From speakeasies to taprooms, here are the best bars in Chandler

Each year, we travel all around the Valley to find the top 100 bars in Phoenix. This year's list was freshly updated on Aug. 1. But sometimes you don't want to carpool or rideshare across town to grab a drink. If you call Chandler home and are looking for a great bar near you, here are five outstanding spots to enjoy a cocktail, pint of beer or glass of wine.

The Brickyard Downtown

85 W. Boston St., Chandler

When visiting downtown Chandler, a stop at The Brickyard is a must. This cocktail bar and restaurant is located inside the former home of the Chandler Arizonan, a newspaper that dates back to 1912. But you’ll find more than just history here. Start with the cocktail menu, which is located inside the plastic DVD case dropped off at your table. The video game-themed booklet outlines your drink options by such creative categories as Arcade, Disc, Multiplayer and Next Gen. From the Console section, we love Save the Princess, a bright refresher with Ketel One peach and orange blossom vodka, Leblon cachaca, crème de pêche, orgeat, lemon and yuzu. While the cocktail menu shines, don’t forget about the food. The lamb chimichangas and pork belly skewers are winners.

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Buqui Bichi Brewing brings a taste of Mexico to its Chandler taproom.

Sara Crocker

Buqui Bichi Brewing

325 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler

The Sonora-born, award-winning craft brewery chain has brought not one but two taprooms to the Valley. In downtown Phoenix and Chandler, you’ll find Buqui Bichi’s Mexican-made brews, a full bar and a large menu of tacos, pizza, burgers and more. The spaces have an upbeat, energized vibe thanks to live DJs and warm glowing lights that feature the labels of their beers. The brewer’s year-round taps include Banquetera, a crisp, crushable Kolsch-style ale. In the summer months, you also can find a seasonal prickly pear-infused version that adds a hint of sweetness and a bright pink hue. Another Buqui Bichi standard that’s not to be missed is Talega, a warm, roasty coffee stout. The brewpub’s al pastor sopes are a standout among its food options — the perfect snack when enjoying a pint.

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Maple House has something for everyone including beer, wine and low and no-alcohol cocktails.

Maple House

Maple House

198 W. Boston St., Chandler

When the team from downtown Chandler cocktail bar The Brickyard (plus nearby eateries The Hidden House and Elliott’s Steakhouse) set out to open Maple House in 2022, the goal wasn’t to open just another bar. Instead, Maple House is a spot primed for an aperitif or a nightcap, thanks to a selection of low- and no-ABV cocktails, craft beer, wine and coffee. High-proof spirits are replaced with options such as sherry, vermouth or a nonalcoholic version. These options range from familiar – like a low-ABV negroni or a spritz that trades traditional Aperol with the more herbal, bitter orange-flavored Cappelletti – to more out-of-the-box takes. Try the Before You Go-Go for a spicy, vermouth-based riff on a margarita. Maple House is located inside a house, so there are plenty of nooks inside and out to sink into and unwind.

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Pick a drink off the menu, or let the bartender create something just for you at The Ostrich in Chandler.

Tirion Boan

The Ostrich

10 N. San Marcos Place, #B1, Chandler

The Ostrich is located behind a wooden door at the bottom of a stairwell around the corner from Crust Chandler. The name of this basement bar could suggest an ostrich burying its head in the ground, but actually, this was the room where ostrich feathers were stored by city founder Dr. A.J. Chandler himself. A little more history about this bar: It’s housed in the historic tunnels that connected the golf course clubhouse of the Crowne Plaza San Marcos to the nearby railroad station. Today, the antique mugshots, decorative barrels, vintage books and life-size ostrich sculpture all pay tribute to this early Chandler era. The dark drinking lounge, opened in 2015, serves classic and complicated craft cocktails. We recommend the Vieux Carre, a New Orleans classic made with whiskey, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine and bitters.

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Sip on locally made tipples at Spirit House.

Lauren Cusimano

Spirit House

8 S. San Marcos Pl., Suite 106, Chandler

When you walk into Spirit House, remember that it was once neighboring SanTan Brewing Co,’s junk drawer. Not a drawer, exactly — more like a side room where SanTan folks stored random items such as old kegs, glassware and kitchen stuff. They’ve since converted it into a 49-seat cocktail lounge that’s proven popular among the crowds of downtown Chandler. As a 7-foot fan whirs above, bartenders create masterful cocktails using botanical spirits, adding aromatic textures to signature but simple drinks, such as the AZ Sunrise, made with orange vanilla vodka and orange pomegranate simple syrup, or the Cucumber Mule with limeleaf vodka, cucumber, mint and ginger beer.