Independent Distillery

Great handmade mixed drinks. The bartenders are very knowledgeable. I showed up on a Friday night and the place was packed. Although it was busy, I was able to get a drink from the bar in less than 5 minutes. That says a lot. I will be coming back to try the food next time!

Went back again service was great. Bartenders were very nice and fast. Got a Moscow mule and they made it good. I know it’s hard to mess that up but it has happened. I like this place again. The place is cool and usually busy. It’s not pricey and not overtly hipstery. I have a level of hip I can take so this place meets my expectations

Such a cute fun spot in downtown tucson! The atmosphere is exactly what i want in a bar. Had a smash that was decent, but too sweet for my taste, but huge! Then ordered the Drunk in Love a watermelon, basil cocktail that was AMAZING! Our bartender was great and personable!

Great cocktails really cool staff and the bar is awesome soo unique and different than anything else in tucson definitely a hidden gem.

By far my favorite bar in Tucson! The atmosphere and the way the bar is setup makes it comfortable! Good service! The drinks are different an amazing! Only one thing. they did raise their prices :/​but still won’t stop me to going back :) love this bar!

A true bar with legit bartenders, actually Mixologists.
All the fruits are mulled, ingredients from scratch. Drink menu is so creative. When we visit we always end up staying for hours. Love the off beaten location too.

Found this place waiting for my brother to get off work and man what a find!
Atmosphere — Awesome wood carving features and art throughout the old red brick converted building. The bar has a special hipster, Wild Wild West feel to it and I dogged it (and Im not a hipster). The bar flows wonderfully throughout the establishment and overflows into the Johnny Gibson’s courtyard. I thought it was a cute spot, very different than what is offered in the surrounding area.
Service — The service was good, not great. I know that there was only one bartender working during Friday night happy hour so delays were expected, but he seemed a little rushed. All in all he did a good job trying to appease everyone in the place.
Old Fashioned — The marker for any bar to show they understand what should go into a quality drink. The use Rittenhouse rye, angostura bitters, orange peel, sugar cube, soda water and maraschino cherries. The drink was very good. One of the better ones that I have had. And at $ 9 you really cannot beat it. Being from a larger city, Atlanta, I would have expected to pay $ 3-​$ 5 more for my drink. I loved the sphere cube and the generous orange peel slice in my drink. ($ 9)
Misc — They do offer food and if I did not already have plans for dinner, I would have ordered the BBQ Meatballs. I am actually so intrigued by them I will probably stop by there again before I leave. Fun spot and definitely would be making this a regular place for drinks on a Friday night after work.

While the setting is top-​notch (they share a very cool and modern courtyard with Highwire and Johnny Gibson’s) I’m not yet sold on Independent. The interior is typical modern meets industrial (that whole look is getting a bit trite by now) and has a pretty cool atmosphere. However, I have yet to see a local spirit or product in my many trips, and the mixology isn’t inventive or unique in my book. For the relative price I’d rather venture over to Scott and Co for something that truly surprises me. That being said the staff is kind, drinks are strong and the patio is large and inviting, so it still garners 3.5 stars in my book. Side note; the crowd is substantially older than one would expect on the couple of weekend nights I’ve been, guess the young-​uns are all queueing up at Congress on Sats. Also, last time I was here they had Gymnastics on the TV at 11 pm, found this comical and bewildering, yet kinda into it.

Really fresh ingredients! Nice collection of brews. Ben is very knowledgable bar keep too!

A quaint distillery with a hipster vibe. Located in a courtyard where Highwire Lounge is. Sometimes they host events on the weekends, like 80s night. Bartenders look cute and dapper with their suspenders. There is ample room to hang and chill with your friends or you can opt to sit at one of the picnic tables right outside. This is definitely a fun place to hang out with friends or a date on the weekends. It’s a bit dead on the weekdays, just like anywhere else. Overall, very great vibes! The bartenders definitely put a lot of time and effort in making your beverages right. Drinks are cheap! You can get a vodka soda and mojito for just $ 12, which is less than Vegas night club prices for one drink. Awesome!

Does a dark, creepy alley sound appealing to you? Well it should. You walk down a creepy alley to find this hidden gem. The bartender was knowledgeable and the environment was very lowkey. The drinks are great here… I order the Primms Cup. Delicious. I love the décor and the mysterious nature of the location. Dogs appear to be welcome (I babysat someone’s pug while they grabbed a drink… Lol). I also received a valentine from an unknown individual. Charming but creepy. Lol. I’ll be back.

Independent distillery is an understated Tucson hot spot. Pre prohibition bar with a way cool atmosphere. Niel the barker is very knoledgable and friendly. Coming Back next time I’m downtown. Good job tucson!

Tucked away in downtown Tucson off of Congress st. This great place is warm and cozy with an atmosphere from a way back era. The wood interior, green plants, interesting relics and easy going vibe all makes for a relaxing but fun experience! I highly recommend this place. I had a smash made with cucumber vodka instead of gin (I’m not a gin fan) fresh mint a hint of basil and lime… it was divine!

Hands down my new favorite bar in Tucson. Off the alley, low key, fabulous ambiance (the bar is made out of wood from Mt. Lemmon I believe) and an amazing selection of delicious beers (some very local) and an extensive cocktail menu. Definitely worth checking out!

This hidden gem is in the alley off of Congress between The Hub and Supercuts, and backs right up to Johnny Gibsons Market. Not only is it a shortcut to get your groceries it’s a supercool patio with large fire pits and sofas to hang out on with friends. I love the atmosphere here. The bartender Neil is very accommodating and friendly. He offered up many cocktails like an Old Fashioned I’ve never seen done so appetizing. This is a great place to go with your girl or a group and I’ll definitely come back.

My husband and I came to this establishment yesterday. I heard about this place from work and my coworker spoke highly of this place .
Staff and drinks — we had John as our mixologist/​bartender. He was very friendly and knowledgable about the spirits and cocktails that were on the list. He made my husband an old fashion, it was the real deal. The drink was strong but the flavors were Balanced. I don’t know what my first drink was cause I let John make me a craft drink of his choice. It was delicious. My second round was off the menu, it’s called blood and sand. I had it originally in Georgia but this version John made was 10x better.
My husband and I plan to come back soon. We think we found our new date night bar.

Unimpressed. My expectations were high going in, since I liked the location and the notion of trying local spirits. But it was news that they do not have their product ready yet. So it was an immediate bummer. And it was further reiterated to me (three times) by the bartender that it takes time to age whiskey – yes, I am aware of the process– even after I asked if they had any un-​aged (white) whiskey to try (a la High West distillery)… I was also informed that once their product is available, it will serve as their well drinks.
After all that, it’s just a run-​of-​the-​mill bar to me– better than a chain, but worse than several other options in the area, in terms of beer and cocktails. Even after their product is showcased, I feel it will be overshadowed by the precedence it’s setting… The low grade since I was expecting (and hoping for) something unique… I was hoping it would provide a more «distillery» experience.

The new hot spot downtown! The Johnny Gibson Courtyards is now complete with this bar. The Independent Distrillery has a masculine and classic atmosphere in a way approachable to all demographics. The cocktails are crafted with extreme expertise and the represent only Arizona wines.
I have never been anything less than amazed by the service and knowledge of the staff here.
I highly recommend spending an evening at the Johnny Gibson’s Courtyard and especially a drink or two (or three) at this incredible new craft cocktail bar.

I’m sad to say that I’m not a big fan. I came here tonight and the service was extremely slow even with an average flow of people for a Friday night. A couple of friends and I didn’t enjoy our drinks very much and the owner instead convinced our server to share a drink between us as a replacement drink. At this point in the night, we were ready to leave and go home and then had to wait for our check to be split and also for the extra drink that we did not want.
I really like the setup of this place and I think it has potential but I am highly unimpressed with the service and attitude towards their customers. I hope that changes and I may come back but u as of now, it won’t be a place I frequent downtown.

Even though they’re not serving their own products yet, I’m a fan! The shared courtyard with Johnny Gibson’s and Highwire is awesome. The actual bar space is cozier than I anticipated– exposed brick, wood panels and hanging plants make for a warm atmosphere. The current menu is playful, I’m definitely a fan of the deconstructed Paloma. I love that they serve it with Jarritos soda! The presentation is adorable. Can’t wait for the distillery to serve up their own spirits!