Watch CBS News

Best Cocktail Happy Hours In Detroit

Back in the days of the dapper appeal of the 1950s and 1960s, cocktail hours were more likely to happen at anytime or anywhere, including in the office. Nowadays, many young professionals look to places outside of the workplace in order to network and connect with one another. Sometimes, a good happy hour is just about unwinding after a long day and enjoying a few drinks at affordable prices. Whether you're looking to discover a great new craft cocktail from an up-and-coming high-end bar, or just meet with friends and unload with a drink after work, these Metro Detroit locales provide the best of the best when it comes to amazing cocktails and intriguing atmospheres.
Detroit City Distillery
2462 Riopelle St.
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 338-3760
www.detroitcitydistillery.com

The best all-around place for a great handmade cocktail? The Detroit City Distillery. It's perfect for the young crowd that isn't too conscious about high-class surrounding, but takes cocktails very seriously. The liquor here is homemade and distilled on site, providing bartenders here with complete authority over every aspect of their drinks. For a serious cocktail connoisseur, there's little like something straight from the distiller's tap. A small food menu to pair with drinks is offered, as well.

The Oakland Art Novelty Company
201 W. 9 Mile Road
Ferndale, MI 48075
(248) 291-5295
www.theoaklandferndale.com

Normally referred to simply as "The Oakland," this cocktail lounge treads a fine line between high-class and laid-back. The highfalutin men's fashion magazine Esquire cited The Oakland Art Novelty Company by name when it declared Detroit as the country's Best Bar City. Vintage drinks are the top offering here, so come prepared to try something that hasn't been enjoyed for a long time.

Roast Detroit
1128 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-2500
www.roastdetroit.com

Celebrity Chef Michael Symon's flagship Detroit restaurant is popular for its great choice cut of meats, but it is also equally well known, if not more so, for its incredibly well-stocked bar. Located right in the heart of downtown in the historic Book Cadillac building, Roast offers a perfect place for everyone from the ritzy and glitzy, to the low-key blue collar worker a place to meet during happy hour and grab a great price for a great drink. With this selection, you'll be hard-pressed to find something that can't fit your bill.

Related:  Best Restaurants In Detroit Worth The Hype

The Root
340 Town Center Blvd.
White Lake, MI 48386
(248) 698-2400
www.therootrestaurant.com

Outside of the city, seemingly closer to the earth and fields where the true products grow, lies a wonderful little place called The Root. In the Detroit suburbs of White Lake, this restaurant specializes in making craft cocktails using the freshest and finest local ingredients. Its drinks are seasonal and play nicely with whatever the weather might be outside. If you're willing to take a trip to the White Lake area, The Root will offer you things you just cannot find within the city.

One of the fine drinks from The Sugar House (Credit, Michael Ferro)

The Sugar House
2130 Michigan Ave.
Detroit, MI 48026
(313) 962-0123
www.sugarhousedetroit.com

If you consider yourself a true, and we mean a true, connoisseur of cocktails, then you must try The Sugar House in the lively Corktown area of Detroit. The real purist will look at this bar as the dream happy hour location for the perfect after-work cocktail. Also cited in the same Esquire piece proclaiming Detroit as America's Best Bar City, The Sugar House helps lend the Motor City an authentic credibility for its new claim. Hipsters flock to this trendy bar, so unless you're willing to deal with suspenders, beards and neon colors, look elsewhere (but you're probably going to want to stay here).

Related:  Best Pumpkin Dishes In Metro Detroit

Michael Ferro is freelance writer and a graduate of Michigan State University where he majored in Creative Writing and received the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award. Born and bred in Detroit, he currently resides in Ypsilanti Township. Additional writing can be found at Examiner.com.
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.