12 great downtown Sarasota bars

While everyone is raving about the new Westin roof bar and its dazzling view, let’s not forget about all the other great downtown Sarasota drinking destinations. Here are a dozen of my favorites, which I highly recommend for everyone, especially drinking-age college students.

Cask & Ale: Open daily, Cask & Ale has sophisticated yet welcoming surroundings and a first-rate whiskey list, which makes specialty cocktails such as the Pecan Old Fashioned so special. Bonus points (big time) for the late-night menu. 1548 Main St. Sarasota; 941-702-8740; caskalekitchen.com

Clasico: Craft cocktails and daily happy hour deals are alluring, sure, at this restaurant and bar but there’s also the nightclub aspect of Clasico, which hosts fun events like the monthly Latin nights. 1341 Main St., 957-0700; barclasico.com

Gator Club: Downtown building with more than a century of history has live bands and dancing downstairs while the second floor — a former bordello, I was told — has a bar and lounge area wonderful for sipping craft cocktails and single malts. 1490 Main St., 941-366-5969; thegatorclub.com

Mandeville Beer Garden: Sarasota’s finest gastropub, Mandeville offers a long tap line of craft beers and high-end pub grub such as homemade sausages and hand-cut fries. 428 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota; 941-954-8688; mandevillebeergarden.com

Office Bar SRQ: A smartly-designed, smoke-free spot to watch sports, play darts and enjoy craft cocktails, or just a cold beer, all reasonably priced. Sister bar/grill/bowling alley Evie's Tavern, 1560 Main St., is terrific, too. 1989 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota; 941-955-3843; eviesonline.com

Old School Bar & Grill: A nice spot for a beer and a shot, especially during the daily happy hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Old School also offers late-night fun with bands, DJs, karaoke and trivia. Hungry? Choose from the solid selection of bar food. 1991 Main St.; 941-363-7744; oldschoolbars.com

O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill: Occupying a beautiful stretch of shoreline along Sarasota Bay, O’Leary’s serves beer and boat drinks (as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner) at solid prices, especially when you consider the waterfront location. 5 Bayfront Drive, Sarasota; 941-953-7505; olearystikibar.com

Pangea Alchemy Lab: Sarasota’s top craft cocktail lounge is where owner/mixologist Brad Coburn and his superb staff work their magic in a speakeasy setting that also serves the best food of any bar in town thanks to adjacent sister business Melange. 1564 Main St., Sarasota; 941-870-5555 pangealounge.com

Selva Grill: Downtown’s longtime destination for Peruvian cuisine, Selva also has a long, handsome bar with a daily 5 to 7 p.m. happy hour featuring premium signature drinks at $7, discounted draft beer, wine by the glass and sangrias. 1345 Main St., 941-362-4427; selvagrill.com

Shamrock Pub: Hole-in-the-wall is perfect for pairing first-rate beer with soccer on the big screen. Yes, Shamrock’s owner and regulars love soccer almost as much as they do craft brews. 2257 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota; 941-952-1730; shamrocksarasota.com

State Street Eating House + Cocktails: Luxurious lounge next to the restaurant is ideal spot to sip high-end hooch while noshing on upscale American comfort food, or buy some bottles to go (State Street doubles as downtown’s best package store). 1533 State St.; 941-951-1533; statestreetsrq.com

Tavern on Main: Featuring a downtown’s most extensive tap line with 80 interchanging local, national and international craft brews, Tavern on Main also has a full kitchen serving excellent, New York-style pizza and more. 1507 Main St., Sarasota; 941-953-6777; sarasotacraftbeer.com

Have a suggestion for a great place to eat, drink, play or stay in Southwest Florida? How about a pop culture topic? Email me at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.