Taste the spirits of Santa Barbara at Cutler’s Artisan Spirits in the Funk Zone. Savor a glass of Santa Barbara County wine along The Urban Wine Trail. Knock back a beer while catching the game at Sandbar. Indulge your senses with a pitcher of sangria on the rooftop of The Canary Hotel. Tickle your taste buds with a hand-crafted cocktail at Loquita. Whatever the occasion, you’ll find the perfect watering hole, ambience and entertainment in The American Riviera®.
Many of the Santa Barbara bars line the streets on lower State Street and can easily be found. If you like a musical ambience to compliment your cocktail, you’ll find live music at a number of Santa Barbara bars and tasting rooms most Friday and Saturday nights, as well as special performances in art galleries, museums and venues during 1st Thursday. SOhO Restaurant & Music Club, off of State Street, features an eclectic line-up of live music seven nights a week. Rather be the one belting out the tunes? Karaoke and trivia nights are hosted most every night of the week in various breweries and bars all over town.
Late-night haunts include Wildcat Lounge, EOS and Indochine, a groovy downtown boîte with a Southeast Asian sensibility. Country and Western, blues and bluegrass are on tap at the Cold Spring Tavern, a 100-year-old stagecoach stop turned tavern atop San Marcos Pass. The restaurant features venison, buffalo and other game meats. Sundays are when crowds of weekend warriors park their Harleys to enjoy music and a tritip sandwich.
Stay up to date on what’s new in the Santa Barbara cocktail scene and plan your trip around the annual Santa Barbara Tequila Harvest Festival held at Elings Park or Fermentation Festival featuring craft cocktails, specialty libation mixers, and local accouterment samples.
