A curious reader recently asked me: Why do all you bartenders love Fernet Branca so much? You know, that’s a really good question. I partake in Fernet Branca on a semi-regular basis. I enjoy it enough that I’ve written about cocktails with it. But calling Fernet Branca an acquired taste…
The Spot: Last Drop Bar 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley 602-955-7878 www.hermosainn.com…
Beers: Gregorius; Benno Styles: Belgian Strong Dark Ale; Dubbel Brewery: Stift Engelszell ABV: 9.7; 6.9 If, at some future moment, I am compelled by the holy spirit to give up my house, car and cushy blogging gig for a life on religious contemplation, I think I’ll become a Trappist. Also…
One of my favorite uses for flavored vodka has to be Lemon Drops. As far as drinks go, they’re almost foolproof. I’ll even tolerate low-rent ones made with (gasp!) bottled sour mix. While the vast majority of Lemon Drops out there are at least somewhat drinkable, a well-made one is…
“Join our wine-tasting group,” Pavle Milic offered as I was delivering wine to FnB, the the Old Town Scottsdale restaurant he runs with Charleen Badman. I was in. I am so out of practice, and I just don’t drink a wide range of wine. I live with my wife, my…
The Spot: Salty Sow 4801 East Cactus Road, Phoenix 602-795-9463 www.saltysow.com/…
Beer: Oatmeal Yeti Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. Style: Imperial Stout ABV: 9.5 percent It’s safe at this point to say it: the yeti exists. Scientists were skeptical for many years, but the evidence is overwhelming. Seasonal migration patterns have different species of yeti lumbering right through the middle of…
Up in Canada’s Yukon Territory, a bar is missing its most famous toe. A patron took it home… by swallowing it. Apparently, the long winter nights up in Dawson City are conducive to strange behavior. Back in 1973, one of the bar regulars at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City…
Beer: Velvet Merkin Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Style: Oatmeal Stout ABV: 8.5 While the hair that grows around ladyparts is today mostly thought of as something to be avoided, back in the 15th century, pubes were the bee’s knees. A prostitute with an impressive undercarriage could command an army…
The Spot: House of Tricks 114 East Seventh Street, Tempe 480-968-1114 www.houseoftricks.com…
I had fun writing about triple sec last week. It was one of those articles that almost asked more questions to me than it answered. After all, triple sec is but one liqueur of literally hundreds out there. Why should triple sec have all the fun? Let’s take a look…
I always wonder what people are actually doing when they refer to “the F-word.” I mean, they all know what it means. Why don’t they just say it? It seems to me to reveal a kind of double-standard. When you are watching one of those clips on the news where…
When it comes to market-fresh cocktails with high-quality ingredients, beverage consultant Kim Haasarud knows her way around a bar. As the woman behind Liquid Architecture, a beverage consultancy, she’s helped top restaurants, hotels and spirit brands create one-of-a-kind liquid cuisine. The master mixologist and author has worked with Maxim, P.F…
The Spot: Virtú Honest Craft 3701 North Marshall Way, Scottsdale 480-946-3477 www.virtuscottsdale.com…
Beer: Surette Brewery: Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project Style: Saison ABV: 6.2 percent Another day, another new brewery in Phoenix. This week’s rookie has landed on shelves after a relatively short flight from Denver, but tasting their beers might make you think they came from Belgium. Chad Yakobson, brewer and…
This week, the mailbag fell open to reveal this missive: “I have a bottle of triple sec on my shelf, and I have no idea why I have it. What is it, and what should I do with it?” As you might have guessed by the pictures on labels, triple…
Ever been to Peru or Cuba? Well, now’s your chance. Province restaurant at The Westin Phoenix Downtown has extended its Latin Passport Dinner Series, a tour of several Latin countries with a stellar menu created by executive chef Randy Zweiban. Seats for the remainder of August (Peru) and September (Cuba)…
Sipping in your Chevy by the levee. The heady fragrance of ripe strawberries, your arm around your babe, the song by Deana Carter on the radio drowning out the trance-inducing nighttime crickets under the full moon. Why not? We get asked about fruit wines all the time. A common experience…
Beer: Pilsner Urquell Brewery: Plzensky Prazdroj Style: Bohemian Pilsner ABV: 4.4 percent For good or for ill, there is no brewery that’s affected beer consumption worldwide more than Plzensky Prazdroj. One hundred and seventy-one years ago this November, the Czech brewery introduced pilsner, a beer style with qualities so unique…
More than a few craft bartenders I know have a certain disdain for shots. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a mixed drink with an X-rated name or the bottle of the moment. They sniff that shots are vulgar, more suited to the realm of nightclubs and frat parties than Serious…
Rosé wine is a very divisive topic. A recent New York Times article, Rosé: In Demand, but Not Demanding reports, “If you feel the need for a good, strong bath of cynicism, gather a few sommeliers in summer and discuss rosés. They could give teenagers a few lessons in eye-rolling,…
The Spot: Spoke & Wheel 8525 North Central Avenue 602-870-8860 www.spokeandwheeltavern.com…
