Ten Best Places to Drink in Palm Beach County

Floridians are known for many things, but one of our greatest accolades: we're good at getting plastered. The Sunshine State has truly mastered the art of drinking -- drinking in all conditions, any day of the week, any time and place. With so many bars, restaurants with great bars, backyard bars, pool bars -- even a day at the beach you need your own portable bar -- we can't think of another activity the South Florida's populace is more skilled at.

See Also: The Ten Best Places to Drink in Broward County

Like our Broward list, our criteria was about more than just the drink selection, but about the entire experience of a spot and, as such, includes both bars and restaurants.

From chill wine bars just off the beaten path to happening nightspots with amazing craft cocktails; from tasting rooms with craft brews lovingly brewed by Florida locals to the best drink deal around, we drank our way through PBC to bring you the most carefully curated list ever.

Finally, we give you, the ten best places to drink in Palm Beach County.

10. The Blind Monk

If you're looking for a great wine bar... Hidden away from the Clematis Street madness is the Blind Monk, a chilled-out wine lounge offering more than 400 wines by the bottle. Once a loft, this two-story building has been transformed into a wine lover's paradise. In one corner, a square bar made of wooden wine boxes sits opposite the plush leather couches and enormous movie screen. In the middle of the room, tables made of wine barrels are illuminated by candlelight. From the ceiling dangles glass bubbles filled with lights. The walls are adorned in wall paper with facts and tidbits about various wines. On the second level, bottles of wine are piled to the ceiling. Can't decide what to get? Attend any one of the many tasting or pairing events, and learn all about your favorite vino. Cozy and quaint, this charming wine bar is ideal for a first date or a low-key night of drinking with friends.

9. E.R. Bradley's Saloon

If you want to drink like a true Floridian... Although it was once located on the "island" of Palm Beach, not much has changed since E.R. Bradley's moved across the water to sit on the outskirts of downtown West Palm Beach. Although it's a restaurant, too, the real reason most people come is to drink. The roaming bar is half-indoors, half-outdoors, and is always tended by a bevy of beautiful bartenders who are skilled at making pretty much any drink you're craving. Yep, E.R. Bradley's has been, and will continue to be, a place all true Floridians can proudly admit to getting wasted at during one point in their lives.

8. Union

If you want the best drinking deal ever... While some might think of Union as a place to get great sushi and Asian comfort food, the bar is a main focus for those that like to get their (wallet conscious) drink on. Every week the deal is on: three-for-one happy hour from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday through Saturday, with a whole host of drink-till-you drop specials including endless sake and sushi. Just belly up to the long, spacious bar (or grab a seat on the outdoor patio overlooking Atlantic Ave.) and pick your poison. The best part about this happy hour is that the special extends across any type of intoxicant, from wine and beer, to mojitos, and even their menu of specialty cocktails.

7. Cruzan Rum Bar

If you want to drink outdoors... When it comes to drinking in South Florida, nothing screams "weekend" or "day off" better than a bar that's outdoors, preferably with some sort of tiki bar, some sand between your toes, and lots of rum. While there are tons of places in Palm Beach County that offer just that, Panama Hattie's and Cruzan Rum Bar in North Palm Beach sits at the edge of the Intracoastal, offering water views and plenty of loud drunk debauchery to the masses. It's stood the test of time as a favorite watering hole for many. Just grab your rum bucket, sit back in an adirondack chair, dig your feet in the sand, and let your worries wash away.

6. Sweetwater Bar and Grill

If you have a hankering for a good, stiff drink... When you want something straight-up bit with a little character and plenty of flavor, look no further than Sweetwater in Boynton Beach. It was one of the first spots in Palm Beach County to offer a menu of sophisticated, Old World-style cocktails that make even the best Cosmo taste bottom shelf. Behind the bar you'll find nothing short of an arsenal of high-quality spirits, house made bitters and liqueur, a lineup of fresh fruit, vegetables and herbal garnishes -- even designer ice -- all blended together to create your drink -- and a bit of show. Here, the craft cocktails are potable art, and worth the wait.

5. Funky Buddha Lounge

If you want a good craft beer... Sure, Broward County has the Funky Buddha Brewery, but Palm Beach County is still home to the area's best brewpub and lounge in Boca Raton. It was the first spot you ever tasted No Crusts, and you've been quietly jealous -- yet happy at the same time -- that now everyone and their brother knows about the place since you started coming here when they opened three years ago. Heck, you don't want to brag, but you were probably one of the first dozen or so people to try owner Ryan Sentz's Maple Bacon Coffee Porter before it became the "it" beer at the top of the Beer Advocate charts. And even though its located in a nondescript strip plaza off Federal Highway, we love the dimly lit, cozy interior where beer geeks and brew-loving newbies can sample a long menu of constantly rotating special in-house brews and craft favorites in peaceful union.

4. Jumby Bay Island Bar and Grill

If you're looking to get wasted... There are places to drink, and then there are places to get wasted and make hazy memories that will haunt you the rest of your life. For those times, there's no better place than Abacoa's own outpost for getting sloshed: Jumby Bay. Here, you can wasted amidst the drunken co-eds and Caribbean décor, all while mingling with the Jupiter crowds. It's a see-and-be scene on weekend nights, with loud crowds spilling out onto the streets, and after any of the games at Roger Dean Stadium, just a block away. The "meet market" isn't to be overlooked; college types from nearby FAU and the surrounding neighborhood come out to mingle and sip fruity tropical concoctions and make jokes about the two-way mirror at face level at the urinals in the men's room -- visible from the bar. Sure, it can get rowdy and raunchy, but that's what a good day of drinking is all about, after all.

3. Boston's On The Beach

If you like sports and love drinking while watching sports... We suggest Boston's On The Beach, a Delray Beach institution known for its seaside ambiance. Although it attracts a certain type of Northern crowd that makes no secret of its Red Sox allegiance and often engages in some fun-loving brew ha-ha -- anyone who's a fan of good bar food and strong drinks can get along here. A mecca for sports fans, it's packed with wide-screen TVs and boasts an extensive covered patio with plenty of elbow room right across the street from the ocean -- and just a few steps from downtown Atlantic Ave. Yes, Boston's is a prime spot for a day at the bar.

2. Sky309

If you're looking to party all night...The best spot in Palm Beach County to get your party on into the wee-hours of the morning would be Sky309, the rooftop bar above Roxy's in West Palm Beach. It's the ultimate club and watering hole thanks to sky-high views up and down Clematis Street below, and a perfect starry-night sky for a backdrop. Panoramic views of downtown West Palm Beach don't hurt, either. The music gets the party going all night with a stage for DJ or live band, and a dance floor flanked by two bars that pour to your heart's content. Not in the mood for liquor? Take the elevator from the roof down to Roxy's Pub below, and grab a pint of your favorite craft brew. A third bar is removed from the mayhem, a spot where you can snag a grotto-like table at the perimeter of the building to catch up with drinking buddies or that new date. This is a spot that caters to almost any drinking persuasion.

1. The Blue Anchor

If you're looking for a laid-back watering hole with a little culture... Try the Blue Anchor the next time you want a comfy bar and a good crowd to get drunk alongside. This unique 19th century British pub was imported from London in 1996 -- yes, imported; as in taken apart, shipped, and reassembled -- to bring the very best of England's pubs to Delray Beach. Push through the ancient window-paned doors and British accents will pop and crackle as they mingle with island dialects and "Jeepers Creepers," the 1930s jazz song. Red and green carpet, lit softly by lanterns, guides your way through Blue Anchor British Pub. Red curtains hang over old-fashioned windows; tea kettles hang suspended from the ceiling; and old-world paintings decorate the walls. A bookshelf runs around the perimeter of the joint, stacked high with trinkets, old tomes, and decoy ducks. An assortment of national flags hang in every direction on the wooden walls, creating a historic feeling. A few drinks in, and you'll swear you're not in South Florida anymore.

Follow Nicole Danna on Twitter, @SoFloNicole.