Cocktail barBeer bar$$$maplewoodTue-Thu 15:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 13:00-23:00, Sun 13:00-20:00, closed Mon
Side Project's Maplewood Cellar is a Belgian-inspired beer bar that also pours deep whiskey and wine lists, the tasting room for the metro's top brewery.
Signature drink: Belgian-inspired beer, whiskey and wine
Food: Snacks
Tip: It is beer-forward but the whiskey and wine lists are serious too. A short walk from the brewery itself.
Cocktail barBrewpub$$$downtown-westMon 11:00-23:00, Tue-Thu 11:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00
St. Louis's original craft brewery, the Schlafly Tap Room pours the full range in a brick downtown brewpub that has anchored the local beer scene since 1991.
Signature drink: Pale ale and seasonal beers
Food: Pub food
Tip: The pale ale year-round and the pumpkin ale in autumn are the calls. The brewpub kitchen does solid pub food.
Cocktail barBrewery taproom$$$maryland-heightsTue-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-18:00, closed Mon
Six Mile Bridge runs a family-friendly Maryland Heights taproom pouring Belgian-inspired and American styles, a relaxed west-county beer bar.
Signature drink: Belgian-inspired and American craft beer
Food: Rotating food trucks
Tip: Rotating taps and food trucks make it a casual evening out. A good pairing with nearby Creve Coeur Lake.
Cocktail barWine bar and music venue$$$midtownWed-Thu 16:00-21:00, Fri 16:00-22:00, Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-20:00, closed Mon-Tue
At City Foundry, City Winery is a wine bar, restaurant and live-music room in one, pouring house-made and curated wines before and during concerts in Midtown.
Signature drink: House-made wines
Food: Full restaurant menu
Tip: Pair a flight with a show; check the music calendar. The on-site production wines are worth trying by the glass.
Cocktail barCocktail bar$$$lafayette-squareTue-Thu 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-23:00, Sun 16:00-22:00, closed Mon
Ted Kilgore's Lafayette Square bar started the modern St. Louis cocktail movement, and its barrooms still set the city's drinking standard today.
Signature drink: Classic and original cocktails
Food: Bar snacks and small plates
Tip: The front Bullock Room is louder; the back bar is for serious cocktails. Order a classic and watch the technique.
Cocktail barRum and tiki bar$$$central-west-endTue-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-23:00, closed Sun-Mon
A Central West End rum bar, Yellowbelly pours island-inspired tiki cocktails and coastal small plates in a bright beachy room. The city's tropical-drink hub.
Signature drink: Rum tiki cocktails
Food: Island-inspired small plates
Tip: The signature Yellowbelly and the rum-heavy tiki list are the orders. Brunch and patio seating round it out.