The Spot: Twisted Grove 8220 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale (480) 699-0811 www.twistedgrove.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. daily, and offered throughout the restaurant. Perfect For: Getting together with your parents, particularly if you prefer to do that with a stiff drink in your hand. The…
Imagine a 3,000-mile bartending tour across the United States that favors Riverside over Los Angeles, stops in Santa Fe instead of Austin, and chooses Jackson, Boise, and Salt Lake City over Seattle, New Orleans, and the Big Apple. Imagine it’s thrown by reputable cocktail personality and barman Erick Castro of…
The Spot: Valley Bar 130 North Central Avenue (602) 368-3121 valleybarphx.com The Hours: Monday-Friday, 5-7 p.m., and all night on Sundays (6 p.m. to close). Perfect For: Cocktails and bar games with your favorite hipster. Maybe bring your friend with the “Love Phoenix or Leave Phoenix” bumper sticker on her…
Because it’s so un-fussily titled, “Vodka Ice Cream” could conjure up three possible realities in your mind. We saw it on the menu at the recently re-opened Milk Bar, Downtown Phoenix’s new-ish Polish bar and restaurant, and wondered what would come of such a union. Like, you know, “Could it…
Prescott, located about two hours north of Phoenix, welcomed its first wine tasting room last weekend during Prescott Winery’s four-day grand opening event. Filled with live music, small bites, and unique Arizona wines, the quaint winery was crowded with locals and visitors. Located several blocks from Prescott’s historic Whiskey Row,…
Mark your calendars, beer lovers, because you’re not going to want to miss New Times’ second annual NovemBEER Festival. This year, we’ve rounded up nearly 50 breweries for the celebration of craft beer and brewing, which means you’ll have a selection of more than 120 beer options from which to choose. Sounds good, right?…
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: Distrito…
Ever tried sloe Gin? (It’s a sort of reddish-purple color — not clear — if you’re trying to picture it.) If so, then you’ve most likely you’ve had it in a sloe gin fizz (sloe gin, lemon juice, egg white, sugar to taste) since you certainly didn’t order it neat,…
Now in its fourth year of production, the recently released Page Springs 2014 Super Arizona features a few changes from last year’s bottling. An elusive and subtly complex wine, Super Arizona is an excellent representation of why Arizona winemaking is becoming more exciting by the year. It’s easy to draw…
We’re far from the first to predict that sotol is going to be the next big thing. In fact, both sotol and it’s sister spirit, bacanora (a Sonoran spirit that, mind you, will likely become the new sotol), have been awaiting star treatment all summer. Agave-hounds with ears to the…
The Spot: North Italia 4925 North 40th Street 602-324-5600 www.northitaliarestaurant.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day on Sunday Perfect for: Sharing a bottle of wine and some light snacks The Interior: With soaring ceilings and a open-air design, North Italia…
From mulled wine to sangria, wine has been a part of the classic cocktail repertoire for quite some time. And though wine cocktails may not be especially new to the beverage world, wine cocktails currently are trending across the Valley. From syrups to infusions of dessert wine, local bartenders are…
Lately, we’ve noticed a trend: Cocktails in which the bartender could have used gin or vodka but opted instead for white rum. It’s an interesting choice, so we wanted to know, are these clear spirits really interchangeable? And if so, does white rum that can be enjoyed neat actually exist?…
When Aaron May sold Mabel’s on Main to Genuine Concepts — the company that opened four locations of The Vig, as well as The Little Woody and Linger Longer Lounge — nearly one year ago, it left a lot up in the air in the Scottsdale cocktail scene. Mabel’s on…
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to become a winemaker, you might not have to look very far for answers. Located less than two hours north of the Valley, Yavapai College offers Viticulture and Enology programs that give students the ability to study the ins and outs of growing grapes…
It’s tough to imagine a local wine cafe as popular as Postino. There are four locations around the Valley, two in the works for the East Valley, and one more only weeks away from opening its doors in Denver. If you’ve ever been to Postino — and of course you…
What’s the challenge for a mixologist who must create a cocktail list to pair with a Southern-inspired menu filled with rich, smokey and protein-driven courses? To cut through fat and oils that immediately lay foundation on a diner’s palate and reward them with refreshment. In the summertime you could turn…
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: Angry…
Brothers Dimitri and Mike Uhlik are trying to begin a new conversation around a spirit called absinthe — one that, unlike this article, doesn’t need to begin with disclaimers about absinthe’s legal history, or the bohemian rituals that see imitation products (“crapsinthe” to those who know better) dyed green and…
We have some bad news that may come as a shock: Not everyone can be the best. We can’t all medal in the 100-meter, receive Best Actor statuettes, or win American Idol. And when it comes to wine, it’s helpful to remember that we can’t all be master sommeliers. In…
It is the opinion of this blog that measuring weight in pounds is silly. The unit is severely outdated — the Avoirdupois pound, the version of a pound we utilize in the U.S., first went into use in the 14th Century — and the units that make it up are…
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: The Clever…
