It's mid-Sunday afternoon and Dos Gringos is slammed.

The sun is shining and the margaritas are flowing.

A few people are bumping and grinding at the downtown Scottsdale bar as a DJ spins a mix of booty-shakin’ music — 50 Cent, Beyoncé, the Beastie Boys.

Although not everyone is partaking in the dance party, there is one thing they all have in common: They're day drinking.

This may seem unusual, but it's practically a ritual for some of the patrons at Dos. And with the temperature in the low 80s, it's the perfect setting for a little day drinking ... or a lot of day drinking, in the case of a few patrons.

The Dos staff is even attired in T-shirts that read “day drinker” on the backside and a sign on the wall advertises the bar as “a good place to day drink.”

Dos Gringos owner Brian Roehrich says customers frequent his bar during the afternoons to relax.

“You don't have to get dressed up like you would to go to a club,” he says. “It's all about having a beer with a friend. The biggest thing about day drinking is that people are doing it because they want to and not because they're forced to like on a weekend when they're pressured into going out.

“You may get the people that do go to the clubs on a Friday or a Saturday, but they don't have the attitude of going to a club. They're going to kick back in their flip-flops.”

And that's exactly what the sandal-wearing, margarita-sipping Shana Young and Laurie Berk are doing.

Young says that day drinking at Dos — which marked its ninth anniversary earlier this month — is the perfect way to spend a beautiful afternoon.

“This is our Sunday routine,” says Young, 28, of Tempe. “You can relax, get a tan and have a cold margarita.”

“Don't forget about the guys,” adds Berk, 25, of Scottsdale. “The people are hot, hot, hot. It's like spring break in Mexico here sometimes — body shots, dirty dancing, girls gone wild. You name it. We've seen it.”

Although we don't see anything too wild on this particular Sunday, Berk has a point about the patrons. Dos definitely attracts a good-looking and eclectic crowd of day drinkers. People in their 20s to 50s fill the bar.
Some even have canine companions.

A group of bikers are sitting at a table in one corner of Dos while a handful of jocks and women in bikini tops occupy one of the bars. Upstairs, two young ladies clink their shot glasses together before competing in a friendly game of air hockey.

Roehrich says that Sundays, when a DJ begins spinning at 4 p.m., are the most popular day for drinking.

“Typically people start rolling in around two o'clock,” he says. “It's funny because sometimes people will be dancing around and the sun's still out ... We're busier more in June and July than we are in January or February. It's like the hotter it gets, the more people are hanging out and drinking.”

Young says that she plans to continue her day drinking tradition through the summer.

“As long as (the bar) has the misters blasting, I'll be here,” she says. “I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon.”

Partytime hot spots

Keep these watering holes in mind when you want to partake in a little day drinking:

Casey Moore's Oyster House
850 S. Ash Ave., Tempe
Patrons pack the patio of this rumored-to-be haunted bar on weekend days as well as nights.

Dos Gringos Trailer Park
1001 E. Eighth St., Tempe

Valley bands take the stage from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturdays. The two-story bar also features a small pool.

Dos Gringos
4209 N. Craftsman Court, Scottsdale

Although the fun starts when the bar opens at noon Sundays, a DJ doesn't begin spinning until 4 p.m.

Sugar Daddy's
3102 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

The bar features a build-your-own bloody mary bar, live music and a $12 all-you-can-eat brunch buffet on Sundays.

The Salty Señorita
3636 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

The cantina boasts a massive patio, margaritas aplenty and $1 drinks during sunset every Sunday.