The Spot: Roka Akor 7299 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale (480) 306-8800 rokaakor.com The Hours: Happy hour is daily from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Perfect For: Japanese fare with a twist, including sushi and sliders; plus discount cocktails, house sake, and Japanese beer. The Interior: Smack dab in in the middle…
The Beer: Choklat The Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company The Skinny: 10 percent ABV; part of the Blackwater Series of beers Southern Tier of Lakewood, New York, is known for its wide array of beers, but it’s the brewery’s Blackwater Series that steals the limelight. Southern Tier is neither timid…
Looking for the next gem to add to your fine wine collection? Then you might want to snag a ticket for J. Levine Auction & Appraisal’s Fostering Hope: A Fine Wine Auction on Saturday, February 13, in Scottsdale. During the event, rare, prized bottles of wine will be auctioned off to…
For the first time in more than five years, Michael Allmandinger will not be tending bar at The Parlor. Allmandinger, who has been running the show at the well-respected cocktail spot since late 2013, has taken a sales job as a Spirit Specialist for Pacific Edge, a wine and craft…
The Spot: Pedal Haus Brewery 730 South Mill Avenue, Tempe 480-314-2337 www.pedalhausbrewery.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Perfect For: Beer and Bavarian-style eats at a massive brewery on Mill Avenue that doesn’t feel like it’s on Mill Avenue. The Interior: Pedal Haus occupies a massive…
The Beer: Duet IPA The Stats: 7.0% ABV; 45 IBU The Brewery: Alpine Brewing Company, a small craft brewery found in the mountains just outside of San Diego, is absolutely beloved by the beer community. The small brewery’s beers were always relatively hard to find, however, so experiencing an Alpine…
A speakeasy-style basement bar in downtown Phoenix? To be honest, it’s been done. But that hasn’t stopped dozens of people from lining up outside Melinda’s Alley, the new cocktail spot at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, every weekend since the hush-hush bar opened early this year. And if you ask…
The Spot: Dirty Martini Bistro & Bar 1140 East Washington Street, Phoenix (602) 566-8959 www.facebook.com/Dirty-Martini-Bistro-Bar-1663459590566089 The Hours: Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday Perfect For: Slightly elevated bar fare with fancy cocktails featuring top shelf liquor at a place that’s close to Chase Field and Talking Stick…
For many Valley residents, winter in Arizona means it’s time to get in the car, drive north, and see some snow. There’s no better place to do that than in Flagstaff, a short two and half hour drive for most Phoenix-area residents, and a city that’s home to a bourgeoning…
Winter has finally come to two of the Valley’s most popular cocktails bars. About two weeks ago, both Crudo and Okra in Phoenix debuted 18 new cocktails that co-owner and head mixologist Micah Olson says are designed with the Valley’s cool season in mind. On the Crudo cocktail menu, you’ll…
It’s hard to call The Rose Room at Valley Bar a speakeasy without provoking a certain level of ire. But there are no red velvet ropes, no password required, and the lack of pretension in the basement lounge is refreshing. Best yet, the cocktails are approachable — as in, devoid…
The Spot: Zu Izakaya Asian Kitchen 2210 N Scottsdale Rd, Tempe (480) 625-4372 zuizakaya.com The Hours: Happy hour is everyday from 4 to 7 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. Perfect For: Inexpensive Asian-inspired bites, cheap sake bombs, and sake. The Interior: It’s hard to believe this is where Italian restaurant…
Not long ago, the Phoenix outpost of the Ritz-Carlton became a thing of the past. One summer later, The Camby was born. It has opened its doors to the public, and directly through those doors lies a modern cocktail bar with a catchy name: The Bee’s Knees. In one word, the…
It’s a chilly Friday morning and Huss Brewery is buzzing. Dozens of women from more than 30 breweries around the state have gathered at the Tempe brewery, each donning swag representing their brewery affiliation. Conversation flows as the smell of the steeping mash fills the room and the women prepare to…
The Beer: Piehole Porter The Brewery: Historic Brewing, Flagstaff The Stats: 6.0% ABV, 20 IBU The Style: Chocolate Brown Porter with cherry and vanilla The Skinny: Piehole Porter is a beer that gets a lot of buzz in the Arizona craft brewing community, and rightfully so. This Brown Porter ends…
You probably know O.H.S.O. as a notoriously dog-friendly destination for craft beer. After all, the restaurant and bar’s original location in Arcadia hosts weekly and monthly events that let home brewers make beers that are then tapped for the community to enjoy, and once a month, the Paradise Valley location…
Get ready to celebrate, Arizona, because Dos Cabezas WineWorks is about to release its latest batch of Sparkling Pink wine. You might remember the popular pink wine from last year — that is, you might if you got your hands on one of the highly sought-after cans. After debuting at…
It’s been a long time since 2010, when famed cocktail personality Jeffrey Morganthaler won big with his Barrel-Aged Negroni and kicked off a trend that would lead to barrel-aging anything and everything — not just whiskey, but also beer and coffee beans and even maple syrup. And after a few years…
The Beer: Gift of the Magi The Brewery: Lost Abbey Brewing Company, San Marcos, CA The Stats: 12.0% ABV The Style: Biere de Garde (French Farmhouse Style Ale) It’s happened to everyone at some point: The anticipation of Christmas morning and the hope of getting that very special gift. The…
The Beer: Winter White Ale The Brewery: Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, Mich. Big beers are usually the name of the game when it comes to winter seasonals, but Bell’s Brewery offers a respite from the high alcohol options prevalent throughout the season with its Winter White Ale. Contrary to what…
Every year, a handful of the Southwest’s top bartenders come to the Valley to compete in a head-to-head competition called Last Slinger Standing. This year, five teams of four bartenders from Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico will take the stage at Culinary Dropout at The Yard at Farmers…
Here are 10 Winter Cocktails — some new, some time-honored, all worth seeking out, even during the most frigid Phoenix winter night. The Spot: Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlor, Downtown Phoenix The Drink: The B&T Martini, pimped with Old Raj Gin The martini may come across as the serious, or…
