The Cocktail Hour

Welcome to The Cocktail Hour. I am Valeria Rosales. I was born in Mazatlan in 2002 and I’m currently studying my BA in English Language Teaching. I´m also working as a barista in the afternoons. In my free time, I enjoy finding new bars [ usually starting at 8 pm until 1 am.] where I can feel comfortable and I can have fun by myself or with friends. Recently, I’ve been discovering a lot about the world of cocktails – bartenders are so friendly and helpful and they recommend other bars for me to discover. I am happy to share this new chapter in my life with you. With these connections I can recommend new bars for you to try and describe the drinks and the vibe in those places. Remember all prices are in pesos and please remember that MazatlanLife pays for all the food and drink.  Salud!

The drinks, the vibe at Ponciano Arriaga 158.

July, 2024

This bar is such a new place for me, and it took time to get to know it – it was definitely on my checklist since every time I was walking by it was always crowded.

THE VIBE: The place is very nice and with a unique vibe, when I first got there, it felt mysterious. You’ll discover both –  a traditional and a Mexican vibe. The music is good and they are open every day! If you are looking to spend a chill time with friends I recommend you to go there before 9 pm but if you want to party, you definitely have to go after 9 pm and you will have a great time at both hours.

THE DRINKS: They have a big menu so surely you’ll find a drink you like, or if you are up to try new things you won’t regret it! The specialty of the house is mezcal and they produce their own, which makes it even better so you can feel on each sip their roots and amazing flavors. They have over 50 different mezcals from different states of Mexico such as Sonora, Nuevo León, Durango and Chihuahua and a wide variety of cocktails with mezcal from $100.00 to $150.00

If you’re not a mezcal person you can find drinks without mezcal and beer. Not to mention they also have a large food menu to match your drink which are very Mexican options such as corn and nachos, and nicely presented. Salud!

[Ponciano Arriaga 158 is located Niños Héroes #1505, Centro, and is open: Monday to Saturday from 5 pm to 2 am Sunday 12 pm to 2 am. Credit cards accepted, not handicap accessible.]

 

The drinks, the vibe at Casa Analco.

June, 2024

This place produces its own Mezcal, which makes it the speciality of the house but, they also offer a wide variety of cocktails for everyone. The menu offers seasonal cocktails created by talented mixologists. These are exotic drinks that you wouldn’t ordinarily order but they also have the classic cocktails such as an espresso martini with vodka, and a Naked and Famous martini made with mezcal.

THE VIBE: I usually sit at the bar because I like to see how they make cocktails and also I can talk with the bartenders and learn new things about the drinks. Casa Analco is a large space for you to go with your friends and enjoy it – inside or outside.  The music is good because you can feel like you’re in a club but you´re still able to chat with your friends. I really like this place for a girls night out and to make new friends. Every time I go there I meet a lot of new people and it’s such a nice experience to spend an evening at Casa Analco.

THE DRINKS: The cocktails are from $165 to $190, and if you´re not into cocktails you can have beer from $50. The top three cocktails at Casa Analco are Santo Remedio, which is made out of mezcal cenizo from the house, it is citric and smoked and you can buy it for $170. The second one is Golden Hour, this one is also made out of mezcal cenizo from the house and it has pineapple, grapefruit and chile ancho liquor – you may find it sweet, spicy and a little bit bitter. This cocktail is $175. The third one is the classic Naked and famous as it’s made out of mezcal cenizo from the house, aperol and lime. This one is citric and herbal and it´s $185. Salud!

[ Casa Analco is located on Niños Heroes # 1511-A, Centro. It opens at 6 pm. to 2 am, from Tuesday to Sunday. Not handicap accessible, accepts all credit cards.]

The drinks, the vibe at Metl Mezcaleria.

June, 2024

THE VIBE: This bar shares with the people of Mazatlan the culture of traditional mezcales. When I went to this place for the first time, I immediately felt transported to Mexico’s roots. You can easily perceive every detail from the entrance to the bar. It is very inspired by Mexico and you can actually feel the Mexican and traditional vibes there. This place reminded me of my mom because of the music.  They play retro music in Spanish. When I was talking to the owner she told me that they usually receive people between 30 to 60 years old so that’s why I felt like this would be the perfect place for my mom and my aunts.  [I’m sure you’d be happy there even if you are over 60…editor, SM.]

THE DRINKS: The top three drinks here are hibiscus, with jamaica and lime, frosted with jamaica salt.The second one is Mezcalita de Sandia, with watermelon, cucumber, lime and agave honey – frosted with worm salt. The third one is Nieves de Enero, it has tejuino which is a traditional drink of Mazatlan and lime, frosted with jamaica salt. These three are on the section of cocktails with mezcal and they´re all $130 but even if you don´t like mezcal you can ask for your drink with gin or sotol [“flavorwise, there’s a distinct family resemblance between tequila and sotol: both have an herbaceous brightness and a gentle, fruity sweetness. But while tequila (especially younger styles) has a distinctive peppery snap, sotol is more grassy, with gentle layers of nuanced floral notes”] and it will be $170. I tried chapulines [grasshoppers] for the very first time and it was such a fun and interesting experience. I wouldn’t do it again, but it is nice that they have it on the menu if you want to try new things. Salud!

[ Metl is located on Niños Heroes # 1503. Centro and opens at 6 pm. to 1 am. from Wednesday to Sunday. Not handicap accessible, all credit cards accepted.]

The drinks, the vibe at Azul Cantina Fina Bar & Grill.

June, 2024

THE VIBE: This place was such an interesting discovery for me. When I first went there I thought it was just one floor but to my surprise they have a rooftop where a rock band was playing. Now is when you have to decide if you want to stay on the first floor with karaoke and pop music or enjoy the live music upstairs. I decided to go upstairs and it was such a nice environment, the music was amazing and the vibes too. They have different bands and genres every week but I was lucky enough to find the rock band since that’s my go-to music. It’s great to have two totally different vibes in one place – it’s up to you to go where you want. Upstairs becomes a party with everyone dancing. I think the versatility of this place makes it enjoyable for every age.

THE DRINKS: They offer classic cocktails, mocktails, and beer.They usually have promos on weekends such a 2×1 in margaritas and palomas and a free shot if you are brave enough to sing a song at the karaoke event. The expats love their margaritas – which makes it the most popular drink at $120 but you can also enjoy beer from $45 and mocktails from $85. Salud!

[Azul Cantina is located on Mariano Escobedo # 96, at the corner of Niños Heroes in Centro. It’s open from 5:00 pm to 2 am. from Wednesday to Sunday. It is pet friendly but not handicap accesible. Accepts all credit cards.]

The drinks, the vibe at Casco Viejo Cantina Tropical.

June, 2024.

THE VIBE: This bar is perfect to go to before heading out to a club; you can start partying here if you feel you´re still not ready to go to the club. Casco has different spots where you can sit and it’s definitely created to go with good company. The first room is the bar where you can sit or you can choose the other rooms with AC, but the ideal space there, is the patio. It’s a party out there and while they have a lot of seating you may have to wait to get a table as it’s so popular. I feel the vibes in this place are more intended for people between 18 to 40 years old since it is loud and I don’t think older people  would enjoy this bar.

THE DRINKS: I noticed that almost every table was drinking beer, but they also sell cocktails such as aperol spritz. The prices for beer are around $50 and the cocktails are from $135 to $150. The music is a mix between pop music, reggaeton and regional music. In general, it’s a nice place to go with friends to have fun, as I mentioned before it is usually full so you will have to wait for your table and for the staff to take your order. Salud!

[Casco Viejo Cantina Tropical is located on Niños Heroes # 1409, Centro and opens at 5:00 pm to 2 am. from Wednesday to Sunday. Not handicap accessible, accepts all credit cards.]