The Daily Refresher

The Daily Refresher is a cocktail bar and gastro lounge at 293 Alexander Street in Rochester, NY. Operated as part of the family-owned Swan Family of Restaurants group — which runs several establishments along the Park Avenue and Alexander Street corridors — the bar occupies a two-story space outfitted with period lighting, detailed woodwork, and two separate bars. It is open Tuesday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Thursday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., with the kitchen serving from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The drink program centers on an extensive whiskey collection of over 300 varieties, which the bar bills as Rochester's largest. Beyond whiskey, the menu includes craft cocktails, house classics, mocktails, and a rotating lineup of weekly happy-hour specials. A bottle-keep service lets patrons purchase and store personal bottles on-site. The food side operates as a scratch kitchen with starters, main courses, solo bites, and desserts — think gastro-lounge fare rather than standard bar snacks. Local microbrews round out the beer list, and wine is available by the bottle or glass.

• 300+ whiskey selections
• Craft cocktails and zero-proof mocktails
• Bottle-keep service
• Scratch kitchen with starters, mains, and desserts
• Weekly food and drink happy-hour specials

The Daily Refresher has built its identity around the depth of its spirits library and a cocktail-bar format modeled on pre-Prohibition drinking culture. The upstairs bar opens onto a patio with views of the Rochester skyline, and a backyard area hosts a food truck during warmer months. The venue also doubles as a private-event space, accommodating gatherings from corporate happy hours to wedding receptions with in-house coordination and a full catering menu.

Situated on Alexander Street near the intersection of East Avenue, The Daily Refresher is in the heart of Rochester's East End entertainment district — a walkable stretch of bars, restaurants, and live-music venues that extends toward Park Avenue. Neighbors on the same block include long-running spots like The Old Toad British pub at 277 Alexander Street. The area draws a mix of after-work and late-night visitors, and street parking along Alexander Street is supplemented by nearby municipal lots.