It’s been a long time since 2010, when famed cocktail personality Jeffrey Morganthaler won big with his Barrel-Aged Negroni and kicked off a trend that would lead to barrel-aging anything and everything — not just whiskey, but also beer and coffee beans and even maple syrup. And after a few years…
The Beer: Gift of the Magi The Brewery: Lost Abbey Brewing Company, San Marcos, CA The Stats: 12.0% ABV The Style: Biere de Garde (French Farmhouse Style Ale) It’s happened to everyone at some point: The anticipation of Christmas morning and the hope of getting that very special gift. The…
The Beer: Winter White Ale The Brewery: Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, Mich. Big beers are usually the name of the game when it comes to winter seasonals, but Bell’s Brewery offers a respite from the high alcohol options prevalent throughout the season with its Winter White Ale. Contrary to what…
Every year, a handful of the Southwest’s top bartenders come to the Valley to compete in a head-to-head competition called Last Slinger Standing. This year, five teams of four bartenders from Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico will take the stage at Culinary Dropout at The Yard at Farmers…
Here are 10 Winter Cocktails — some new, some time-honored, all worth seeking out, even during the most frigid Phoenix winter night. The Spot: Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlor, Downtown Phoenix The Drink: The B&T Martini, pimped with Old Raj Gin The martini may come across as the serious, or…
Following the successful release of affordable white and red wines “for the people” earlier this year, Provisioner is ready to celebrate — and offer the public the first-ever taste of a new rosé wine. On Thursday, January 7, Arizona winemaker Eric Glomski and the rest of the Provisioner team will…
The Beer: Pale 31 The Brewery: Firestone Walker The Stats: 4.9% ABV, 39 IBU The Story: Firestone Walker brews their beers in Paso Robles, Calif., under the leadership of talented brewmaster Matthew Brynildson. The brewery likes to incorporate California themes from time to time, and Pale 31 is a perfect example…
The Beer: Street Cred Stats: 7.5 percent ABV, 45 IBU The Brewery: The Beer Research Institute, located at 1641 South Stapley Drive in Mesa, recently celebrated its first anniversary of bringing a fresh, new take on craft brews to East Valley residents. The brewery makes a number of interesting and innovative beers, but…
The Beer: Funkwerks Saison The Brewery: Funkwerks is a Belgian-inspired brewery located in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The brewery specializes in Belgian-style beers brewed by Head Brewer Gordon Schuck. The Stats: 6.8% ABV. This beer was a Great American Beer Festival Award Winner in both 2011 (Silver) and 2012 (Gold) in the…
Congrats, DC Ranch. You’re getting your own winery. Decantur — The Winery at DC Ranch will open its doors at 8221 N. Pima Road, Suite 100, inside Scottsdale’s DC Ranch Crossing, in January 2016. The winery is owned by Bill and Debra McDermott, who moved to Arizona in 2012 from…
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: Urban…
There’s a reason that, in the young restaurant’s history, Okra is known best not for Southern Comfort, the divisive fruit and whiskey-flavored liqueur from New Orleans, but rather their own brand of southern comfort: a warm and hospitable staff turning out cold craft cocktails and cult staples of bible-belt cooking…
Need a little help picking out a gift for the wine lover in your life? Or is your holiday party docket so full you need a stash of hostess gifts on hand? Or maybe you’re just looking for the perfect bottle to accompany your family feast. Well, in any and…
The Brewery: A name like Beer Research Institute could conjure images of white coat laboratory technicians analyzing the inner most secrets of beer under high power microscopes. But in Mesa, the “B.R.I.” — as it is called by locals — should really just make you think of fresh, local beer…
The Spot: Tapacubo 225 East Apache Boulevard, Tempe 480-967-9431 www.tapacubotempe.com The Hours: Happy Hour is from 3 to 7 p.m. daily Perfect for: When you want to down drinks in a fun atmosphere that’s quieter than Tempe’s typical college haunts. Interior: Much like the Graduate Hotel in which it’s housed,…
The Beer: Hop-15 Imperial IPA The Brewery: Port Brewing Company, San Marcos, California The Stats: 10.0% ABV The Hop Story: Port Brewing does not list the IBU (International Bitterness Units) of this beer, probably because it would be too hard to determine. The brewery uses a total of 15 different…
Punch is upping its game, and just in time for the holidays. The communal offering can incorporate just about any combination of liquids and spices fit for human consumption, and today most Americans identify it with the holidays and family gatherings — big, decorative glass bowls, clove-spiked orange slices, cinnamon…
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: Mother…
Every city has its iconic tourist draws. In Paris, you have to see the Eiffel Tower, and in Chicago, you have to eat Chicago-style pizza. These signature things define their region of origin — and it’s much the same way when talking about breweries. Most breweries have one defining beer…
“It was dirt floors six months ago. As abandoned as it gets,” says Brandon Casey, heading to the corner seat of what’s being billed as the first craft cocktail bar in Chandler, where he’d rest his elbow for a photograph. This is the best vantage point to see the new…
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: Okra…
The Beer: McFate’s Irish Red The Brewery: Fate Brewing Company South ABV: 5.4% IBU: 18 Owner Steve McFate has developed quite a following at his original Fate brewpub founded in 2012 and located on East Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale. He developed so much of a following, in fact, that he’s…
