Experiences

Yukon nightlife: where to go and where to skip

5 min read

A dimly lit bar in downtown Whitehorse

Whitehorse: worth your time

Woodcutter's Blanket on 2nd Ave — a converted house with the best cocktail program north of 60. Try the smoked negroni ($16) or a Yukon Brewing draft ($8). Dirty Northern Public House on Main is the beer-and-pool-table option, 20 taps and $7 pints. Wayfarer Oyster House does late-night oysters until 11pm, $3.50 each Sunday to Wednesday. Uncork’d on 3rd Ave is the wine bar, glasses $12 to $16, good charcuterie. These 4 spots cover 90% of what serious drinkers want.

Whitehorse: dance and live music

The Kopper King Tavern on 4th Ave is the country-and-honky-tonk option, live bands Fridays and Saturdays, $10 cover. Coasters at the Yukon Inn on 4th is where locals go dancing after midnight — no cover, cash bar. Jarvis Street Saloon inside the Best Western Gold Rush is the dive bar of Whitehorse — no ambition, no pretense, $6 well drinks. Live music venue-wise, check the Old Fire Hall on 1st Ave for indie shows year-round, tickets $20 to $35.

Dawson City nightlife

Two must-visits. Diamond Tooth Gertie's on 4th Ave is Canada's oldest legal casino with a nightly can-can show at 8:30pm, 10:30pm, and midnight (summer only) — $15 cover. Bombay Peggy's downstairs bar is intimate and serves the best cocktails in Dawson, martinis $14. Sourtoe Cocktail at the Downtown Hotel is $10 plus a $5 fee for the toe (yes, a real preserved human toe) — silly, iconic, do it once. All Dawson nightlife runs May to September; winter is quiet.

What to skip

Skip the Casa Loma Lounge on 4th — sad and overpriced. Skip Boston Pizza's bar on 2nd Ave; there is no reason to drink at a chain here. Skip anything in Whitehorse's south-end strip malls — the interesting stuff is all downtown. Do not expect proper clubbing anywhere in Yukon; the population does not support it. Last call is 2am at bars, 3am on New Year's. If you want a low-key night, sit on the Edgewater Hotel patio with a beer watching the river until 11pm.

Frequently asked questions

What time do bars close in Whitehorse?

2am seven days a week. Some kitchens close at 10pm even when the bar stays open. Last call in Dawson is also 2am.

Is there a nightclub in Yukon?

No true clubs. Coasters at the Yukon Inn is the closest — DJ some nights, dance floor, but hotel-bar atmosphere. If you want clubbing, this is not the region.

Is Sourtoe Cocktail actually a toe?

Yes — a real preserved human toe. You do not have to swallow, just let it touch your lips. Over 100,000 people have completed it since 1973. $10 drink plus $5 toe fee at the Downtown Hotel.

Are there age restrictions in Yukon bars?

19 and over is the legal drinking age. Diamond Tooth Gertie's is 19+ nightly. Bring photo ID; enforcement is real everywhere.