For Helen Ori, bartender at C4 Martini and Wine Bar in Cave Creek, the mix of new and familiar faces from travelers and locals brings something new to her job every day and fuels her inspiration for cocktails.
"I like Cave Creek because everybody knows everybody, it's a close-knit community, but you meet a lot of new people too, tourism is big up here."
A native Phoenician, Ori moved to Cave Creek in 1991. After bartending for 12 years, it's safe to say her mission is clear: sharing a good time and good drinks with good people. The purple cowboy boots Ori can often be spotted wearing not only suit her style, but the bar's fresh and classic philosophy.
What do you enjoy most about bartendng? It's fun-- the different people you meet, and a lot of the people you work with you become really good friends with, you become family. And working in an area where everyone knows everyone is really nice.
What do you like about working in Cave Creek? You get a huge mix of people in Cave Creek, from the bikers, to the cowboys, to the golfers, to the tourists to the regulars. It's a fun area and there's always a lot of fun stuff going on in town like the Halloween Crawl or New Year's Eve Crawl.
Have you had any odd requests from customers? Odd requests? I don't think so, not really other than being asked out to dinner.
Do you have any secret hangover cures? Just the traditional bloody mary the next morning, or drink Pedialyte before you go to bed.
What's your favorite drink to work with? Margaritas. We have a modern margarita on the menu here that uses Tuaca instead of a Grand Marnier as a floater.
What's your favorite tequila? Cruz Tequila. It's a local company, it's always nice to support local businesses.
When you're not bartending what are you doing? Traveling and being a single mom. I have four kids; they're 19, 15, 14 and 7. It's definitely fun and keeps me on my toes.
