As a native Phoenician working in the hospitality industry during the late aughts, Jason Asher began noticing a pattern among his peers. After getting their start at prominent Arizona establishments, they’d ultimately leave for a job in a larger city.
“The perspective was always, ‘I can't grow my career here, so I'm gonna move away,’” Kailee Asher, Jason Asher’s business partner and wife, explains.
Jason spent the next decade working with other notable Valley bartenders and restauranteurs to cultivate a strong craft cocktail scene in his home state — one he hoped would retain rising talent and give the community a point of pride.
In 2015, Jason Asher and Rich Furnari founded Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality, now known as Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment. Since then, the group has launched multiple Valley hotspots, each known for their inventive drink menus and immersive themes. The company currently owns and operates Platform 18 at Century Grand, UnderTow and The Grey Hen Rx, all cocktail bars that frequently earn praise from local outlets.
After years of Arizona-focused acclaim, national tastemakers took note. In addition to a recent feature in Bon Appétit, Platform 18 was named one of North America’s 50 Best Bars on May 4. Coming in at no. 48, it was the only bar from Arizona to make this year’s list.
The judging panel was composed of 260 North American industry professionals, making the win all the more satisfying for the Barter & Shake team.
“That means the world to us,” Kailee says. “We created an incredible hospitality experience for multiple people, and [our peers] wanted to recognize us.”
Touted as one of the most unique concepts on the list, Platform 18 features an interior modeled after a Presidential Pullman train car, complete with digital window screens showcasing scenic landscapes. Through a 90-minute journey, guests are immersed into the world of Hollis Cottley Pennington, a fictitious hero conducting business in New Orleans during Prohibition. Each year, the team aims to create a new story for their central character, with a new set of drinks to enjoy.
“You can take elements of the [historical] truth and turn it into this fictional narrative. And that's the one thing we essentially did,” Kailee explains.
For the grand opening, the team set the scene in New Orleans due to its significance as the oldest cocktail city in the U.S. They featured their takes on classic Crescent City drinks through the lens of a fictional character’s estate sale. To help get the word out ahead of the opening, the team ran an ad about an estate sale for a Mr. Bartholomew Sugarman and hosted it at the bar.
“People would show up … trying to buy antiques, but then say, ‘Oh, fuck it, I’ll go drink at the bar.’ It was really strange,” Kailee recalls with a laugh.
Although it permanently closed in 2017, Counter Intuitive was just the beginning for the Barter & Shake team. The group opened UnderTow in 2016 in the basement of Sip Coffee in Phoenix.
When the opportunity to acquire a larger building next door presented itself, Asher and Furnari began thinking of other uses for the space. Kailee recalls the duo stepping into the building and being reminded of a large train station.
“They immediately were like, ‘How can we create a story around a train station? Can we build a fake train?’” she says.
They found their through-line in the story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Before the team began working on the beverage menu, they created an entirely fictional narrative around the aforementioned Mr. Pennington’s life in the South.
“All of the ingredients and the flavors we use have to correlate with that location,” Kailee says. “It's all about the sense of time and place.”
Platform 18’s story takes place in and out of the bayous of Louisiana, explains Executive Vice President of Operations, and the narrative's author, Mat Snapp, so the cocktail menu focuses on drinks that are “refreshing and light, with a nod to Cajun, Creole and warm-weather standards.” Guests will find twists on prohibition-era favorites, like the Hot Pants and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, alongside a vast selection of original drinks.
“The perspective was always, ‘I can't grow my career here, so I'm gonna move away,’” Kailee Asher, Jason Asher’s business partner and wife, explains.
Jason spent the next decade working with other notable Valley bartenders and restauranteurs to cultivate a strong craft cocktail scene in his home state — one he hoped would retain rising talent and give the community a point of pride.
In 2015, Jason Asher and Rich Furnari founded Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality, now known as Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment. Since then, the group has launched multiple Valley hotspots, each known for their inventive drink menus and immersive themes. The company currently owns and operates Platform 18 at Century Grand, UnderTow and The Grey Hen Rx, all cocktail bars that frequently earn praise from local outlets.
After years of Arizona-focused acclaim, national tastemakers took note. In addition to a recent feature in Bon Appétit, Platform 18 was named one of North America’s 50 Best Bars on May 4. Coming in at no. 48, it was the only bar from Arizona to make this year’s list.
Barter & Shake Director of Bar Operations Jax Donahue and Kailee Asher celebrated Platform 18's win at the award ceremony for North America's 50 Best Bars.
Kailee Asher
“That means the world to us,” Kailee says. “We created an incredible hospitality experience for multiple people, and [our peers] wanted to recognize us.”
Touted as one of the most unique concepts on the list, Platform 18 features an interior modeled after a Presidential Pullman train car, complete with digital window screens showcasing scenic landscapes. Through a 90-minute journey, guests are immersed into the world of Hollis Cottley Pennington, a fictitious hero conducting business in New Orleans during Prohibition. Each year, the team aims to create a new story for their central character, with a new set of drinks to enjoy.
Learning history through immersion
As an avid history buff, Jason enjoys learning about the past as much as he enjoys a good cocktail, Kailee says. When he began working with Barter & Shake co-founder Rich Furnari, the two bonded over their shared love of both things. This led to the establishment of Counter Intuitive in 2015, a bar that changed its concept multiple times per year. Open two days a week, the bar allowed the duo to indulge their penchant for exploring history through imbibing.“You can take elements of the [historical] truth and turn it into this fictional narrative. And that's the one thing we essentially did,” Kailee explains.
For the grand opening, the team set the scene in New Orleans due to its significance as the oldest cocktail city in the U.S. They featured their takes on classic Crescent City drinks through the lens of a fictional character’s estate sale. To help get the word out ahead of the opening, the team ran an ad about an estate sale for a Mr. Bartholomew Sugarman and hosted it at the bar.
“People would show up … trying to buy antiques, but then say, ‘Oh, fuck it, I’ll go drink at the bar.’ It was really strange,” Kailee recalls with a laugh.
Although it permanently closed in 2017, Counter Intuitive was just the beginning for the Barter & Shake team. The group opened UnderTow in 2016 in the basement of Sip Coffee in Phoenix.
When the opportunity to acquire a larger building next door presented itself, Asher and Furnari began thinking of other uses for the space. Kailee recalls the duo stepping into the building and being reminded of a large train station.
“They immediately were like, ‘How can we create a story around a train station? Can we build a fake train?’” she says.
They found their through-line in the story of the Transcontinental Railroad. Before the team began working on the beverage menu, they created an entirely fictional narrative around the aforementioned Mr. Pennington’s life in the South.
“All of the ingredients and the flavors we use have to correlate with that location,” Kailee says. “It's all about the sense of time and place.”
Platform 18’s story takes place in and out of the bayous of Louisiana, explains Executive Vice President of Operations, and the narrative's author, Mat Snapp, so the cocktail menu focuses on drinks that are “refreshing and light, with a nod to Cajun, Creole and warm-weather standards.” Guests will find twists on prohibition-era favorites, like the Hot Pants and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, alongside a vast selection of original drinks.
Blame the Dutch is an original Platform 18 drink modeled after a Thai soup.
Barter & Shake Cocktail Entertainment
One of the team’s favorite creations is the Blame the Dutch, which features a coconut oil-washed gin, makrut lime, chile oil, lemongrass and ginger. Jason Asher explains the beverage is inspired by tom kha gai, a sour yet fragrant Thai soup. Similar to the dish, this drink features a dash of chile oil that floats on the top of the surface.
“The cocktail is light, but still brings the most complexity we possibly could,” he adds.
“The cocktail is light, but still brings the most complexity we possibly could,” he adds.
Wondering why a drink inspired by a Thai dish is on the menu of a bar inspired by prohibition-era New Orleans? Look no further than the history books. The Transcontinental Railroad was built off the labor of freed slaves and immigrants, many of whom were from Asian countries. With this cocktail, the team pays homage to the people who contributed to the United States' westward expansion.
“We wanted to find a creative way to tell the stories of the people that built the railroad [versus] the rich white dudes,” Kailee says. “We collectively believe if you don't learn from history, you allow it to repeat itself.”
It’s been reported that Barter & Shake is opening another Platform 18 in Tucson, but at this point, it’s too early to tell. Kailee explains that the team signed a Letter of Intent with the City of Tucson, but are still conducting market research to gauge what concept would be the right fit, if any.
“If Barter & Shake and Platform 18 go to Tucson — and there's a high probability that it will — this project is not slated for completion until 2024 or 2025,” Kailee says. “We've got a long road ahead.”
In the meantime, the team hopes to coordinate pop-up events in other markets or host fellow bartenders for collaborations. Above all, they want to focus on finding innovative ways to elevate their award-winning concept to new heights.
"My husband is very competitive," Kailee says. "The first thing he said [after winning the award] was, 'How are we going to get higher on the list next year?'"
“We wanted to find a creative way to tell the stories of the people that built the railroad [versus] the rich white dudes,” Kailee says. “We collectively believe if you don't learn from history, you allow it to repeat itself.”
Looking to the future
Off the heels of their win, the team is turning their attention away from the past and towards the future. They’re optimistic about the possibilities for expansion that could come from their new accolade and are currently weighing a few options.It’s been reported that Barter & Shake is opening another Platform 18 in Tucson, but at this point, it’s too early to tell. Kailee explains that the team signed a Letter of Intent with the City of Tucson, but are still conducting market research to gauge what concept would be the right fit, if any.
“If Barter & Shake and Platform 18 go to Tucson — and there's a high probability that it will — this project is not slated for completion until 2024 or 2025,” Kailee says. “We've got a long road ahead.”
In the meantime, the team hopes to coordinate pop-up events in other markets or host fellow bartenders for collaborations. Above all, they want to focus on finding innovative ways to elevate their award-winning concept to new heights.
"My husband is very competitive," Kailee says. "The first thing he said [after winning the award] was, 'How are we going to get higher on the list next year?'"
Platform 18 at Century Grand
3626 E. Indian School Road
centurygrandphx.com
centurygrandphx.com
