The 10 Best Cocktail Bars In Jacksonville, Florida

This casual, all-American cocktail bar has proudly been serving customers since 1945. The Ritz prides itself on its fully stocked bar, complete with a variety of diverse beverage options, including a fridge full of ice-cold Bud Light. All drinks are served in pint-size glasses, with a happy hour held until 8pm daily. The wraparound wooden bar here, rustic tables and open windows bring in natural lighting and fill the bar with a relaxed atmosphere. An outdoor patio extremely close to the ocean, as well as arcade games and pool tables, provides the perfect location in which to wind down, listen to the waves and kick back with a cocktail. For those seeking a more lively scene, resident DJs transform The Ritz nightly with club music and dancing.

Flask and Cannon is a four-star cocktail bar exuding beach vibes and serving tropical drinks. Always using fresh ingredients, bartenders here create hand-crafted refreshments that are impossible to find elsewhere. The bar opens daily at 1pm and features a modern decor with dark wood paneling and sleek, chic wall designs. Appetizers, including the mouth-watering chicken wings, add tasty treats to accompany this one-of-a-kind drink menu. Newcomers are encouraged to taste the ‘No Tan Lines’ signature rum drink.

Opened by mother and daughter pair Liz and Jennifer Earnest, Candy Apple Café and Cocktails was awarded ‘Best New Restaurant’ by Best of Jacksonville magazine. The venue combines French and Southern flavors to create an original and delicious menu for the Downtown area. The owners say that their full bar menu is targeted towards the after-work crowd who want to come in and feel at ease after a long day in the office. The wide happy hour selection includes speciality food and drink combinations such as beer and wings, wine and cheese, and champagne with chocolate-dipped strawberries. The cafe also offers space for private events within themed rooms, exciting spaces named The Dessert Bar and The Candy Palace.

Renowned for its trendy dive bar reputation, Ginger’s Place exudes a warm and welcoming neighborhood feel. The bar has been family owned and operated for 39 years, and therefore boasts a strong fanbase of loyal locals who help to keep the bar buzzing with success. With amiable and friendly staff, Ginger’s is home to the signature “Ziggy Fudpucker”, a tangy cocktail made from gold rum, malibu, orange juice, passion fruit and grenadine. What sets this spot apart from others is its package license which allows customers to purchase bottles of wine or beer before leaving for the night. This laid-back cocktail spot is open until 2am daily, and on Wednesday and Saturday nights karaoke starts at 10pm, providing customers with some top tunes to accompany their drinks.

Country Club Lounge is a true hole in the wall cocktail bar, offering a variety of beer, wine and strong alcohol options. The friendly environment here attracts regular customers as well as tourists, and the latest and greatest new music never stops playing, with the bar especially inclined to serenade its customers with classic country hits. Every night between 9pm and 12am women can drink for free. To ensure that every night is well spent, games like pool and corn-hole are set up nightly for either the pleasure of the customers or organized tournaments.

Just as its name suggests, Locals’ is a dive bar attracting many Jacksonville natives, and is a venue oozing an eclectic and appealing ambience. Seemingly small and unfinished from the outside, the inside has an entirely different look. The inside is dark and smokey, yet remains trendy with illuminated signs and colorful decor. Across the street from various hotels, the bar is in a perfect location and provides traveling customers with the highest level of customer service. Aside from the reasonably priced drinks, customers can enjoy a jukebox, darts or pool. Locals’ is open until 2am seven days of the week, but unfortunately does not sell food, so fill up on dinner before stopping in!

Home to the largest tequila selection in Jacksonville, Flying Iguana combines spicy Latin flavors with modern American cuisine. Although most known for executive chef Agan’s delicious tacos, Flying Iguana also contains a full bar with diverse options, including a multitude of craft beers. Brick columns create a dimly lit and cozy space here, with a creatively tiled floor and wooden tables adding to the rustic ambiance. A brightly colored stage is built for live music performances and is used Thursday through Sunday. One of the highlighting aspects of the bar is that there is no particular closing time, to, as their motto says, “Let the good times fly.”

A tangy taste of paradise, Lemon Bar is a beach-inspired venue boasting oceanfront views and ice cold beverages. In its 14th season, the bar is open annually from the end of February to mid-November. A wide selection of seafood is offered as well as signature cocktails such as the Lemon Bar Freeze and the Piña Colada. Happy hour runs until 8pm daily except on Thursdays, where happy hour never ends. Outside of its own doors, the Lemon Bar participates in various community events and was voted #1 Beach Bar by VOID Magazine. Be sure not to miss the last luau of the season, a colorful affair drawing tourists and locals in droves.