Sometimes, it’s nice to be able to grab a late-night drink without worrying about all the unsavoriness that can go hand-in-hand with the late-night bar scene. There’s something comforting about walking into a bar in Palm Springs where the crowd is a little more mature, the beers on tap are a little more sophisticated than the typical fallback of Bud Light and the entertainment is actually enjoyable (without leaving you partially deaf the morning after).
If that’s your idea of a good time, then you’ll find the comfort you crave at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert.
Offerings at Schmidy's Tavern — Photo courtesy of Schmidy's Tavern
Owners Dennis and Kathy Ford took over this Palm Desert institution in April of 2013, seeing an opportunity to cultivate a space where locals and visitors alike could unwind with good beer, tasty food and solid live entertainment. Since taking over Schmidy’s Tavern, the Fords have reinforced Schmidy’s reputation as one of the top bars in the desert for craft beer and local music.
No matter when you visit the desert, you’ll find something going on at Schmidy’s, thanks to the bar being open until 2 a.m. every night of the week. Each night also features some sort of entertainment, whether it’s the Tuesday night open mic sessions, Wednesday entertainment by the local D Phillips Band or Thursday fun of Red’s Rockstar Karaoke, a Coachella Valley institution.
Weekends are dedicated to showcasing some of the desert’s top local bands, and you’ll find everything from acoustic acts to rock bands hitting Schmidy’s stage on Friday and Saturday nights.
More drinks at Schmidy's Tavern — Photo courtesy of Schmidy's Tavern
One weekly event that truly sets Schmidy’s Tavern apart from other local bars is its weekly cicerone-hosted beer tasting. Every Tuesday evening, the bar’s cicerone (the beer world’s equivalent to a wine sommelier) treats guests to a carefully curated tasting of craft beers, many of which are rare or special releases. The owners of Schmidy’s decided to put on this weekly event to both satisfy the growing number of craft beer aficionados and introduce more patrons to the best the craft beer world has to offer.
And Schmidy’s appreciation for craft beer doesn’t stop there, either. Once a month, the bar hosts its regular Beer School, an evening of various craft beer tastings paired with specially prepared tapas courses. Typically, the evening includes a tasting of four beers, the final of which is poured directly from a cask that one lucky attendee gets to tap.
Looking for more late-night options in the desert? Check out Palm Springs’ full list of nightlife offerings.
