You can tell a lot about a city’s nightlife by its most popular cocktails. Cosmopolitans epitomize New York City’s night-owl urbanity and sassy sophistication (thank you, Carrie Bradshaw), while the Brazilian caipirinha distills the essence of Rio’s sweet sensuality and carefree carnival spirit. As for Palm Beach, its nightlife is equal parts martini and Mai Tai: the refinement of a worldly after-dark scene with the kick-back attitude of the tropics. Not too many beer bongs to be found on these beaches…Palm Beach leaves such carousing to more southerly stretches of Florida coast due to local noise ordinances that eliminate the possibility of wee-hours rowdiness. You might say the nightlife here is stirred, not shaken–the average Palm Beach vacationer is likely logging more time in the country club than the nightclub.

Yet even though it’s a bit of a buttoned-up and mature audience, your cocktail cup will still floweth over with fun options. After 10:00pm at Med-Italian restaurant Cucina Dell’ Arte, they push aside the tables in the dining room to make way for a dance party. Once things are in full swing around 11:00pm or 12:00am, you’ll be a bit pressed for dance space (one night when we were there, three bachelorette parties took over the floor!), but it’s worth sticking around for a late-night snack–the kitchen is open ‘til 2:00am. They’ll also take care of your morning-after cure if you return for heaps of eggs and a cappuccino the next day (best enjoyed with the peach and raspberry Bellini, naturalmente).

Sipping a glass of wine on the terrace is more the speed at Michael R. McCarty’s, where 20- and 30-somethings dominate on weekend nights and during holiday weeks in season. On peak nights, the restaurant also opens Rory’s, its pink-kissed private cocktail lounge, to the public. Another good wine-centric option is Ta-boo Restaurant and Bar, perfect for a pre-dinner drink if you’ve got a reservation on center-of-the action Worth Avenue. You might want to pop open the Veuve Clicquot here–the bar has played host to elites from JFK to Sinatra to the Duchess of Windsor.

If you prefer a more formal cocktail (i.e. a place to take your parents or even grandparents or an important client), The Tapestry Bar at The Breakers is your best bet–the luxury hotel surroundings and live jazz and piano most evenings in season make this an elegant stop. Sip a refined glass of wine in one of the plush chairs or sample the famed cilantro mojito (or “Cilantrojito”) at the two-centuries-old mahogany bar.

Casual is the name of the game, though, if you head “across the bridge” to West Palm Beach. Mexican joint Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar gets the fiesta started with great guacamole and margaritas (boasting the largest tequila selection in the state!) and makes a perfect starting point for a pub crawl in the neighborhood. You might also stop at E.R. Bradley’s Saloon for a beer on the breezy porch and a slice of Palm Beach history (the saloon was an “on island” institution before moving across the waterway).

If you’ve got a group or a family, or just want a low-key evening with a lot of options, head to CityPlace, an open-air mall and entertainment complex. You can have a drink at Brewzzi or Blue Martini, catch a set at the Improv Comedy Club or B.B. King’s Blues Club, or take in a movie at the large theater. Nothing here truly stands out, but there is definitely something for everyone. Sipping a decaf at the open-‘til-late Starbucks might seem like the antithesis of cocktail culture, but somehow in laidback Palm Beach, it makes a perfect nightcap.

Photo of Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar courtesy of James FL USA on Flickr