Yesterday we met Dave Thorfinnson of Tap’s Cuisine and Bar, the man with a nickname fit for a Viking and a golf-induced sunburn on his cheeks (typical to the Litchfield Park region). Today he shares his recipe for Thor’s Hammer, a potent mix of rum, peach schnapps, and a last…
Across the street from the Wigwam Golf Resort and down from the perfectly-manicured lawns of Litchfield Park, Taps Signature Cuisine and Bar (76 N. Old Litchfield Rd., 623-935-2037) is at the ready with a drink. Specifically, Dave Thorfinnson — or Thor, as he is lovingly called by many of his customers –…
The Spot: Rula Bula, 401 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, 480-929-9500 http://www.rulabula.com The Hours: Rula Bula’s generous happy hour is offered Monday through Saturday from 2 to 7 pm, and on Sundays from 2 pm to close. Reverse happy hour is also offered Tuesday through Thursday from 10 pm to close…
Yesterday we met Gary Koh, Blue Martini’s resident bartender, golfer and straight shooter –with upper-management written all over him. Today he shares the recipe for his original creation, the Scottsdale Princess. “I call it that because it’s a purple drink, and you know how these girls are in this town…
Underneath the giant disco ball, amidst the vast, multi-level interior awash in funky jazz music, next to the rows of clear glass vodka bottles backlit in cool hues of volcano red and electric blue, Gary Koh tends bar. For three years, he’s been a familiar face at Blue Martini (5455 E…
The Spot: Feeney’s, 6314 N. 12th St., Phoenix, 602-274-9700 http://www.feeneysaz.com/ The Hours: Happy hour proper is between 3 and 7 pm during the weekdays, and after the restaurant closes the bar keeps on serving with a reverse happy hour from 11 pm to 2 am. The Details: Four buck appetizers…
Yesterday we met Greg Murphy, W Hotel’s laid-back and garrulous drink maker. A bartender for more than five years, Murphy’s come up with his share of original cocktails, but there are a few he takes special pride in. There’s the Time Machine (made with Ciroc Coconut and Midori), the Denzel…
The seemingly vast community of bartenders in the Valley is smaller than you might think; Greg Murphy got his start at Merc Bar, serving drinks alongside Simon Alam and Sean Snelling. He now crafts cocktails at Scottsdale’s W Hotel (7277 E. Camelback Road, 480-970-2100), where he’s been since the opening on…
The Spot: FEZ, 3815 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, (602) 287-8700 http://www.fezoncentral.com The Hours: Double the hours, double the cheap drinks with a 4 to 6:30 happy hour for the after work crowd or from 10 to close to satisfy the late night CenPho scene. The Details: Two-for-one wells and beer,…
Yesterday we met Sean Snelling, the Aussie who tends and manages the bar at Primebar in the Scottsdale Quarter. Today he shares the recipe for the Whiskey Peach. “We have 16 cocktails on our menu, and most are made with rum or vodka,” Snelling says. “This one’s made with bourbon…
There are few things more attractive than a good accent — the more masculine and foreign-sounding, the better. Sean Snelling, a native of Australia, has one of the best around. Having successfully managed Merc Bar in Phoenix, Snelling recently returned from a four-month hiatus in his home country to man…
The Spot: Pita Jungle (one of ten locations across the Valley), 4340 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-955-7482 http://www.pitajungle.com/ The Hours: Monday through Friday, from 3 to 5:30 pm. Reverse happy hour is every day of the week from 9 pm to close. The Details: Domestic bottled beers for $2,…
More than 500 years ago, German Beer Purity Law decreed that the world’s favorite fermented beverage was to be made with only four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. In recent years, however, the definition of a permissible beer ingredient has expanded somewhat, and brewers worldwide have branched out, throwing…
Yesterday we met Steve Douds, Renegade Canteen’s head bartender, who loves tequila and hates flavored vodka. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Shandygrath, a cocktail he concocted for Renegade’s drink menu and named for Renegade’s chef, Robert McGrath. Made with Grand Canyon Pilsner, Cock n’ Bull Ginger…
If his snowy beard is any indication, Steve Douds has been in the bartending business for a long time. But with the years comes experience, which Douds uses to great effect, competing in — and winning — national bartending competitions. Douds now employs his wisdom at Scottsdale’s Renegade Canteen (9343 E. Shea…
The Spot: Stingray Sushi, 2502 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, (602) 955-2008, http://www.stingraysushi.com The Hours: Between the hours of 3 and 7 pm, Monday through Friday. The Details: $5 sake bombers, $4 wine by the glass, $6 specialty cocktails and carafes of sake at half price. A variety of rolls and…
Yesterday we met Matt Duske, the bespectacled former teacher slinging drinks at the trendy Vig Uptown. Today he shares with us a recipe crafted by Brandon Cooper, a fellow bartender who worked with Duske in Seattle. “A lot of times, girls would come in and ask Brandon to make them a…
Young, bookish and personable, it’s not difficult to imagine Matt Duske at the front of a classroom. And it shouldn’t be, since the bespectacled bartender spent two years teaching math to disgruntled high school students. He recently made the change from enriching minds to enriching livers, and has been at…
The Spot: Mucho Gusto Taqueria & Mexican Bistro, 603 W. University Dr., Tempe, (480) 921-1850 http://muchogusto1.com The Hours: Between 3 and 6 pm, Monday through Friday. The Details: $3 booze and $5 appetizers. Choose from the house margarita, house wine, or a Dos Equis draft and snag one of about…
Yesterday we met Simon Alam, the man handling the bottles at Merc Bar. Today he treats us the Caipirinha, a drink he was kind enough to share some history on: “The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail. It’s made with cachaca, the most common distilled alcoholic beverage. While rum is made…
For eight years, Simon Alam has been something of a legend at Phoenix’s trendy Merc Bar (2525 E. Camelback, 602-508-9449), serving drinks to stars and regular schmucks alike amidst groovy music and lighting so dim you feel like you’re in a vampire coven. It’s an ambiance that suits Alam, as he…
The Spot: Trader Vic’s, 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale, (480) 421-7799 http://www.hotelvalleyho.com/scottsdalerestaurants/tradervics.html The Hours: Every day of the week from 4 to 6 pm and again from 9 to 11 pm. The Details: Retro-priced apps ranging from $1 (roasted garlic hummus, edamame) to $3 (a variety of surf and turf…
