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The three Grey Goose Essences flavors on a white patio table outdoors with a palm frond and cactus in the background. Courtesy of Grey Goose

15 Spots to Drink Outside in the Detroit Area This Summer

Beat the heat with these refreshing cocktails

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This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

Summer in Detroit is signaled by boats on the river, the packed beaches of Belle Isle, fresh produce at Eastern Market, and busy restaurant and bar patios filled with great food, drinks, and music. Here are some outdoor spots offering light and refreshing cocktails that will help you forget about the heat for a bit.

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Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie

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This contemporary wine bar’s patio is completely shaded by a large awning, umbrellas and living green wall, and its large couches allow you to kick back and relax all summer. Every month features new cocktails — with some available by the can — and you can build your own charcuterie and cheese boards with anything from jamón serrano to blueberry stilton with 14 different accompaniments, from fig and almond cake to cornichons or even dried mangoes. To drink, try a Cheeky Peach cocktail made with Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, Thatcher’s Organic Prickly Pear, lemon juice, and topped with Serena red wine.

Two cocktails on a bar, one deep red in a wine glass topped with orange and lime garnishes and a pale yellow cocktail in a whiskey glass with salt on the rim
Cocktails at Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie
Courtesy of Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie

Too • Ra • Loo

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This Rochester sports bar offers 80 beers on tap, thin-crust pizza, and large sliding doors that open to S Main Street. While you’re people watching and checking out the Italian-influenced menu (including Neapolitan pizzas) sip on a Grey Goose Essence Spritz, made with Grey Goose Essences, soda, and a large fruit garnish.

Three cocktails alternating with three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a wooden bar. The cocktails are topped with flowers, rosemary, and fruit garnishes
Cocktails at Too Ra Loo
Courtesy of Too Ra Loo

Detroit Fish House: Steak and Oyster Bar

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The spacious patio is enclosed by gorgeous florals, greenery, and weekend live music, providing the perfect backdrop for a hot summer day. Mule Kicks, a Grey Essence mule with your choice of Grey Goose Essence flavors pairs well with their large seafood, raw bar, and steak offerings like seafood beignets, oysters Rockefeller or your choice of steak cuts with toppings like crab bearnaise or cajun cream sauce.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles in front of a subway tile bar wall that says Detroit Fish House, next to an orange colored cocktail topped with an orange slice and a cherry
The bar at Detroit Fish House Steak and Oyster Bar
Courtesy of Detroit Fish House Steak and Oyster Bar

Sidecar Slider Bar

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Here, there are three concepts under one roof, so there’s something for everyone: the Sidecar Slider Bar, Shift Cocktail Lounge, and Slice Pizza Kitchen all take up space in this Birmingham spot that is known for its late-night (we mean 2 a.m.) offerings. Sidecar Slider Bar serves gourmet burgers, shareable plates, and pub-friendly fare alongside its long draft list and spirits menu that features drinks like the Grey Goose Spritz.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a spritz drink in a wine glass topped with an orange slice
The Grey Goose Spritz at Sidecar
Courtesy of Sidecar Slider Bar

Bistro Joe's

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Inside Papa Joe’s organic market you’ll find Bistro Joe’s, an American bistro with a view of the market or sunroom seating under their yellow awning. Try a Grey Goose Essences Spritz made with your choice of Grey Goose Essences (White Peach & Rosemary, Strawberry & Lemongrass or Watermelon & Basil) topped with soda and a citrus as you dine on dishes made with the market’s fresh ingredients, from raclette-stuffed crab cakes to wild mushroom flatbreads.

A patio with blue and green umbrellas in front of a road with trees surrounding
The patio at Bistro Joe’s
Courtesy of Bistro Joe’s

The Rock on 3rd

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This rockin’ pub has a jukebox set to classic rock, oldies, Motown, jazz, and blues, and the patio behind the building lined with lush hanging baskets transports you away from the busy downtown of Royal Oak. Order some burgers, sandwiches, wings or ribs with a Third Street Spritz in hand, made with a mix of your choice of Grey Goose Essences, soda, fruit juice and citrus — it’s the perfect accompaniment to catching some sun on the patio.

A patio with a wooden roof, blue umbrellas and hanging pink and white plants
The patio at The Rock on 3rd
Courtesy of The Rock on 3rd

O'Tooles Tavern

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This Irish-American sports bar is the perfect spot to beat the heat and root for your favorite sports team — their open doors fill downtown with energy the later it gets. The Royal Oak bar offers bar fare like loaded tater tots and baked pretzels, 40 draft beers, and a refreshing Grey Goose Spritz cocktail menu. They’re serving up everything from their Classic Spritz made with Grey Goose vodka to their Strawberry Lemongrass Spritz, Watermelon Basil Spritz, and White Peach Rosemary Spritz made with Grey Goose Essences.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a clear spritz drink topped with lemon peel
The Grey Goose Spritzes at O’Tooles Tavern
Courtesy of O’Tooles Tavern

Pronto!

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Open since 1991, this funky, bright-walled cafe is a cornerstone of the LBGTQ community. Pronto offers an ample menu of dishes to try, but the real attraction may be the events calendar, with live performances and after parties on the Pronto Patio. And after some dancing, one of their fun summer cocktails is sure to take the heat off. Try the Summer Splash made with Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, limoncello, triple sec, cranberry and lime or the Melon Cooler made with Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, watermelon pucker, sour and lemon lime soda.

A patio with cloth shade covers overhead and blue umbrellas and wrought iron chairs
The patio at Pronto!
Courtesy of Pronto!

Otus Supply

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This Ferndale music venue and eatery offers a large amount of shady seating a few blocks from the busy intersection of Woodward and Nine Mile. Shows are back on at Parliament Room at Otus Supply, with a full summer lineup of bluegrass, folk, and jam bands coming through. But when you’re not catching a set, head out to the patio for some fresh air and a refreshing cocktail. Their summer menu is filled with cocktails like the Tears of the Dragon, a sake-tini made with unfiltered sake, Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass and strawberry syrup, or the Rainmaker made with Watermelon & Basil Grey Goose Essences, Midori, watermelon syrup and lemonade. Otus Supply is also partnered with The Ferndale Patio Project, meaning you can grab a cocktail at Otus and walk around downtown with it.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a clear drink in a low whiskey glass
Cocktails at Otus Supply
Courtesy of Otus Supply

This neighborhood LGBTQ+ bar in Ferndale serves up refreshing drinks — like a Grey Goose Mule made with Grey Goose Essences— along with a weekly line-up of trivia, karaoke, and dance parties, and their food menu is filled with snacks you’ll love once it gets late, from grilled cheese to a fried chicken sandwich and hand cut garlic parmesan french fries.

A light pink cocktail in a tumbler glass topped with a strawberry slice on a wrought iron outdoor table
A cocktail at Soho
Courtesy of Soho

Brass Rail Pizza Bar

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This restaurant, located just blocks from Comerica Park, offers an airy hangout with a menu featuring clever pizza pies, burgers, and a full bar. Watch the game from one of their many televisions while sipping a Grey Goose Essence Spritz made with your choice of Strawberry & Lemongrass, Watermelon & Basil, or White Peach & Rosemary Grey Goose Essences with soda.

two signs that say brass rail pizza bar in red and white with a blue sky reflected in the windows
Outside Brass Rail Pizza Bar
Courtesy of Brass Rail Pizza Bar

Cornerstone Barrel House

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Known for their whiskey and bourbon offerings, this brick-walled cocktail bar also offers a variety of lighter options, like the vodka-based Grey Goose Essences Spritz. Sit outside in the downtown breeze and order anything from their chopped caprese salad to their salmon BLT.

Inside a bar with brick on the walls, low lights, tvs over the wooden bar and wooden chairs
Inside Cornerstone Barrel House
Courtesy of Cornerstone Barrel House

Checker Bar

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This downtown dive bar staple, which will transport you back to the 80s with collaged fashion ads plastered on the walls and vintage video games not only dishes out one of the best bar burgers around but also offers some of the most unique beverages to keep guests cool on their smaller patio. Weekend slushees and Grey Goose cocktails on draft like the Watermelon Sugar (Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice) or Peach Palmer (Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, lemonade, iced tea) are a great way to cool down between each juicy bite of the signature Checker Burger, served with potato chips.

Blue patio umbrellas outside Checker Bar
The patio at Checker Bar
Courtesy of Checker Bar

Moose's Martini Pub

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Dearborn’s casual corner pub’s patio is filled with large umbrellas offering a shaded escape from bustling Michigan Avenue. Moose’s offers hundreds of specialty martinis and mixed drinks alongside light bar snacks. Order the Peach-Teeny, a mix of Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, peach puree, and a splash of lemonade, or the Patio Strawberry Lemonade made with a mix of Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, strawberry puree, Grand Marnier and lemonade.

A light pink cocktail in a martini glass next to a bottle of the same pink cocktail on a table
The Patio Strawberry Lemonade at Moose’s Martini Pub
Courtesy of Moose’s Martini Pub

Palmer House Bar & Grill

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This Westland bar serves traditional food and drink fare that locals have come to know and love. With its rotating weekly specials, cornhole on the patio, beers in frozen glasses and a cocktail menu filled with Grey Goose Essences, it’s the perfect setting for bar favorites and a great place to hang out late with friends. Try the Goose & Juice with Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, lemon juice, honey syrup, orange juice and prosecco as well as the Watermelon Basil Mojito made with Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, simple syrup, mint, club soda and Sprite.

This advertising content was produced in collaboration between Vox Creative and our sponsor, without involvement from Vox Media editorial staff.

Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie

This contemporary wine bar’s patio is completely shaded by a large awning, umbrellas and living green wall, and its large couches allow you to kick back and relax all summer. Every month features new cocktails — with some available by the can — and you can build your own charcuterie and cheese boards with anything from jamón serrano to blueberry stilton with 14 different accompaniments, from fig and almond cake to cornichons or even dried mangoes. To drink, try a Cheeky Peach cocktail made with Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, Thatcher’s Organic Prickly Pear, lemon juice, and topped with Serena red wine.

Two cocktails on a bar, one deep red in a wine glass topped with orange and lime garnishes and a pale yellow cocktail in a whiskey glass with salt on the rim
Cocktails at Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie
Courtesy of Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie

Too • Ra • Loo

This Rochester sports bar offers 80 beers on tap, thin-crust pizza, and large sliding doors that open to S Main Street. While you’re people watching and checking out the Italian-influenced menu (including Neapolitan pizzas) sip on a Grey Goose Essence Spritz, made with Grey Goose Essences, soda, and a large fruit garnish.

Three cocktails alternating with three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a wooden bar. The cocktails are topped with flowers, rosemary, and fruit garnishes
Cocktails at Too Ra Loo
Courtesy of Too Ra Loo

Detroit Fish House: Steak and Oyster Bar

The spacious patio is enclosed by gorgeous florals, greenery, and weekend live music, providing the perfect backdrop for a hot summer day. Mule Kicks, a Grey Essence mule with your choice of Grey Goose Essence flavors pairs well with their large seafood, raw bar, and steak offerings like seafood beignets, oysters Rockefeller or your choice of steak cuts with toppings like crab bearnaise or cajun cream sauce.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles in front of a subway tile bar wall that says Detroit Fish House, next to an orange colored cocktail topped with an orange slice and a cherry
The bar at Detroit Fish House Steak and Oyster Bar
Courtesy of Detroit Fish House Steak and Oyster Bar

Sidecar Slider Bar

Here, there are three concepts under one roof, so there’s something for everyone: the Sidecar Slider Bar, Shift Cocktail Lounge, and Slice Pizza Kitchen all take up space in this Birmingham spot that is known for its late-night (we mean 2 a.m.) offerings. Sidecar Slider Bar serves gourmet burgers, shareable plates, and pub-friendly fare alongside its long draft list and spirits menu that features drinks like the Grey Goose Spritz.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a spritz drink in a wine glass topped with an orange slice
The Grey Goose Spritz at Sidecar
Courtesy of Sidecar Slider Bar

Bistro Joe's

Inside Papa Joe’s organic market you’ll find Bistro Joe’s, an American bistro with a view of the market or sunroom seating under their yellow awning. Try a Grey Goose Essences Spritz made with your choice of Grey Goose Essences (White Peach & Rosemary, Strawberry & Lemongrass or Watermelon & Basil) topped with soda and a citrus as you dine on dishes made with the market’s fresh ingredients, from raclette-stuffed crab cakes to wild mushroom flatbreads.

A patio with blue and green umbrellas in front of a road with trees surrounding
The patio at Bistro Joe’s
Courtesy of Bistro Joe’s

The Rock on 3rd

This rockin’ pub has a jukebox set to classic rock, oldies, Motown, jazz, and blues, and the patio behind the building lined with lush hanging baskets transports you away from the busy downtown of Royal Oak. Order some burgers, sandwiches, wings or ribs with a Third Street Spritz in hand, made with a mix of your choice of Grey Goose Essences, soda, fruit juice and citrus — it’s the perfect accompaniment to catching some sun on the patio.

A patio with a wooden roof, blue umbrellas and hanging pink and white plants
The patio at The Rock on 3rd
Courtesy of The Rock on 3rd

O'Tooles Tavern

This Irish-American sports bar is the perfect spot to beat the heat and root for your favorite sports team — their open doors fill downtown with energy the later it gets. The Royal Oak bar offers bar fare like loaded tater tots and baked pretzels, 40 draft beers, and a refreshing Grey Goose Spritz cocktail menu. They’re serving up everything from their Classic Spritz made with Grey Goose vodka to their Strawberry Lemongrass Spritz, Watermelon Basil Spritz, and White Peach Rosemary Spritz made with Grey Goose Essences.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a clear spritz drink topped with lemon peel
The Grey Goose Spritzes at O’Tooles Tavern
Courtesy of O’Tooles Tavern

Pronto!

Open since 1991, this funky, bright-walled cafe is a cornerstone of the LBGTQ community. Pronto offers an ample menu of dishes to try, but the real attraction may be the events calendar, with live performances and after parties on the Pronto Patio. And after some dancing, one of their fun summer cocktails is sure to take the heat off. Try the Summer Splash made with Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, limoncello, triple sec, cranberry and lime or the Melon Cooler made with Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, watermelon pucker, sour and lemon lime soda.

A patio with cloth shade covers overhead and blue umbrellas and wrought iron chairs
The patio at Pronto!
Courtesy of Pronto!

Otus Supply

This Ferndale music venue and eatery offers a large amount of shady seating a few blocks from the busy intersection of Woodward and Nine Mile. Shows are back on at Parliament Room at Otus Supply, with a full summer lineup of bluegrass, folk, and jam bands coming through. But when you’re not catching a set, head out to the patio for some fresh air and a refreshing cocktail. Their summer menu is filled with cocktails like the Tears of the Dragon, a sake-tini made with unfiltered sake, Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass and strawberry syrup, or the Rainmaker made with Watermelon & Basil Grey Goose Essences, Midori, watermelon syrup and lemonade. Otus Supply is also partnered with The Ferndale Patio Project, meaning you can grab a cocktail at Otus and walk around downtown with it.

Three Grey Goose Essences liquor bottles on a bar with a clear drink in a low whiskey glass
Cocktails at Otus Supply
Courtesy of Otus Supply

Soho

This neighborhood LGBTQ+ bar in Ferndale serves up refreshing drinks — like a Grey Goose Mule made with Grey Goose Essences— along with a weekly line-up of trivia, karaoke, and dance parties, and their food menu is filled with snacks you’ll love once it gets late, from grilled cheese to a fried chicken sandwich and hand cut garlic parmesan french fries.

A light pink cocktail in a tumbler glass topped with a strawberry slice on a wrought iron outdoor table
A cocktail at Soho
Courtesy of Soho

Brass Rail Pizza Bar

This restaurant, located just blocks from Comerica Park, offers an airy hangout with a menu featuring clever pizza pies, burgers, and a full bar. Watch the game from one of their many televisions while sipping a Grey Goose Essence Spritz made with your choice of Strawberry & Lemongrass, Watermelon & Basil, or White Peach & Rosemary Grey Goose Essences with soda.

two signs that say brass rail pizza bar in red and white with a blue sky reflected in the windows
Outside Brass Rail Pizza Bar
Courtesy of Brass Rail Pizza Bar

Cornerstone Barrel House

Known for their whiskey and bourbon offerings, this brick-walled cocktail bar also offers a variety of lighter options, like the vodka-based Grey Goose Essences Spritz. Sit outside in the downtown breeze and order anything from their chopped caprese salad to their salmon BLT.

Inside a bar with brick on the walls, low lights, tvs over the wooden bar and wooden chairs
Inside Cornerstone Barrel House
Courtesy of Cornerstone Barrel House

Checker Bar

This downtown dive bar staple, which will transport you back to the 80s with collaged fashion ads plastered on the walls and vintage video games not only dishes out one of the best bar burgers around but also offers some of the most unique beverages to keep guests cool on their smaller patio. Weekend slushees and Grey Goose cocktails on draft like the Watermelon Sugar (Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice) or Peach Palmer (Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, lemonade, iced tea) are a great way to cool down between each juicy bite of the signature Checker Burger, served with potato chips.

Blue patio umbrellas outside Checker Bar
The patio at Checker Bar
Courtesy of Checker Bar

Moose's Martini Pub

Dearborn’s casual corner pub’s patio is filled with large umbrellas offering a shaded escape from bustling Michigan Avenue. Moose’s offers hundreds of specialty martinis and mixed drinks alongside light bar snacks. Order the Peach-Teeny, a mix of Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, peach puree, and a splash of lemonade, or the Patio Strawberry Lemonade made with a mix of Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, strawberry puree, Grand Marnier and lemonade.

A light pink cocktail in a martini glass next to a bottle of the same pink cocktail on a table
The Patio Strawberry Lemonade at Moose’s Martini Pub
Courtesy of Moose’s Martini Pub

Palmer House Bar & Grill

This Westland bar serves traditional food and drink fare that locals have come to know and love. With its rotating weekly specials, cornhole on the patio, beers in frozen glasses and a cocktail menu filled with Grey Goose Essences, it’s the perfect setting for bar favorites and a great place to hang out late with friends. Try the Goose & Juice with Grey Goose Essences White Peach & Rosemary, lemon juice, honey syrup, orange juice and prosecco as well as the Watermelon Basil Mojito made with Grey Goose Essences Watermelon & Basil, simple syrup, mint, club soda and Sprite.

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