Photos by Aimee Vitek

Cozy up (or hook up) in downtown Orlando’s bar scene Courtesy Bar (114 N. Orange Ave.) “Picture grandpa’s liquor cabinet with a twist of hipster, and you’ll get an idea of the vintage, grown-up ambience emanating from this space, with its brick walls and checkered-tile floor. The cozy half-booths along the wall made it easy to share a New York sour (Old Overholt rye whiskey, honey, fresh lemon, topped with Altos malbec) with my sweetie.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Cozy up (or hook up) in downtown Orlando’s bar scene Elixir (9 W. Washington St.) “When we walked in to Elixir, Hootie & the Blowfish’s ‘Let Her Cry’ greeted us, as well as a pleasant short-shorted female bartender. Nothing really set this massive room apart from any other downtown bar, so we knew one drink would suffice (and sometimes, that’s for the best on these pub crawls), so we downed a couple of Goose Island IPAs and were on our way.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Cozy up (or hook up) in downtown Orlando’s bar scene On the Rocks (13 S. Magnolia Ave.) “On the Rocks might be facing something of a sports-bar/art-bar identity crisis (ESPN on flat screens and Morgan Steele art on the opposing wall), but it’s certainly a suitable meeting place to calm the nerves for a first date – or, in our case, to serve as a starting point for a drinking date night.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Unwind with after-work drinks in Ivanhoe Village The Caboose (1827 N. Orange Ave.) “At first glance this joint looked like a smoky hole-in-the-wall. But the promise of $2 sangria lured us in. Aside from a stripper pole situated at one end of the bar, the rest of the no-frills, down-to-earth decor was appealing – especially the kitschy railroad knick-knacks on the wall (just like everything else on Ivanhoe Row, the bar is located right alongside the tracks), the four simple taps of domestic beers and the life-sized faux alligator. Oh, and did I mention the NASCAR coasters? Don’t judge. Like I said: $2 sangria. With an orange slice, I might add.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Unwind with after-work drinks in Ivanhoe Village The Hammered Lamb (1235 N. Orange Ave.) “We opted for a seat at the covered patio bar (bar and table seating are available inside), which was a prime spot considering the cool breeze coming off the lake right across the street. We ordered Swamp Ape IPAs and Brooklyn Brown ale (on draft, $6) along with some sammies from the limited food menu. (Try the grilled cheese on Yalaha challah bread or the tzatziki chicken salad club.) Before long, we heard the roar of an oncoming train, which meant “train shots” (blueberry-infused 44º North vodka) for all courtesy of the bar, which was a pleasant surprise.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Unwind with after-work drinks in Ivanhoe Village The Imperial Wine Bar and Beer Garden (1800 N. Orange Ave.) “The mellow, dimly lit room feels like a lounge or living room – a really, really expensive living room, that is, full of globally imported furniture – which helped dissolve the stress of the workday. You could easily settle in for the night at a place like this, but that defeats the purpose of a pub crawl. So we headed out after one drink and went to look for our next spot.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
On the prowl in Hannibal Square BARcelona (433 W. New England Ave.) “It happened to be Tapas Tuesdays, so we ordered glasses of red sangria ($8, with rosé champagne and chopped apples) and Spanish tapas ($4 on Tuesday’s special menu) – croquetas, empanadas and the like. While I was looking for a better variety of fruit in my sangria, what I needed to keep an eye on was the bill – we were almost charged regular price for our snacks. Too many sangrias and you might not notice!” Credit: Aimee Vitek
On the prowl in Hannibal Square Dexter’s (558 W. New England Ave.) “We ordered from the happy hour wine and cocktail menu: a Dirty Dexter martini ($8, with hand-stuffed blue cheese olives) for one of us, a Crown Royal Manhattan ($8.25 – and no cherry, mind you) for another and a Blood Orangetini ($8, topped with champagne) for me. While our drinks were flavorsome and the bright, art-filled walls looked pleasant, Dexter’s noisy inside area proved difficult for chit-chatting. Next time I would opt for an outside table.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
On the prowl in Hannibal Square Fresh (535 W. New England Ave.) “Fresh offers a short but serviceable wine list as well as Orlando Brewing beer. ‘I wish I could live here,’ one of us commented, as we adored the heavy wood tables and dream-pop background music. But, as calming as this place was, we knew we couldn’t stay forever – we had more crawling to do. So after finishing our glasses of wine, we headed east.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
On the prowl in Hannibal Square Hannibal’s on the Square (511 W. New England Ave.) “After all, allegedly, Hannibal’s is where a nasty catfight went down on VH1’s reality TV show Basketball Wives. We decided it was only appropriate to pay tribute to that infamous moment by downing a round of lemondrop shooters. Thankfully, we dipped out long before the bar’s elevator music and the peering elephant on the wall drove us to insanity.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Sunday Funday pub crawl in College Park Ollie’s Public House (3400 Edgewater Drive) “Some might remember this spot as the former Jax 5th Ave or know that it has the same owners as downtown’s Finnhenry’s, but no one can help but notice its unusually close proximity – literally within steps – of Edgewater High School. One of us (OK, it was me) insisted we order a round of Ollie’s infamous ‘pickle shots’ to pump up the volume. And while Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey might not support the Cinco theme, the spicy pickle-juice chaser in the Dirty Finn ($4) was actually quite refreshing.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Sunday Funday pub crawl in College Park Paxia Modern Mexican & Tequila Lounge (2611 Edgewater Drive) “Fully engaging in the Cinco de Mayo spirit, we gorged on Paxia’s habañero-strawberry guacamole, and then dove headfirst (or shots-up, rather) into the bar’s tequila menu – not an easy feat, considering they offer more than 250 types of tequila, ranging from $5.50-$110. (At this point, admittedly, we were aiming for quantity over quality.) Surprisingly, the place wasn’t overly crowded, and although the ladies in our group weren’t down with the one-stall bathroom situation, we slurped down our margs at two-tops by the bar before making our way back to the Local.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Sunday Funday pub crawl in College Park The Local Bar & Grill (3231 Edgewater Drive) “Housed in the space that was formerly Alfonso’s Pizza, the Local is your typical dive bar: a little dark, a little smoky, with a pool table/darts area and a group of afternoon regulars in residence. The staff didn’t seem too welcoming when we walked in. But that’s understandable, I suppose, because we were a group of rowdy, inebriated, newbie bar-crashers. Nevertheless, we continued our Cinco de Drinko with a few Dos Equis pitchers for the table while the guys headed for the pool tables and the girls played a bit of the Bobs (Marley and Seger) on the jukebox.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Diversified drinking in Mills 50 BART (1205 N. Mills Ave.) “What this small spot lacks in space, it makes up for in personality: outgoing bartenders; video game-inspired art on the walls; and a well-curated selection of classic arcade games. I opted for Breckenridge Brewery’s Agave Wheat and set up shop for the rest of the evening at the Night Moves pinball machine.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Diversified drinking in Mills 50 Lil Indies (1036 N. Mills Ave.) “It’s the quiet kid sister right next door to loud live music venue Will’s Pub, and from the outside, you’d never imagine that it envelops such a cozy, rustic vibe inside. Disclaimer: You don’t have to be a hipster to enjoy Lil Indies. In fact, the super-friendly bartender worried more about what we were drinking (Genesee Cream Ales and Southern Star Brewing Company’s Bombshell Blondes), than if we were wearing skinny jeans (full disclosure: One of us was). OW associate editor Ashley Belanger had recommended the Viking Blod mead, but they were out of it. It wasn’t a problem, though; the wide-ranging menu of beer and wine – eight craft beers on tap, large-format options and plenty of red/white varieties – offered ample choices.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Diversified drinking in Mills 50 Quantum Leap Winery (1312 Wilfred Drive) “The winery is a somewhat upscale, yet inviting, spot on the border of Mills 50 and Ivanhoe Village, comprising a spacious tasting room and outdoor lounge area. I know what you’re thinking: No, they aren’t growing grapes out back. Quantum partners with wineries around the globe that start the winemaking process, and then finishes the wines here in Orlando. We ordered the mixed tasting (2-ounce pours each of the Rogue Valley riesling, Kaley’s Rescue Red and Stellenbosch merlot) from the $5 wine flight menu while standing at the U-shaped pouring area. Before heading out, we couldn’t pass up purchasing one of their bottles to take home.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Diversified drinking in Mills 50 Wally’s Mills Avenue Liquors (1001 N. Mills Ave.) “When you walk into Wally’s, you’ll find a devoted crowd of seasoned regulars who mean serious drinking business. It’s smoky, it’s dark, and if you can find a seat (there are maybe 25 total) at the bar, stiff cocktails are coming your way. (Note: Most other bars in the Mills 50 area only serve beer and wine.) Those looking for booze on the go can purchase from the liquor store that makes up one side of the joint.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Seaside bar crawl in New Smyrna Beach Chases on the Beach (3401 S. Atlantic Ave.) “With intense pool volleyball tournaments, two massive covered bar areas and a solid location directly on the beach, Chases has that signature Jimmy Buffett style written all over it. So, in true Parrothead fashion, we ordered on-the-rocks margaritas – quickly followed by a round of brightly colored Jell-O shots.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Seaside bar crawl in New Smyrna Beach Flagler Tavern (414 Flagler Ave.) “With ‘tavern’ in the name, we were expecting dark and smoky, but it was the exact opposite – its vibrant neon-green walls and beach-themed mural put us in the mood for a kamikaze shot.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Seaside bar crawl in New Smyrna Beach JB’s Fish Camp (859 Pompano Ave.) “This laid-back spot along the Mosquito Lagoon, decked out in kitschy nautical trinkets, not only offers indoor and outdoor bar/restaurant areas, but you also might catch a manatee sighting near the dock while listening to live reggae music.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Seaside bar crawl in New Smyrna Beach The Breakers (518 Flagler Ave.) “Not only would I highly recommend this beach shack’s tasty burgers, but I also suggest ordering a drink (in my case, a piña colada) and then grabbing a stool along the wall facing the beach for prime people-watching.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Seaside bar crawl in New Smyrna Beach Toni & Joe’s Patio (309 Buenos Aires Ave.) “This spot is another right-on-the-beach gem known for its friendly staff, enormous umbrella-covered patio and live steel-drum bands. I hesitantly opted for their specialty, Pusser’s Painkiller, mainly because it’s the type of libation that’s filled with so many flavored liquors it tastes like fruit juice. Finish one of these and you may become an all-out beach bum for the rest of the day.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Back-to-school boozing at UCF Buffalo Wild Wings (11400 University Drive) “We settled into their large covered outdoor patio bar for a couple of Leinenkugel’s seasonal Canoe Paddlers. Surprisingly, B-Dubs (a nickname for the place that I learned in college) held a more dynamic bunch of barflies than some of the other spots we’d visited.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Back-to-school boozing at UCF Knight Library (11448 University Blvd.) “We arrived with high expectations, as it currently ranks No. 2 on the Daily Meal’s list of ’25 Best College Bars in America.’ Knight Library (themed with bookshelves and textbooks behind the bar) offers an expansive drinking room with two long bars, an outdoor patio and big-screen TVs for prime UCF football game-day viewing parties. They didn’t have many craft beers on tap (including the Fat Tire they advertised), so instead we downed a couple of Yuenglings (only $3) on the quick, although we were very tempted by the $2 shot specials.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Back-to-school boozing at UCF Lazy Moon Pizza (11551 University Blvd.) “This casual, friendly pizza joint has a shiny new location along the University Boulevard strip, where they serve up a dozen or so craft beers on tap, plus more than 40 bottled beers. We sipped on Green Room Pablo Beach pale ales and Kronenbourg Blancs, but if you show up with a group, definitely opt for a growler to share (64 fluid ounces).” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Back-to-school boozing at UCF Moat Sports Grille (4250 Alafaya Trail) “A short drive north of the UCF campus landed us at the Moat, a sports-fan haven stacked with flat screens, pool tables and a covered outdoor drinking area – where bar food meets loud choruses of “Chug, chug, chug!” After ordering a couple of SweetWater 420 extra pale ales from the draft menu of notable craft beers, we borrowed some darts from the bartender for a few games, and then darted ourselves away to another lively UCF watering hole.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Back-to-school boozing at UCF The Station Bar & Grill (12226 Corporate Blvd.) “While we weren’t stoked on the $5 cover charge at the Station, the energetic crowd at this urban-inspired oasis, plus the good-looking bartenders in cut-off shirts, pumped up the volume of the night. After all, the $1 margaritas on special were, impressively, house-made and decently strong for the low price. We got our money’s worth in cocktails and our fill of so-loud-you-can’t-hear-yourself-think DJ music before we popped out in search of a nightcap.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Alfresco sipping on Park Avenue Blu on the Avenue (326 S. Park Ave.) “Immediately, we gravitated toward a classic Moscow Mule (that copper cup is too cute!), but the waitress instead steered us in the direction of a specialty cocktail that wasn’t on the menu, which comprised Crop organic spice pumpkin vodka, ginger beer and fresh lemon. It was a simple choice: We couldn’t pass up the quintessential pumpkin flavor that escorts in the fall season each year.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Alfresco sipping on Park Avenue Cocina 214 (151 E. Welbourne Ave.) “We grabbed a seat on the covered patio, amply furnished with ceiling fans. It took a minute to choose among the extensive tequila and margarita options, mainly because we struggled over whether or not to try the ‘pop rocks’ margarita (the candy-rimmed drink, our server said, isn’t a very popular menu item), but we eventually settled on the 214 Rocks (with Sauza Silver) and the 214 Skinny (Tierras organic tequila, fresh lime, agave, orange juice).” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Alfresco sipping on Park Avenue Matilda’s on Park (358 N. Park Ave.) “While this newer Park Ave. resident stands on a sports bar credo, their cocktail menu surprisingly comprises a few fancy concoctions, including the French pear martini I ordered (Grey Goose La Poire, St. Germain, champagne) and my friend’s ‘Spa Treatment’ (Hendrick’s gin, St. Germain, muddled cucumber, mint, fresh lemon and lime, club soda).” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Alfresco sipping on Park Avenue NOPA Grill (155 E. Morse Blvd.) “We were delighted to fall into comfy (and adorable, I might add) armchairs just outside wine bar/restaurant NOPA Grill, which is named for its location: ‘Not on Park Avenue.’ The wine flight we shared involved four types of wine – including an oaky Sonoma chardonnay, a frizzante called Blood of Judas and a rosé from the vineyard of celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. With our energetic server and the smooth jazz soundtrack, NOPA proved a dynamic yet discreet haven from the hustle and bustle of Park Avenue.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Raising spirits at Sanford’s local haunts Buster’s Bistro (412 S. Sanford Ave.) “We took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer flight (four beers for $8): an Abbey-style quad, a Belgian amber, a Bavik pilsner and a Petrus Aged Red blended sour ale. Add in a cheese-and-prosciutto plate, plus a homemade Nutella crepe prepared by the bar’s owner in honor of the bar manager’s birthday, and you could say Buster’s furnishes a prime gathering place.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Raising spirits at Sanford’s local haunts Little Fish Huge Pond (401 S. Sanford Ave.) “The Pond served as our first stop on a Friday evening DIY pub crawl through downtown Sanford, and we soon learned that Moire Wisdom’s not only the owner of the funky watering hole, a neighborhood joint branded by its eclectic decor and laid-back sofa vibe, she’s been an uplifting voice within a recovering Sanford – not to mention she’ll talk your ear off with historical facts about the town, and serves up an ample selection of beer and wine in between comical limericks about Rick Scott and George Zimmerman.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Raising spirits at Sanford’s local haunts Sapphire Cocktail Lounge (301 E. First St.) “We landed at the main downtown Sanford strip along First Street and stepped inside Sapphire for a $5 margarita, which was that night’s special. I’m not sure if it was the neon blue ultra-lounge lighting or the face-melting Judas Priest soundtrack, or perhaps the overload of sour mix in my cocktail, but we weren’t feeling the vibe at Sapphire.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Raising spirits at Sanford’s local haunts The Breezeway (112 E. First St.) “The seafood restaurant with both indoor and outdoor bar areas hosts a lively weekend drinking crowd – although, admittedly, the place might deserve less praise for its food and more props for its easygoing atmosphere, comprising cool breezes, twinkly overhead lights and a live acoustic guitarist.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Stir up a holiday buzz at the Mall at Millenia Blue Martini (4200 Conroy Road, Suite H-246) “The upscale lounge, which also encompasses an indoor space with an ultra-lounge vibe, entertains high-end shoppers toting purchases from Burberry, Dior or Michael Kors. And while a pretentious air swarms the place – note the ‘Fashionable Attire Required’ sign near the entry – my Bellini hit the just-sweet-enough mark, while my husband described his Masterpiece Blue as ‘a beast of a martini.'” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Stir up a holiday buzz at the Mall at Millenia Capital Grille (4200 Conroy Road, Suite 146A) “Mario, the most knowledgeable and affable bartender of the day, greeted us a short time later as we swiped through the iPad cocktail menu at the Capital Grille. He then concocted our chosen drinks by hand right in front of us – fresh muddled basil and lime for a Gin Rickey and a steady stream of Maker’s Mark for a classic Manhattan. The latter was a fitting choice, in keeping with the swanky New York City feel of the bar’s dark wood.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Stir up a holiday buzz at the Mall at Millenia Crave (4158 Conroy Road) “Admittedly, we weren’t stoked on visiting another chain – the blown-glass fixtures in Crave’s bathroom stand out more in my mind than the ambience of the bar or the selection of craft beers (eight on tap), if that says anything. But I will note that my strawberry-jalapeño margarita proved rousing – it was definitely one of the tastier cocktails of the day.” Credit: Aimee Vitek
Stir up a holiday buzz at the Mall at Millenia Pasha Taverna & Lounge (4104 Millenia Blvd., No. 106) “We were ready for something a bit more down-to-earth – perhaps with a local twist. That was certainly the intention when we left the immediate mall area to stop in nearby Pasha, and the prospect of a cocktail from their diverse menu looked promising. But after waiting nearly 15 minutes with no bartender in sight, we made a move across the street.” Credit: Aimee Vitek