Mike Bunker’s concoctions at The Mission in Old Town are often sweet, often strong, and almost always delivered with a touch of flair. “I feel like I have a good palate for cocktails,” he says. “And I like to drink, so it just fits.” The self-proclaimed mixologist and well-seasoned bartender…
When a girl came up to Mike Bunker, asking the question he most dreads when he’s behind the bar, he gave her a drink he called “A Punch in the Head.” Funny, from a bartender who minored in Religious Studies in college. The girl told him: “Make me whatever you…
Hit print on this one, people. Or at least cut and paste. Here’s your guide to good happy hour deals across the Valley, with food and drink from around the world, at all levels of sophistication. Happy Monday. 1.Rosie McCaffrey’s 906 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix 602-241-1916 Good Irish pubs are…
This week we checked out the beers on tap at Santan Brewing in Downtown Chandler. Yup! We ventured far into the depths of Chandler to bring you this week’s update. At last weekend’s Craft Brewing Festival we ran into some Santan Brewers keen on their Strawberry Wit. To see what…
It turns out you can’t please everyone. I think we can agree one a few things, thought. For example: I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream. We also scream and shout and salivate at the thought of great beer. What if I told you that I combined…
“It’s not just about vodka and Red Bull” any more, according to Dave Johnson, sommelier at Sol y Sombra. The emergent cocktail culture that’s dominating the bar scene today, he says, goes back beyond Prohibition, to the Gilded and Edwardian Ages (the “flowering zenith” of the Cocktail Age, as he…
In case you were wondering: Gin was the first flavored vodka; the word “sommelier” originally meant “keeper of pack animals;” and organic spirits will be the next big wave in designer drinks. Oh, and Grey Goose is not any better than any other vodka — it’s all marketing. That is…
Choosing the right horse requires a lot of luck and a certain willingness to watch your already mentally-spent earnings fail to materialize. That’s why I took a different gamble at Turf Paradise Race Track this weekend and thought I’d try my luck with a bunch of micro brew enthusiasts instead…
This week we checked out the beers on tap at The Roosevelt in Downtown Phoenix. How does the house ale stack up to the other Summer beers we’ve tried this month? Check out the slide show to find out. Check out the updated slide show to cast your vote via…
Bow your heads, gents. It’s once again time to pay tribute to the sweet nectar of the heavens we call “beer.” Why the religious overtone? I’m reviewing a brew named for a Saint. St. Peter’s Old-Style Porter comes from “Britain’s finest small brewery” situated in the St. Peter’s Hall in…
As per @deonadee’s request, I checked out Sonora Brewhouse this week to find their best Summer beer selections. My discoveries: Armadillo Red Ale, Hefeweizen, and Stinger Pale Ale. Check out the updated slide show to cast your vote via e-mail or twitter…
This Summer Beer Quest is taking a toll on me. Don’t think for a minute that I’m complaining about writing and (in this case) photographing beer around our fair city. Far from it. It’s the subsequent eating that’s such a drag later on. Take the Sonora Brewhouse for example. Sun…
For week two of our Summer Beer Quest, we spoke with Gordon Biersch Brew Master Dieter Foerstner about his favorite brews during the hotter months. He admitted to us that he prefers “yellow, fizzy beers” and recommended a few including the Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen which we thought was pretty darn…
When you’re looking for a new beer to try it seems like everyone under the sun has a bottle they’d like to uncap and shove in your mouth. Answers to the question “what beer should I drink,” are endless. That’s why we prefer recommendations secure in their justification. Take Sierra…
“A quest,” you ask? That’s right. We’re on the lookout for the ten best Summer beers and we’re putting our feet to the pavement to ask local brew masters and bartenders what they drink during the hottest of seasons. The Plan: For the next two months, we’ll be updating our Summer Beer…
Maybe I took a few too many bocce balls to the Noggin at the Dogifh Head Intergalactic Bocce Tournament a few weeks ago, but I’ve had the stuff on my mind ever since. Specifically the Aprihop which Dogfish Head describes as “a serious India Pale Ale brewed with real apricots.”…
There comes a time when one must return to basics to see how far they’ve come. I felt that my beer-swilling compatriots and I had become too comfortable drinking beers that, frankly, don’t suck. How can we review good beers without the taste of vile brews fresh in our memories?…
“Deathly pale” is not a phrase that appears in everyday conversation very often. In fact the only example I can think of occurred the last time I visited a beach. It was uttered from some nearby ladies as my physique built on my Irish heritage approached the surf. It stung…
This weekend, Earth’s mightiest heroes assembled to drink delicious beer and play bocce ball. At least that’s what the scene seemed to be from a distance, but as I moved closer I realized that appearances truly are deceiving. The Flash was wearing a trench coat and had an extremely fake…
Two brews stepped up to the field of battle. One armed himself with the tastiness of the humble blackbeery while the other trained his dark coffee flavor on his opponent. In the end, only one would remain and that victor is none other than Samuel Adams’ Blackberry Witbier. Competing against…
It’s tough to miss the buzz: A trip to The Wrigley Mansion can be soft on your wallet. But the oft-reported negotiable lunch (‘pay what you think is fair’) isn’t the only deal on the menu. During lunch, selected bottles of wine are half-price. And Tuesday through Saturday, the lunch…
There is no shortage of rogues at Phoenix New Times. No, I don’t mean scoundrels (mostly), I mean fans of Rogue Brewing; that Portland-produced product that has regularly scored high marks in the Brew Review. My group of journalistic comrades and I have tried the Juniper Ale and Dead Guy Ale…
