Like many other festivals, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio has plenty of spots to grab a beer, get a shot of liquor or to sip on a cocktail.

But Coachella steps it up a notch when it comes to beverages, with themed bars, hidden speakeasies and even lounges that curate their own live entertainment.

“We’re looking for bars that are very mindful of how they’re mixing their drinks (and) what ingredients they’re mixing in their drinks,” said Lizzy Curnen, culinary director for Coachella. “It’s also fun to bring in something that has a theme, these places people can walk into and enjoy a drink and get away from the festival for a moment.”

One of those places is Sonny’s by Attaboy, an ’80s themed Miami Vice bar that blasts retro tunes and serves bright-colored slushies with a kick. Sonny’s is a hidden bar that savvy festivalgoers can find by going on a bit of a scavenger hunt (hint: look for the beachball in the Indio Central Market, located near the Outdoor Theatre stage). Once a few patrons find these spaces, word tends to spread pretty quickly and they’re more easily spotted when the longer lines form to get inside.

Sonny’s is decked out with pink flamingo wallpaper and artificial leaf wall panels. There’s also disco balls and beach balls everywhere. The dance floor is lit up from below and ’80s dance music is playing throughout the day.

The tropical drinks include alcoholic slushies, an espresso martini made with coffee liqueur and a tequila, mezcal and watermelon juice drink called the Spicy Flamingo.

“This is probably the most fun I’ve had this weekend,” said Robin McNeal as she stepped off the dance floor. “It’s just so cool and the decorations are on point.”

Fans of mezcal-infused drinks who had VIP wristbands headed over Bar Flores in the Rose Garden. The Echo Park-based bar was mixing one of its specialties at Coachella, the carrot mezcal, made with Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, carrot and orange juice, with agave, lemon and salt.

“I am absolutely obsessed with that drink,” Curner said.

The VIP guests got another treat over in the 12 Peaks VIP at the Postmates ReTreat thanks to its partnership with Los Angeles hot spot Delilah, which has a roaring ’20s vibe in its restaurant. At Coachella, they were serving two cocktails: The Spicy Siena, a tequila, lime, Fresno chili and agave mix, and the Nothing To See Here, made with vodka, watermelon, strawberry and Italicus Liqueur shaken and served on the rocks.

Though VIP areas offered elevated options, fans of top-shelf cocktails who didn’t have VIP passes didn’t get left out as they could hang inside The Cabin, a mountain-themed bar, near the general admission Beer Barn.

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During the afternoon on Saturday, April 15, dozens of people waited in line to walk up to the wood bar and order strong drinks made with vodka, tequila, gin and other spirits. And just outside the Beer Garden is yet another hidden bar dubbed PDT (Please Don’t Tell). It wasn’t too difficult to spot since a long line had formed after word of the exact location got out early on during the festival. It is a great spot that brings a little of New York to the desert.

Each year, PDT has a theme. For 2023, the speakeasy was transformed into an exact replica of the hidden bar New York namesake.

“It all looks and feels like PDT in New York,” said Jeff Bell, owner of PDT who was at the Coachella bar Saturday afternoon serving drinks inside the dimly lit space.

“Part of the success of PDT in New York is that sense of discovery and I think that also can exist in a festival,” he said, explaining the appeal of hidden bars. “What it does is it creates a really cool offering for people who are looking for something more.”

Lined with faux brick walls, PDT sports large vinyl high back benches and is decorated with mounted taxidermy deer heads and other animals which gives it a more rustic, classic and old school feel. Drinks here include a Mezcal Mule and Garden Tonic, a gin drink mixed with lemon juice, cucumber, a celery and tonic.

For those who want to party in an air-conditioned club while getting their drink on there is Absolut.Land, a fully enclosed venue where DJ’s spin dance music all weekend and bartenders make mixed drinks like the Wild Berri Lemonade, a mix of Absolut Wild Berri vodka, Creme De Cassis, lemon, simple syrup and lavender.

For those who still really want to party, but break away from the masses out on the festival grounds, there’s the Heineken House, a branded activation that’s located near the Indio Central Market. The drink selections are limited to Heineken products, but the place has its own stage, a dance floor and a pretty solid lineup of hip-hop artists and big-name DJs performing throughout the festival weekends.

On Saturday afternoon, DJ Pee .Wee, also known as rapper and multi-instrumentalist Anderson .Paak, filled the joint and guests stood shoulder to shoulder, jamming to his all-vinyl DJ set that saw him leave the turntables for a bit to hop behind a drum kit and play.

“This is the real deal,” said Steve Linares, who was dancing to the DJ set along with his girlfriend. “We just happened to walk in here and had no idea he was performing; we were just wondering why is was so crowded and figured Heineken was like giving something away.”

And they decided to stay at the Heineken House after the DJ set when they found out rappers Method Man and Redman were up next.

“It’s an experience in itself,” said Christine Karimi, director of partnership for Heineken. “We want to offer a whole environment for consumers to come in and hang out and chill, maybe take a break from the sun and, of course, have a beer.”

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