Julia "Momma Judy" Walker may have three grandchildren, but she's nothing like your cheek-pinching, Bible-quoting grammy. At the (somewhat ironic) age of 69, Momma Judy manages a gay dive bar in Central Phoenix known for its sexually explicit nightly entertainment (strippers and drag shows), working class clientele, and for being a preferred hangout for transgendered sex workers. Reputation aside, Judy knows that beneath its risqué exterior, Cruisin' 7th is just a friendly neighborhood hangout where everyone is accepted.
"It's just a bar where you come in and are not intimidated," she says. "It's not like walking into a swanky bar and immediately they're sizing you up before you sit down; they don't do that here. And everybody talks to everybody; you can come and sit down at this bar and in five minutes somebody's talking to you. That's how it should be out there, and how I make it in here. "
The bar's genuinely friendly atmosphere (and relative scarcity of straight male customers) makes it a popular place for women who want to go out for a drink without being hit on or harassed by horny drunk men. Judy says she gave up dating years ago because she got sick of their one-track minds.
"They just make me sick," she says. "I'm not a lesbian and I don't like women, but I'm not real into men anymore either because they're just crude and they expect one thing and that's it."
The most popular drink orders at Cruisin' 7th are Budweiser products and standard well drinks. Since the economic downturn, Judy says her customers order more beer now because it's cheaper and don't tip as much or as often. She has only raised drink prices three times in the last 25 years; beer and well drinks are still only $2.50.
While Judy is known to partake in the fun (we're talkin' dancing on the bar with a dildo fun), she doesn't partake in the drinking; at least, not anymore.
"I just got tired of being sick," she says. "I used to drink and the cops used to take me home to my kids... that's what made me quit." Now, she says, "It's more fun to watch the fools than be one."
Judy came up with this drink through simple experimentation. With six different liquors, it's easy to tell who's been drinking the punch...
Grandma's Punch:
Judy experiments with the amount of each ingredient every time she makes it, so find a balance that works for you (but try to make sure the combination of juices makes up about half of the drink).
Southern Comfort Amaretto Chambord (or Monet) Apple Pucker Mango Pucker Midori Pineapple juice Orange juice Cranberry juice
Combine ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour all contents into a drink glass, or strain into several shot glasses and serve.
