Valley residents have a lot less distance to cover to get to taste wines from Wilcox-based winery Carlson Creek Vineyard. As of last week, the family-owned winery will pour tastes of its award-winning wines at its Old Town Scottsdale tasting room, located at 4142 North Marshall Way. The new space is…
The Beer: Luponic Distortion, Revolution No. 001 The Brewery: Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA The Stats: 5.9%, 59 IBU Notes: First in a series of new revolving hop beers Firestone Walker has always been a trend-setter in the craft beer industry, and with the introduction of Luponic Distortion,…
Lately it seems Phoenix’s craft cocktail spots have been racing to fold as much tiki influence into their menus as possible. Because, while a few traditional renderings of the nearly 100-year-old subculture do exist around town — Hula’s may be as close as things get or the lo-fi experience at…
The Spot: The Strand Urban Italian CityScape, 2 East Jefferson Streetwww.thestranditalian.com The Hours: Happy hour at The Strand runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but is not valid during “major events” around CityScape (like baseball games) Perfect for: Mid-range Italian conveniently located in Cityscape, with options for…
The Beer: Marzen lager The Brewery: Gordon Biersch Brewery, SanTan Village, Gilbert, AZ The Stats: 5.7% ABV; 18 IBU History: Marzen is the German word for “March,” named so because it was in March when this style of beer was traditionally brewed before refrigeration. German brewers would brew the beer,…
Despite a recent emphasis on armchair-destined, Mad Men-era drinks, cocktail bars aiming for casually modern and sleek atmospheres have largely ditched any form of comfort that resembles a cushioned seat. Fortunately, that isn’t the case at Honor Amongst Thieves, the Valley’s newest cocktail destination located at uptown Phoenix’s The Colony. Here,…
Each week we venture to a new restaurant to check out what the spot has to offer during our favorite time of day — happy hour. Whether it’s affordable appetizers, delicious drinks, jaw-dropping deals, or none of the above, we’ll check out the situation and report back. The Spot: Rita’s…
In case you haven’t already heard, Tucson has a lot more to offer than drunk college students and mouthwatering border cuisine. In fact, our neighbors to the south are fostering an impressively compelling restaurant scene and, with it, a stage for captivating cocktails. Here are five places where you’ll want…
The Spot: Cibo 603 North Fifth Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85003 www.cibophoenix.com The Hours: Cibo’s happy hour is offered throughout the restaurant from Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Perfect For: Date night, dinner with the family, or grabbing a bite before the game or concert downtown. The Interior:…
The Beer: Scottsdale Blonde The Brewery: Huss Brewing Company The Stats: 4.7% ABV; 16 IBU Huss Brewing Company is the brainchild of Jeff Huss and his wife, Leah, both local beer industry veterans. Jeff was formerly head brewer for BJ’s Brewery of Chandler and is a Siebel Institute of Brewing…
In mid-May, The Breadfruit and Rum Bar debuted a new summer food and drink menu. As anyone who’s even visited the downtown eatery knows, the bar is calm, steady, and refreshing — just like summer drinking — which makes it an ideal destination for exactly that. Inside, you’ll find ice-cold classics, excellent daiquiris, decadent piña…
The Spot: Southern Rail Restaurant 300 West Camelback Road, Phoenix www.southernrailaz.com The Hours: Social hour — as it’s called at Southern Rail — food specials run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., while drink specials run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Perfect for: A sunny day, a sweet cocktail,…
If you drink beer, you’ve probably had an IPA. IPA, short for India Pale Ale, dominates sales in the craft beer world. In 2008, IPA was clearly the most popular category of craft beer — and if you fast forward eight years to today, its total sales have increased twenty-fold…
The Beer: Reissdorf Kolsch The Brewery: Reissdorf Brauerei, Koln, Germany The Stats: 4.8% ABV, approximately 25 IBU The History: Back in 1986, 24 of the main brewers of kolsch in Koln, Germany enacted a proclamation known as the Kolsch Konvention, which decrees that only beers produced within the city limits can officially use the…
Ladies and gentleman, it’s officially here. The months you’ve been waiting for. Summer. An iced beverage could never be more refreshing, more welcome than it will be over these next dozen weeks. So, skip the hard lemonade — heck, skip the regular lemonade while you’re at it — and get…
Porters — as in, the style of beer — originated in the United Kingdom several centuries ago as a way to appease the working class. The beer gets its name from the porters that carried goods around the streets of London, rough and tumble workers who wanted something more substantial…
The Spot: Buck &Rider 4225 East Camelback Road, Phoenix www.buckandrider.com The Hours: Catch happy hour at Buck &Rider on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the oyster bar area. In the main dining room, drinks are on happy-hour pricing from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (no food), and…
The Beer: Hatch Chile Gatos The Brewery: Fate Brewing Company, Scottsdale, AZ The Stats: 4.5% ABV; 23 IBU The Style: Cream ales are easy drinking, very refreshing, low alcohol beers typically consumed in quantity during the warm season. They are considered to be “hybrid” beers, meaning they have characteristics of…
The Spot: TQLA 1840 South Val Vista Drive, Mesa www.tqla.com/locations/mesa-gilbert The Hours: Happy hour at TQLA is from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 p.m. until close on Friday and Saturdays Perfect for: Fruity margaritas and satisfying, cheesy appetizers. The Interior: TQLA is located at the Dana…
The Beer: Sirius Black Russian Imperial Stout The Brewery: Four Peaks Brewing Company, Tempe, AZ The Stats: 9.5% ABV Appearance: Black and opaque with a head that disappears as quickly as a shooting star, this beer conveys intensity as it sits in its tulip glass, almost daring you to take…
Beer fans have probably noticed an increasing number of gose (pronounced “goze-uh”) beers popping up at breweries across the country. And while the style’s name has likely created many an embarrassing situation familiar to fans of Bon Iver (it’s pronounced “bone-ee-VARE” by the way), the roots of the style’s name…
The Spot: The Rogue Tomato 18561 North 59th Avenue, #122, Glendale www.theroguetomato.com The Hours: Happy hour runs every day from 4 to 6 p.m. and until close on Mondays. A reverse happy hour on Fridays goes from 8 p.m. until close. Perfect for: Small snacks and refreshing cocktails in a…
