BEST NIGHTCAP
No one would fault you for conjuring the stereotype when you think of Fort Myers nightlife: neon-soaked dive bars, bass-thumping dance clubs and beachside beer buckets. But in the past year, something more refined has emerged alongside the familiar party scene. A wave of craft cocktail establishments—at least three of which opened this past season—is reshaping Downtown Fort Myers into what might become Southwest Florida’s top address for the well-heeled and well-served.
I’ve covered downtown’s nightlife since moving to the neighborhood in the late 1990s. Back then, the area was largely abandoned after dark, save for rare exceptions like The Veranda, where after nearly 50 years, lawyers and judges still settle cases over precisely balanced martinis in the lounge, nicknamed ‘Courtroom V.’ Over the decades, European investment, the arrival of Florida Repertory Theatre and a $40 million streetscape project revitalized the neighborhood. Still, the moonlit milieu remained primarily focused on volume over craft.
Now, as Lee County absorbs a tide of metropolitan émigrés fleeing congested urban cores, downtown is answering the plea for nuanced libations and atmospheric indulgence. “[In a city like Asheville], even the bar at the Holiday Inn does amazing cocktails,” says Nils Richter, co-owner of Sip & Sizzle, which opened in January in a 1914 Beaux Arts-inspired landmark. “Fort Myers needs more of that—and that’s what we’re aiming to do.”
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene escondido lounge bartender in action
New and established cocktail lounges are redefining Downtown Fort Myers with a reverence for history and serious craft behind the bar. At the pink piano-adorned Escondido Lounge, nods to local legends include drinks like the Ty Cobb and Thomas Edison.
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene escondido lounge piano
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene escondido lounge seating area
The downtown setting—with century-old architectural gems clustered within a four-block radius—gives the area an undeniable edge. The patina of time, with walls steeped in decades of conviviality, offers a layered ambience modern venues can only imitate. History isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a guiding force.
Preservation is as essential as the alchemy behind the bar. Original brick and ghost stories shape the appeal as much as the artisanal bitters and house-infused syrups, creating a scene that feels both worldly and deeply rooted in place. “I didn’t come up with the theme—the space itself dictated the theme,” says Raimond Aulen of The 86 Room, which led the way for speakeasy-style joints when it debuted inside the century-old Greystone Hotel in 2014. A member of the Fort Myers Historic Preservation Advisory Committee, Raimond created a portal through time. Past the bar’s Patio de Leon threshold, silent films flicker on exposed brick walls as bartenders in suspenders stir up classics behind a bar of salvaged cypress from the nearby old McCrory’s building. Moonshine is a mainstay on the menu, and much of the vintage glassware comes from Raimond’s antique store down the road. Order a Sazerac, and it arrives in an absinthe-rinsed glass, set aflame on the copper countertop, where the ‘green fairy’ can mesmerize onlookers.
Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene the 86 room bar
Housed in the century-old Greystone Hotel, The 86 Room opened in 2014. The bar’s emphasis on historic preservation and speakeasy-style cocktails paved the way for the district’s newest bars.
Historical reverence also drives Sip & Sizzle’s Nils, part of a cadre of Germans who arrived in the 1990s and began rehabilitating neglected architectural gems. His new restaurant strikes a balance between a chophouse (guests sear Wagyu and halibut on tableside volcanic stone slabs) and a 14-seat cocktail bar. The team preserved history by restoring the original brick and floor tile and layering in pressed tin ceilings. But they didn’t resist a touch of modern spectacle: a vertical conveyor of top-shelf spirits now draws the eye from the sidewalk.
Newcomers push the Roaring Twenties influence even further. Escondido Lounge emerged in November as downtown’s only true speakeasy, concealed behind a freezer door inside Taco Works. Head bartender Andrew Mazzarella draws from more than 20 tequilas and mezcals to craft libations that balance smoke, spice and tropical brightness. His standout Ty Cobb combines Union mezcal, housemade passion fruit purée, fresh lime and spicy bitters—a nod to the legend who helped bring spring training to Fort Myers. The Thomas Edison keeps with the reverent theme and showcases the team’s inventiveness, with its cream cheese foam atop a rum-guava-lime concoction. To fuel the late-night revelry at this two-story hideaway (the bar’s open until 2 a.m.), there’s a tight menu of paninis and pizzas. The format has proved so successful that there’s a second location planned for Cape Coral.
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene the 86 room cocktail selection
At these spots, every detail—from the bar’s finish to the housemade tinctures—is carefully considered. The 86 Rooms’ vintage glassware, from the owner’s antique store, reinforces the 1920s atmosphere.
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Photography by Anna Nguyen
fort myers cocktail scene the 86 room bartender in action
While not secreted, Hogwash captures the speakeasy spirit through its sleek Art Deco interior, which was completely overhauled and hand-finished to replicate historic elements. Owner Kevin Offerman named the bar for his grandfather, a Korean War fighter pilot. “They weren’t supposed to curse [on the cockpit radio], so he said ‘hogwash’ instead,” bar manager Austin Zajack explains. A small screen plays vintage footage of the patriarch flying, creating a connection to the past that feels personal rather than performative.
Back in Patio de Leon, a charming brick courtyard anchoring the historic district, an outpost of Cape Coral’s 10 Twenty Five has been advancing Fort Myers’ drinking standards with its serious bar program since 2018. Spanning two floors of a Mission Revival gem, the rock-and-roll-tinged pub—with big screens, family-friendly atmosphere and sultry upstairs lounge—defies easy categorization. “We’re one of the only places downtown where you can enjoy an expertly prepared cocktail and a big cheeseburger at the bar,” says owner Chad Zollinger, who grew up exploring the surrounding streets. Head bartender Emilee Werline leads a collaborative program where staff votes on drink recipes and names, yielding playful concoctions like the Health Is Wealth, a vodka and apricot liqueur sipper. Fortified with chamomile, turmeric and bitters, it’s presented with baby’s breath clipped to the rim with a tiny clothespin. “A cocktail without a garnish is a sin,” Emilee insists.
While Fort Myers may not yet rival cocktail capitals, the scene’s rapid evolution signals a broader shift in how trends spread in our coastal enclave. What once took a decade to reach Southwest Florida now arrives at metropolitan speed. “Downtown is catching up as it transitions from dive-type bars to more elegance, professionalism and nostalgia,” Hogwash’s bartender says. With these heritage-honoring, dynamic publicans at the helm, the spirited movement continues evolving into something aspirational and authentic. Downtown Fort Myers isn’t trying to be Miami or emulate Asheville; the neighborhood is crafting its own identity, one pour at a time.
Courtesy Hogwash
fort myers cocktail scene hogwash private room
Downtown Fort Myers’ reputation for neon-lit dive bars valuing volume over craft is fading fast, as haute new concepts like the sultry, Art Deco-inspired Hogwash make waves in the local cocktail scene.