Some of you might not realize that I’ve been writing Last Call for close to three years now. This means if you go back through the Last Call archives, you’ll find yourself quite an impressive collection of cocktails. This also means that if you’re looking for a certain style of…
Beer: Harvest Wild Hop IPA Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Style: American IPA ABV: 6.5 percent Of the four main ingredients used to brew beer, hops get the most fanfare — and why not? Humulus Lupulus is a beautiful plant, distinctive in shape and grown for a singular, noble purpose:…
Did you remember to make your egg nog a few weeks ago? If you’ve been playing along at home, you should have a tasty batch of luscious chocolate coquito waiting in your fridge, ready to serve at a quickly upcoming holiday party. Or maybe something happened. Someone found it and…
Beer: Here Gose Nothin’ Brewery: Destihl Style: Gose ABV: 5 percent Beer is like clothing, in a way. As tastes change, certain styles fall in and out of favor with the general public; beers that were once incredibly popular in a region may be laughed off by the modern drinker…
If you’ve ever stopped in for one at Matteo Schiavone’s authentic Neapolitan pizzas at Pomo, you likely remember how your meal ended. Every customer (of legal drinking age, of course) is treated to a complimentary shot of Schiavone’s handmade limoncello crema along with a side of fried chiacchiere or fried…
The Main Ingredient is a neighborhood hang out in all the best ways. It’s not frilly and it’s definitely not upscale, but it is a nice, casual spot in a cozy old house. The big patio is perfect this time of year to sit and sip happy hour drinks with…
Beer: Master of Disguise Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. Style: Golden Stout, I Guess? ABV: 9.7 percent Remember green ketchup? Heinz, those crazy bastards, launched an emerald-hued version of the condiment — made, I’m assuming, with ground-up leprechauns and seaweed — in 2000. It was incomprehensibly popular for about five years,…
As I look at the calendar, I realize that my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is sneaking up on me faster than I’d care to know. The refrigerator is getting filled with all manner of tasty treats, and soon the house will be full of food and friends. With all the madness…
You’d think getting three different people with three different mixing styles and three different palates to work together to make one cocktail menu would be tricky. However, Mari Howe, Rich Furnari, and Kiefer Gilbert did just that for Cowboy Ciao’s most recent menu — and they say it was easy…
We’ll admit some skepticism when the people behind The Vig took over Mabel’s on Main. After all, they had big shoes to fill with the former Aaron May concept being known as an Old Town hotspot for craft cocktails for years. However, with some modest upgrades, the already moody, luxe,…
Beer: Born Yesterday Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. Style: Pale Ale ABV: 7.5 percent In beer, freshness matters. Brewers go to great lengths to get beer from their fermentors to your mouth in a timely fashion. The reason: science! Like most foodstuffs, beer is a perishable product. The longer it sits…
Count me in as a fan of egg nog. Not that stuff in a carton at the grocery store masquerading as egg nog, mind you, the real stuff laden with egg yolks and cream. And, of course, plenty of brandy and rum. However, around my house, egg nog has fallen…
The results of last month’s Last Slinger Standing tryouts are in and the five competitors have been announced. It’s no easy task to get in the finals, as each bartender had just five minutes to craft a well balanced and tasty cocktail using a random spirit base and liqueur of…
Second Story Liquor Bar sits above Old Town Scottsdale’s Gelato Spot off of Scottsdale Road just north of Indian School. Tommy Plato owns both restaurants, but SSLB is clearly a labor of love. Pulling in the talents of Josh Bracher, a relatively young and very up-and-coming chef, in the kitchen…
Several months ago, I took part in a judging competition for a local craft beer festival. As often occurs at such ceremonies, we began the day by tasting a calibration beer — one brew, given to every judge, that helps beer-tasters adjust their scoring so it’s in line with everyone…
It’s getting to be that magical time of year when thoughts turn to egg nog. In recent years, I’ve seen a lot of discussion regarding proper egg nog making technique. To be specific, I’m talking about how long to let egg nog sit in the refrigerator before drinking it. Due…
Mark your calendars now, beer lovers, because you’re not going to want to miss this. Later this month New Times will host the NovemBEER Festival, the grande finale of the month-long celebration of all things carbonated and boozy. The event will go down on Saturday, November 22 at the Arizona…
You won’t find pumpkin spice syrup or any other artificial junk on Charlie Zeiler’s new Mix Up Bar cocktails menu. The Royal Palms’ bartender, instead, builds on classic recipes with new ingredients to make unique autumnal drinks. While discussing his new menu, Zeiler explains which ingredients he’s using this fall,…
Beer: Futures 10 Brewery: Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Style: Saison ABV: 6.5 percent Musical accompaniment to this post Musicians and brewers commonly collaborate. Sometimes the beers that come from such unions are actually pretty good (New Belgium Clutch, brewed for the metal band Clutch; Cigar City Killsner, made for monster-rockers…
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.” I keep trying to tell myself that it’s always true. But let’s face it, sometimes you see a product with a name so horrible that you can’t bring yourself to try…
The Spot: Sushi Brokers in the Arcadia area of Phoenix 4419 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix 602-515-5000 http://www.sushibrokers.com The Hours:Happy hour is everyday from 3 to 6 p.m. See also: Earnest: Happy Hour Report Card…
Beer: Pump[KY]n Brewery: Avery Brewing Co. Style: Imperial Porter ABV: 17 percent We are now in the thick of pumpkin-beer season. Beer labels, like leaves on trees, have shifted to shades of brown, black and orange. Pie spices and pumpkin puns can be found all over the place, and everyone…
