Let’s take one last look back, shall we? That’s what we was thinking when we walked into Taste of Tops on January 1, 2010. 2009 was a challenging year and not just because of $5 gas, a struggling economy and even more reality show bullshit than we thought possible. No,…
Yesterday, Brewmaster Uwe Boer opened a door in to his home-brewing past by tapping a new seasonal at Sun Up Brewing. Named by a Sun Up staffer, The Nut Before Christmas Brown Ale is an English Brown ale that uses mostly ingredients produced in the GMT time zone. We had…
“It tastes like Chocolate World,” she said referring to Rogue Brewing’s Chocolate Stout. Not having been there ourselves, we asked our dining companion to elaborate on the Pennsylvania-based chocolate theme park that (apparently) takes one on a delicious journey from growing cacao through to the consumption of a delicious chocolate…
Then again, if you had his job of tending bar and pouring drinks for the booful babes, captain of industry, and other top-shelf clientele who frequent Scottsdale’s snazzy Olive & Ivy on a regular basis, it probably wouldn’t be much of a challenge clocking in for your shift. The 27-year-old…
Thanksgiving is a time for coming together with the ones you love: your friends, your parents, you in-laws, those family friends who are guaranteed to strike up an awkward conversation with you, your crazy uncle who just wants to tell you stories about “the war” (which he may never have…
Times are tough and sacrifices must be made. What do we mean? Take the simple birthday gift. For our upcoming birthday, our roommate opted not to buy us a present. Truth be told, his funds are tight and so are ours (so he won’t be getting much either for his…
Belle Alvarez admits she doesn’t believe in vampires, period. It doesn’t matter if they’re the vintage bloodsuckers you read about in Bram Stoker’s tomes or the more sparkly sanguinators that will be flying across silver screens this weekend in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. According to the 28-year-old, they just don’t…
What do you do when faced with multiple beers from multiple breweries? That’s right, drink ’em all! That’s precisely what we (attempted) to do at Draft Magazine’s The Big Pour last weekend. The beer festival took place at The Waterfront in Scottsdale and attracted a crowd of folks ranging from…
To be honest, I was dead set on reviewing Left Hand Brewing’s Milk Stout today, but I’m so totally enthralled by the awesome Web site Left Hand has that I’m not sure I’ll be able to move past it. It’s a wonderfully complex site that incorporates video into a clean…
We have a theory as to why Draft Magazine’s The Big Pour runs from today through Saturday and not Friday through Sunday: So that we may have a day to recover. Seriously, the event promises “hundreds of craft beers.” I’m not sure that I can drink that many, but for…
Beer? In the mail? Yes. Once again I have received a blessing in the form of liquid gold from the brewery gods…or so I thought. The bottles had all the telling signs of something enjoyable. One embossed with the words “Rye P.A.,” the other promising “Bavarian Wheat” goodness. Then I…
As a former MC for mostly-defunct Valley hip-hop ensemble Antedote, the gifted lyricist (who went by the moniker Many Pieces) was renowned for his silver-tongued flows and fly rapping ability. These days, however, the 33-year-old has been impressing patrons aplenty at the Old Town eatery and martini bar with his…
Dar is a class act. She never forgets your drink and is as pleasant as can be. She’s a top notch bartender, and is atrociously gorgeous. This isn’t how Darlene (or “Dar” as she’s more commonly known) Bieling describes herself, nor is it my own personal judgment upon meeting her…
The Rhythm Room has built a reputation over the past two decades as the Valley’s premier destination to hear the best in rootsy, down-home music like the blues, Americana, and rockabilly. But what about its drinks? Not so much. That’s not to say that bartender Mona Watkins doesn’has never gotten…
Like any bartending pro, Mona Watkins has a cadre of regulars and knows their preferred poison by heart. Thing is, a good chunk of her return customers are bit more noteworthy than your garden-variety barfly or martini sipper. As one of the main barkeeps and manager at the Rhythm Room,…
The Turf Restaurant and Pub may be an Irish bar, but Jameson and Guinness are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Turf’s list o’ libations. No matter what yer poison, The Turf’s bartenders can make it–and they don’t need a bevy of “house cocktails” to…
There are people who tend bar, and then there are bartenders. Both can mix you a drink and take your money, but a true bartender wears more hats than a balding boy band. One must learn to be drink-maker, host, counselor, server, cashier, bouncer, manager, custodian, concierge and friend (often…
Poker is a strange beast. People behave differently when in addition to competing for glory there’s a bit of money involved. They get almost religious about certain little customs and superstitious behaviors. You’ve got the guy who shuffles chips cause he believes it’ll intimidate the competition. Then you’ve got the…
So is there any difference in serving suds in either town? Not much, King says.”It’s pretty much the same thing in either city. It’s pop a beer, pour a shot. That’s what everybody wants. They’re looking to get to a certain place and alcohol gets them there. They just want…
Tyler King is one tough-looking hombre. Sporting a tee shirt for notorious New Jersey hardcore band Shattered Realm and innumerable tattoos covering his burly frame from head to toe, the 38-year-old bartender at Jugheads looks like someone you’d wouldn’t wanna challenge to a fight. Instead, try challenging him to whisk…
The anticipation has been building for months, but we’re happy to report that Taste of Tops has finally opened right next door to Tops Liquor in Tempe. The new neighborhood bar opened last night at 6 p.m. to a crowd of thirsty, Tempe citizens. As we reported way back in July,…
Linda Q. Chu doesn’t just serve the numerous cocktails, martinis and saketinis at Sens Asain Tapas & Sake Bar–she also invented them. As an ASU graduate in international business, the restaurant industry wasn’t even on Chu’s radar. But her career path wasn’t a change of mind so much as a…
