Well, they said it would be off-centered. The first annual Beer for Brains Foundation Off-Centered Experience was held Saturday at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, and it was a weird, wild ride. The day began with the toots of horns and the bangs of drums courtesy of the Bad Cactus Brass…
Boots is a talkative guy. Ask him about any of the wines, cocktails or foods on the menu of the cozy uptown Phoenix café St. Francis (111 E. Camelback Road, 602-200-8111) and he’ll talk you ears off, going into great depth about the methods Trappist monks employ to create beer…
The Spot: Iruña, 7217 E First Street, Scottsdale, 480-398-3020 http://www.irunaaz.com/ The Hours: La Hora Feliz is celebrated every day of the week at Iruña, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The Details: Sangria or a Smirnoff-based beverage will run you 3 bucks, while wine, specialty cocktails, and martinis are priced at…
To everything there is a season — a phrase that applies especially to beer. Take a hint from nature. As the leaves begin their annual shift from gold and green to deeper hues, so should your drink. Fall is the season of maerzens, oktoberfests, harvest ales and pumpkin beers, and…
Yesterday we met Charleen Badman, the chef-slash-bartender-slash-plateful-of-awesome who cooks up food and cocktails over at FnB. Today she shares with us the recipe for her Pomegranate Fig Gimlet, which premieres on the cocktail menu this week and makes use of her specialty, a fruit infused vodka. “I use dried Turkish…
The kitchen at FnB restaurant (7133 E. Stetson Dr., 480-254-9463) isn’t where it should be. Rather than safely hidden behind closed doors in a back room, the Scottsdale eatery’s pots, pans, grills and blenders are out in the open, smack in the middle of the Technicolor tile floor. Tiny tables and chairs…
The Spot: Modern Steak, 7014 E. Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, 480-423-7000 http://www.foxrc.com/modern_steak.html The Hours: Happy hour begins at 3 and goes until 6 pm, Monday through Friday. Make sure to snag a seat in the bar since this is the only place in the restaurant where these discounts are good. The…
Yesterday we met Carol Skolnick, the Chicago transplant who mixes classic cocktails at the Duce (525 S. Central Ave., 602-866-3823). Today she shares with us the recipe for the Duce’s Screwdriver. It’s not an original recipe, to be sure, but with fresh-squeezed juices, organic vodka and a grocery store’s worth of…
You fancy yourself a bit of a beer aficionado. You enjoy knowing about different styles and you have your favorite. You’re a regular at Four Peaks and Papago and you’re becoming a regular at Taste of Tops. You can get down with an expensive bottle of Dogfish Head, but you’re…
Housed in a sprawling brick warehouse in downtown Phoenix, The Duce (525 S. Central Ave., 602-866-3823) is difficult to describe. The area — nicknamed “The Deuce” by local cops in the twenties — originally housed produce purveyors by day and speakeasies by night. Today, it feels less like a variety store…
Yesterday we met Travis Nass, whose mustache is almost as epic as his drink-making abilities. Today he dips into the cocktail menu he designed at Rancho Pinot (6208 N. Scottsdale R., 480-367-8030) to share the recipe for the Agave Nectar, a drink whose recipe was inspired at a tasting of local tequila…
Travis Nass fits in perfectly with the southwestern décor of Rancho Pinot (6208 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-367-8030). With his old-timey mustache, bolo tie and immaculately coifed hair, he could be the barkeep at some wild West saloon, serving shots of whiskey to depressed cowboys. Luckily for us, he lives in an…
The Spot: Carlsbad Tavern, 3313 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, 480-970-8164 http://www.azeats.com/carlsbadtavern/ The Hours: Enjoy drink specials and cheap appetizers every day of the week from 3 to 6 pm. Reverse happy hour also kicks in from 10 to 2 am Sunday through Thursday, or 11 to 2 am Friday and…
Yesterday we met Bill DeGroot, the bartender-turned-consultant who designs the cocktails at South Mountain’s Quiessence (6106 S. 32nd St, 602-276-0601). Today he shares the recipe for the Vodka Gimlet, one of the restaurant’s “farmhouse cocktails” that makes use of fresh basil grown feet away on Maya’s Farm. DeGroot says he plans…
Talk to Louis Dolgoff for a moment or two and you’ll understand what a busy guy he is. He’s working on a beer pairing television show for PBS. He continues to orchestrate several ornate, beer-tasting dinners all over the country for Dogfish Head Brewing and then there’s his latest venture:…
Bill DeGroot is an oddity for us here at Behind the Bar, for he no longer works behind the bar at all. A veteran of the cocktail scene for more than 15 years, DeGroot paid his dues at establishments throughout the valley, including Star-Spangled Tavern, Canal, Estate House and Metro Brasserie. He now…
The Spot: Thai Elephant, 815 W University Dr, Tempe, (480) 966-3489 http://thaielephant.qwestoffice.net/ The Hours: Thai Elephant offers Happy Hour every day of the week between 5 and 7 pm. Alas, they no longer offer reverse happy hour. (The website was incorrect when we checked it.) The Details: Domestic beer for…
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…
