Best Cocktail Bars in Kelowna

The best cocktail bars in Kelowna are Micro Bar & Bites, Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium and Born to Shake, all downtown or in the north end Brewery District. This guide covers ten bars with a serious bar program, from a speakeasy in a cocktail supply shop to rooftop patios and a winery speakeasy in West Kelowna, with the catch for each.

Lakeside patios are crowded with tourists in summer, and winters are quiet until the ski crowd comes down from the hill. Some bars charge premium prices for cheap juice and bottom-shelf vodka. Every bar below uses good ice and proper glassware, and the bartenders measure their pours.

Micro Bar & Bites

Micro Bar & Bites is a tiny downtown cocktail bar at 1500 Water St known for barrel-aged cocktails, serious mocktails, and duck fat popcorn.

1500 Water St | $$$
Micro is the alternative to the big chain patios downtown, where watered-down mojitos are the norm. The bartenders know their craft and handle off-menu requests well. The barrel-aged cocktails are strong, and the mocktail list gets the same attention, which is uncommon in Kelowna. Order the duck fat popcorn. The room is dim, with decent music.
The catch: It's a very small room. A group of eight won't get in on a Friday night in July. Go with one or two people.

Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium

Skinny Duke's Glorious Emporium is a 1970s-basement-themed cocktail bar at 1481 Water St, from the crew behind BNA, known for rum and mezcal drinks.

1481 Water St | $$-$$$
The BNA team took over the old Sturgeon Hall space and built a 1970s basement room: wood panelling, velvet couches and vintage TVs playing retro loops. It's the most distinctive bar room in town. The drinks lean into nostalgia, with unusual glassware, complex ingredients and plenty of rum and mezcal.
The catch: It's dark and very loud, and usually packed on weekends. It's not the place for a long conversation.

Born to Shake

Born to Shake is a cocktail supply shop and speakeasy-style bar at 110-889 Vaughan Ave in the Brewery District, known for its espresso martinis.

110-889 Vaughan Ave | $$
The Brewery District in the north end isn't only about beer. Here a cocktail supply shop turns into a speakeasy-style bar, with seating among shelves of bitters, syrups and glass bar tools. The espresso martinis are the best in the city, and the shop runs classes for making drinks at home. For an earlier caffeine stop, see the coffee shop guide.
The catch: Hours are limited. The bar is closed Monday and Tuesday and closes at 10 or 11 PM, so plan it as a pre-dinner or early evening stop.

Unicorn Lounge

Unicorn Lounge is a 2SLGBTQ+ cocktail bar at 315 Lawrence Ave, formerly Friends of Dorothy, known for creative cocktails and weekend drag shows.

Bernie's Supper Club & Cinema

Bernie's Supper Club & Cinema is a bar, tapas restaurant, and boutique movie theatre at 353 Bernard Ave with one of the best rooftop patios in the city.

353 Bernard Ave | $$-$$$
Bernie's is best known for its summer rooftop, a better choice than the Cactus Club patio and good for people-watching over Bernard. The main floor has a horseshoe bar, and upstairs is a boutique movie theatre where cocktails are allowed in the screening. The drinks lean slightly Spanish to match the tapas menu.
The catch: Rooftop service slows during the summer tourist rush. Order the next drink before the first one is finished.

Humo Izakaya

Humo Izakaya is an Asian-Latin fusion restaurant and cocktail bar at 210 Lawrence Ave, facing City Park.

210 Lawrence Ave | $$$$
Humo opened recently and set a higher standard for food and drink near the lake. The cocktails use ingredients like chili miso, plum wine and toasted sesame, and the bartenders measure everything precisely. Pair a custom cocktail with the charcoal-grilled yakitori. The room has big windows and plenty of plants, looking out on City Park.
The catch: It's very expensive. It suits a special occasion, such as a visit from parents who are paying.

Crown & Thieves

Crown & Thieves is a prohibition-themed winery at 3887C Brown Rd in West Kelowna with a basement speakeasy called the Broken Hearts Club.

3887C Brown Rd, West Kelowna | $$$
Crown & Thieves is worth the trip across the bridge. The theme is the 1920s, the drinks are strong and theatrical, and the room is an unexpected find in the middle of suburbia. Some nights have live music downstairs, and it gets loud.
The catch: An Uber from West Kelowna back to the Mission or Glenmore at 11 PM is expensive. Plan a designated driver.

Erica Jane

Erica Jane is an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar at 1187 Sunset Dr, at the base of the One Water Street towers, known for classic martinis and old fashioneds.

1187 Sunset Dr | $$$$
Erica Jane is the place for a precisely made classic martini or an old fashioned over a large clear ice cube. The cocktail program gets as much attention as the kitchen, and the steak and seafood are strong. It feels like a big-city hotel bar near the water. Check the restaurant's website for current happy hour times.
The catch: It can feel sterile. It caters to the luxury condo crowd and lacks the character of bars in older buildings.

Frankie We Salute You!

Frankie We Salute You! is a plant-based restaurant at 1717 Harvey Ave in the Landmark District known for botanical cocktails made with local Okanagan herbs.

1717 Harvey Ave | $$
Frankie does botanical cocktails better than anyone else in town, using local Okanagan herbs, shrubs and local spirits, and the menu changes with what's growing locally. The bar program has broad appeal beyond vegans. The room is big and bright, a good choice for a Sunday afternoon drink, and parking is easier than downtown.
The catch: The Landmark District is a ghost town on weekends, and parking is tough during weekday business hours. Go for dinner, not lunch.

BNA Brewing Co.

BNA Brewing Co. & Eatery is a brewery in an old tobacco warehouse at 1250 Ellis St with a quietly excellent cocktail list.