How, and I mean, how in the absolute world, is it almost 2026 out here? It’s been a whirlwind of a year on the Detroit drinks scene, from star-studded openings to quiet moments at old faithful bars. Back in October, I had the chance to bask in the autumn sunshine with an old friend on the rooftop at Kamper’s in the Book Tower. While sipping gin and tonics, we marveled at how much the drinks landscape — both figuratively and literally, since this particular rooftop bar is only a couple of years old — has changed in just a decade or so.
We agreed that 2025 was a pivotal year in Detroit’s dining and drinking scene. Influential bars like Chartreuse, Jolly Pumpkin, Batch Brewing Co., and Mabel Gray — all of which turned 10 this year — still lead with confidence and continued ingenuity. Newcomers are stepping up to the scene, too, with lauded wine and cocktail bars popping up throughout southeast Michigan. The national press is starting to recognize Detroit’s unique take on cocktail culture. Midtown’s Castalia Cocktails received a Pinnacle Award, which is the cocktail-bar equivalent of the Michelin Guide (before, in late October, the bar announced it would “go out on top” and close permanently New Year’s Eve). Saint John’s Resort’s Wine Grotto and Five Steakhouse, as well as Shinola’s San Morello, earned Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards for their wine programs.
To help me take a look back, I needed some perspective. So I called up Paulina Schemanski, general manager and beverage director of Mabel Gray, Hour Detroit’s 2025 Restaurant of the Year, to compare notes and share thoughts on greatest hits, best drinks, and biggest dreams for next year.
Drinks of the Year
There’s no doubt that the 2025’s Drink of the Year was the espresso martini. With endless twists and local riffs, the drink was everywhere you turned, from the simplest to the fanciest bars in town. This points to a trend toward nostalgia for the ’90s and earlier, before the craft cocktail renaissance brought in 15-ingredient cocktails. “I think guests want a beverage that is not overly complicated,” Schemanski says. “It’s becoming more desirable to be a regular somewhere.” Instead of barhopping to all the new spots, she says, “I find myself sitting at the Oak Parker often. I love their margaritas. It’s actually really satisfying to know the name of your bartender and to get to know them really well.”
Speaking of margaritas, if there’s a runner-up for the drink of 2025, my money is on that. From Windsor Eats’s margarita tasting menu to the dozens of Southwest Detroit classic margaritas to Flowers of Vietnam’s upscale twist, the plain old margarita got a glow-up last spring and summer.
Return to the Simple Things and Simpler Times
The resurgence of classic, no-frills drinks signals a shift in consumer behavior, as economic and political uncertainty drive folks to revisit old haunts and seek out nostalgic spaces. Don’t get me wrong: There were plenty of chances for drinkers to enjoy caviar martinis at places like Sexy Steak or The Aladdin Sane, but for every “big night out” bar experience I heard about, it seems there were four or five “local hangout” or “beer and chill” plans for laid-back neighborhood spots.
For me, neighborhood spots like Florian East and HenriettaHaus in Hamtramck, or Dirty Shake and The Lexington in Midtown Detroit, were all about smaller menus but more comfort. For Schemanski, “Bar Chenin comes to mind. They’re a natural, boutiquey wine bar, but then they have a couple of classic cocktails” and nonalcoholic options that lend themselves to casual imbibing.
That includes barware, too. Schemanski and I both noticed a shift to sturdier, more elemental glassware in bars. “I think [it’s] a perfect example of everyone’s approach to wine these days,” Schemanski says. “Leaning into the more utilitarian wine glasses that are thicker and less breakable — less precious — more meant to be communal. You’re not afraid to hold it in your hand, not afraid to clink glasses with someone you just met sitting at the wine bar.”
Old Bars, New Life — Plus New Bars, Old Feels
For both of us, the June purchase of the legendary Dakota Inn Rathskeller by Detroiter Paddy Lynch was further proof that Detroit’s old gathering spaces still have plenty of life left in them. Among other changes Lynch has made, the backyard biergarten was in use again this summer, as was the original basement (rathskeller) portion. “The Dakota Inn,” Schemanski says, “is going to inject some new life into this stretch of John R. It has such a storied past, and they’re doing such a great job honoring that and keeping it alive.”
The same goes for the team behind the revamp of a former church garage on the east side: Father Forgive Me — an intimate wine and cocktail bar on the grounds of The Shepherd at Little Village — is a stunning and creative reuse of the space. Cannons, also on Detroit’s east side in the former Lost River tiki space, promises a return to 1800s-style drinking with proper Guinness pours and a hearty menu. And despite it being a brand-new buildout, downtown’s Bastille Bar looks like it’s straight out of Grandpa’s basement bar from the ’70s.
Casual Spaces, Wine-Forward Bars
All of this is emblematic of our post-pandemic desire to share spaces that have meaning with friends, to put our dollars into the pockets of people we know and trust, to belong in a community of peers. Says Schemanski: “2025 in our area was a big year for bars pushing a wine-forward agenda, just to be enjoyed on its own and more casually and joyfully.”
2026
As for next year? If 2025 is any indication, 2026 will bring plenty of economic challenges for bar owners, from decreased alcohol consumption to tariff uncertainties. But it will also bring a renewed sense of community and a dedication to cherishing simple shared moments and returning to old-fashioned hospitality.
This story originally appeared in the December 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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