Over the weekend, if you haven’t heard, the city of Denver was swarmed with brewers and beer nerds celebrating the 2014 edition of the Great American Beer Festival, the largest celebration of American craft beer in the country. While a grand beer-tasting set up in the main hall of the…
On the first Sunday of every month, Cal Lundmark and Blaise Faber invite friends and acquaintances into their home, transforming the Encanto-area duplex into Desert Spoon. Don’t get any funny ideas, though: the events, which include a spirit tasting, class, three-course dinner, and a cocktail party to celebrate, aren’t some…
The Spot: Earnest 4991 S Alma School Rd #101 Chandler http://corkrestaurant.net The Hours: Happy Hour is 5 to 6:30 pm, Tuesday through Friday in the bar and lounge. See also: Arrogant Butcher in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card…
I’m more than a little excited that Halloween is almost here. Part of my excitement is that Halloween parties can be some of the most enjoyable soirées of the year. The mix of spooky kitsch and childhood nostalgia is irresistible. Of course, now that we’re grown-ups, our Halloween parties are…
You might fancy yourself an at-home mixologist and maybe you have been building up that home bar selection into something quite respectable. Well, it’s time to put all of those bottles to use and learn how to implement their boozey goodness in the best way possible. Luckily, there are a…
The Spot: FEZ 3815 N. Central Ave. Phoenix www.fezoncentral.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. everyday. Bonus! There’s also reverse happy hour from 10 p.m. to close. See also: Cien Agaves in Scottsdale: Happy Hour Report Card…
Beer: Scotch Ale (Kilt Lifter) Brewery: Moylan’s Brewery & Restaurant Style: Scotch ale ABV: 8 percent When I was little, I had a hamster named Roxy. She was a great little hamster, playful and gentle, and the two of us used to hang out for hours, she running around in…
I find the classic French 75 a perenially enjoyable cocktail. It’s a simple but elegant affair of champagne spiked with gin and a splash of lemon. It’s sort of a Tom Collins with an extra kick. See also: The French 75: Not French, But It’s So Good, Who Cares? While…
Hailing from northern Vermont, Caledonia was known for a long time for their local, raw honey. The beekeeping family, now led by Todd Hardie, ventured into the spirit distilling world about five years ago and now the unique vodka and gin from Caledonia Spirits is hitting Arizona. Using the honey…
The Spot: Arrogant Butcher 2 E. Jefferson Phoenix http://www.foxrc.com/the_arrogant_butcher.html The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the bar only. See also: Rokerij: Happy Hour Report Card…
Beer: White Russian Imperial Stout Brewery: SunUp Brewing Co. Style: Russian Imperial Stout ABV: 9.2 percent Sometimes, there’s a beer. I won’t say a heroic beer, ’cause what’s a heroic beer? But sometimes, there’s a beer. And I’m talkin’ about SunUp’s White Russian here. Sometimes, there’s a beer … well,…
Can I declare patio brunch season open? I’m excited enough about the change in seasons that this night owl bartender is almost willing to get out of bed before noon. Almost. My favorite part of brunch is, of course, the accompanying cocktails. After all, without them, brunch is just a…
At the end of last week, I got two e-mails. One announced 2015 Arizona Cocktail Week, the other 2015 Arizona Beer Week. I should be excited. But I’m just kind of annoyed because both take place February 14 to 21. No big surprise, as that’s happened the past few years…
The Spot: Cien Agaves 7228 E. First Ave. Scottsdale CienAgaves.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday. See also: Rokerij: Happy Hour Report Card…
Beer: Fresh Magic Brewery: Huss Brewing Co. Style: American-style Pale Ale ABV: 5.7 percent A hop picked right off the vine is a beautiful thing — conical, verdant, wonderfully fragrant. But a vast majority of the hops brewers use to make beer don’t look like this. While prized for their…
There’s a decent chance you’re familiar with Watson, IBM’s artificial intelligence computing project. Its most noteworthy public appearance was a few years ago on the classic quiz show Jeopardy!, where it beat the tar out of the game’s two best human players. More recently, the team of people in charge…
It’s probably best to begin by saying any of the claims made in the following post apply only to moderate alcohol consumption. In case you didn’t know, overindulging in spirits and cocktails is actually bad for you. Go figure. Acting as the spirit guide, Last Drop bartender Travis Nass schooled…
The Spot: Rokerij 6335 N. 16th St., Phoenix http://www.burningembersphoenix.com/ The Hours: Happy hour is from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily at the bar. See also: Dick’s Hideaway: Happy Hour Report Card…
Beer: Mars, The Bringer of War Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. Style: Imperial India Pale Ale ABV: 10.1 percent Optional musical accompaniment to this post. Listen while reading and the review will sound WAY more epic. Like most artists, brewers draw inspiration for their work from many different sources. Sometimes the…
Of all of the truly classic cocktails available to the modern drinker, few are as venerable as the Old-Fashioned. The drink itself is close to 200 years old. Back then, if you wanted one, you would ask the barkeep for a whisky cocktail. Back then, the term “cocktail” had a…
The Spot: Chino Bandido 1825 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler http://www.chinobandido.com/ The Hours: Happy hour at the Chandler location is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. See also: 10 Freebies and Other Restaurant Deals in Metro Phoenix…
When I need some kitchen or bar inspiration, one of my favorite things to do is head to an international grocery store. With such a dazzling array of unusual ingredients at my beck and call, I’m sure to find something to kick myself out of whatever rut I might be…
