three-level institution options a powerful wine checklist and prime cuts of beef, it’s the view of the town skyline, together with the Foremost Avenue bridge and St Johns River, that elevates one’s cocktail. You may additionally benefit from the work of Florida’s Spanish cows, created by native artist Jim Draper, that adorn the restaurant’s partitions. From a culinary perspective, a tasty option to start this journey may embrace Soiled Cow martinis accompanied by duck fats cornbread and smoked salmon dip.
When you’re a fan of craft cocktails, you’ll wish to head just a few blocks west and luxuriate in a beverage or two at The Volstead. As you’d anticipate from this speakeasy-styled vacation spot, there’s no signage out entrance, just one for Snips Barber Shoppe (a working barber store) serving as its false entrance. The bar itself is surreptitiously hidden behind the scenes on the store’s again wall. As soon as inside, you’ll uncover a dimly lit, surprisingly approachable barroom, full with a big and considerably eclectic assortment of spirits, liqueurs and Amaros. Whereas basic cocktails, together with Sazeracs, Negronis and Previous Fashions, are available, it’s the seasonally introduced, bespoke cocktails which are most spectacular.
The subsequent two locations of be aware exist facet by facet as neighbors—Instinct Ale Works (in style for its craft beers, particularly their IPAs and stouts) and Manifest Distilling (recognized for its Florida citrus vodka, rye whiskey and natural barreled gin). To get there, it’s a brief drive or informal 15-minute stroll heading eastward alongside Bay Avenue, passing by means of “The Elbow,” the guts of downtown that’s house to greater than 20 bars, eating places and efficiency venues together with Decca Stay, Fantasy Nightclub, Underbelly, Daring Metropolis Downtown, Spliffs Gastropub and Island Woman Cigar Bar; then persevering with in the direction of the baseball grounds and soccer stadium. You’ll most likely encounter the unmistakable trace of roasting espresso wafting by means of the air. That’s the scent that emanates from the Maxwell Home plant that you simply’ll move alongside the way in which. Only a few steps additional and also you’ve arrived at Instinct, one of many metropolis’s unique craft breweries.
For beer fans, Instinct Ale Works (image above) is the place to be. With almost 20 house-branded brews on faucet, there’s lots to pattern, together with a choice of acquainted snacks, sandwiches and extra from the kitchen. The purple brick institution covers most of a metropolis block and in addition operates the Bier Corridor, a reside music venue. With a stellar roster of touring bands on the calendar, the following present is often solely days away.
Manifest Distilling is true across the nook. A go to to their Cocktail Room provides you entry to every thing they make, together with tasting flights and a specialty cocktail menu that includes some deliciously thrilling creations. When you go to their web site and e book upfront, you may as well take a tour of the distillery that features a tutored tasting session. Contemplating how shut the distillery (and Instinct) is to the sporting arenas, it’s additionally an amazing place to fulfill up earlier than or after sport time.
The final cease on this crawl, heading again to the town middle, is Dos Gatos. Established in 2009, this is likely one of the oldest and most revered bars within the city core. A darkish and considerably subversive atmosphere, Dos (because it’s recognized to locals) is famend for its encyclopedic wall of spirits and craft cocktail menu. Situated straight throughout from the Florida Theater, it’s supreme for drinks earlier than or after showtimes. Higher nonetheless, come for completely happy hour, then stick round for the DJ and dance the evening away.