Part of writing this column, and of bartending, is keeping abreast of booze trends. One would have to live under a rock to not know that flavored vodka is massively popular. Take a look at almost any back bar in town, and there’s a wide array of flavors from classic…
Beer: Sunbru Brewery: Four Peaks Brewing Co. Style: Kolsch ABV: 5.2 percent If you people are any part the beer geeks you claim to be, you’ll journey outside your homes on Saturday, May 18, into the increasingly balmy summer air and over to the AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival. You’ll…
Here I go again with drinks with weird names. Hanky Panky? It manages to be hopelessly outdated, yet still carries a lurid aura with it. The origin of the drink’s name is a bit more innocent. It goes back to the early 20th century, at the American Bar in London’s…
You’ve probably seen the meme about wine and cooking: “I tried cooking with wine for the first time last night. After 5 glasses, I forgot why I was in the kitchen.” Even if this is you, have no fear. General “cooking with wine” rules including things like “don’t use cheap…
Why Arizona wine? In 2000 — the year I planted my first vineyard at the end of a lonely, dusty road in Cochise County, 12 miles south of Willcox — one of the 10 Best ‘How to Lose Money’ jokes on Saturday Night Live was: Plant a Vineyard In Arizona…
The Spot: Pig & Pickle 2922 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale 480-990-1407 www.pigandpickle.com See Also: – Bink’s Midtown in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card – Scottsdale’s Pig & Pickle a Culinary Power to the People – Perk Eatery and Barrio Cafe Scheduled for Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in May…
Beer: Ten FIDY Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery Style: Imperial Stout ABV: 10.5 percent As we inch ever closer to the third-annual AmeriCAN Canned Craft Beer Festival, our discussion of aluminum cylinders continues, and it’s only right that, at this point, we bring up Oskar Blues. See also: – 2013 AmeriCAN…
This weekend, brace your livers for impact. Sunday is Cinco de Drinko Mayo. Thankfully, I already have that base covered with how to make an awesome margarita. But first, it’s time to get out your ludicrously oversized hats for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. If it’s time for the Derby,…
Beer: Bitter American Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery Style: American Pale Ale ABV: 4.4 percent Welcome back to Craft Beer OTW, where our discussion of canned craft beer continues. Now, it’s come to my attention that despite my very convincing proselytizing on canned craft beer’s behalf, there are still plenty of…
The Spot: Bink’s Midtown 2320 East Osborn Road, Phoenix 602-388-4874 www.binksmidtown.com See Also: – Scratch in Downtown Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card – Sam Pillsbury Spills on the Reason He Landed in Arizona, and Launches a Wine Column for Chow Bella – Bink’s Midtown Is a Must (Especially When It…
For more than a year now, Shady’s bartender and regular Chow Bella contributor JK Grence, has been providing invaluable advice to the alcohol-infused masses with his “Last Call” column. Considering this grand milestone, we decided to take a look back at some of his best tips as we head into…
I just took a look at the calendar, and realized that Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. Never mind that it’s barely a blip on the radar in Mexico; around here, it’s become Cinco de Drinko, where it’s socially acceptable to get wasted on crummy margaritas and horrible…
This week we introduce a new, occasional wine column by one of the best-known Arizona winemakers, Sam Pillsbury. Welcome to Spillsbury. When managing editor Amy Silverman asked me to write for Chow Bella and New Times, I had to stop and think how that was going to work. I think…
Beer: Jai Alai Brewery: Cigar City Brewing Co. Style: American IPA ABV: 7.5 percent The journey from brew kettle to drinking vessel is long and hard, and not all beer gets there in perfect condition. To taste right, a beer must battle many foes along the way: diacetyl, a yeast…
Heather HochThe Spot: Scratch 1011 North Third Street, 602-252-8900, www.scratchpastries.com See Also: – Bonjour Vietnam in Downtown Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card – The Anatomy of a Macaron with Duc Liao of Scratch Pastries…
We’re constantly looking for reasons to make our way over to Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn, a gem of a hotel with a kick-ass bar to boot. This summer, Lon’s is offering a monthly wine-tasting series for everyone from vino newbies to those with experienced palates — and all for…
Around the bar, it seems that this season’s official cocktail is the Moscow Mule. Over the past few weeks, its popularity has skyrocketed. I’m a little surprised that people often say I make a really good one. It’s such a simple drink, anyone should be able to put together a…
Hey, wine lovers: Do the wine terms “minerality,” “leathery,” and “chunky” confuse you? If your answer is “yes” or “maybe,” you are not alone, according to a new study. According to The Telegraph, a survey conducted for Laithwaite’s Wine asked respondents to rank terms and phrases used to describe wine…
beerpulse.com Beer: Class of ’88 Barleywine Brewery: Deschutes Brewery/North Coast Brewing Co./Rogue Ales Style: American Barleywine ABV: 10 percent Hello, out there! Today, we step into the WayBack Machine to take a look at craft beer’s past, all the way back to the year 1988. Times were good — Prozac…
The Spot: Bonjour Vietnam 202 North Central Avenue 602-252-1223 www.hotelsancarlos.com/dining See Also: – La Condesa in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card – Pallets, a Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese Restaurant, Opens on Roosevelt Row – 10 Favorite Vietnamese Restaurants in Greater Phoenix The Hours: Happy Hour is offered Monday through Friday…
Certain times of the year call for certain beverages. You have your Christmas egg nog, margaritas aplenty for Cinco de Drinko, and countless other excuses through the year to knock back a drink. One day that needs no excuse is, of course, April 15. The mere mention strikes dread in…
The Spot: La Condesa 1919 North 16th Street 602-254-6330 www.lacondesatacoshop.com See Also: – 10 Best Margaritas in Metro Phoenix – Dick’s Hideaway: Happy Hour Report Card – The Hunt for Fresh Mexican Coconut in Metro Phoenix Is Over The Hours: Happy Hour is offered Monday through Friday from 3 until…
