Bars & Breweries

The Spot: Cien Agaves 7228 E. First Ave. Scottsdale CienAgaves.com The Hours: Happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. everyday. See also: Rokerij: Happy Hour Report Card…

Beer: Fresh Magic Brewery: Huss Brewing Co. Style: American-style Pale Ale ABV: 5.7 percent A hop picked right off the vine is a beautiful thing — conical, verdant, wonderfully fragrant. But a vast majority of the hops brewers use to make beer don’t look like this. While prized for their…

There’s a decent chance you’re familiar with Watson, IBM’s artificial intelligence computing project. Its most noteworthy public appearance was a few years ago on the classic quiz show Jeopardy!, where it beat the tar out of the game’s two best human players. More recently, the team of people in charge…

It’s probably best to begin by saying any of the claims made in the following post apply only to moderate alcohol consumption. In case you didn’t know, overindulging in spirits and cocktails is actually bad for you. Go figure. Acting as the spirit guide, Last Drop bartender Travis Nass schooled…

The Spot: Rokerij 6335 N. 16th St., Phoenix http://www.burningembersphoenix.com/ The Hours: Happy hour is from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily at the bar. See also: Dick’s Hideaway: Happy Hour Report Card…

Beer: Mars, The Bringer of War Brewery: Bell’s Brewery, Inc. Style: Imperial India Pale Ale ABV: 10.1 percent Optional musical accompaniment to this post. Listen while reading and the review will sound WAY more epic. Like most artists, brewers draw inspiration for their work from many different sources. Sometimes the…

Of all of the truly classic cocktails available to the modern drinker, few are as venerable as the Old-Fashioned. The drink itself is close to 200 years old. Back then, if you wanted one, you would ask the barkeep for a whisky cocktail. Back then, the term “cocktail” had a…

The Spot: Chino Bandido 1825 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler http://www.chinobandido.com/ The Hours: Happy hour at the Chandler location is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. See also: 10 Freebies and Other Restaurant Deals in Metro Phoenix…

When I need some kitchen or bar inspiration, one of my favorite things to do is head to an international grocery store. With such a dazzling array of unusual ingredients at my beck and call, I’m sure to find something to kick myself out of whatever rut I might be…

It’s no big secret that tequila isn’t tequila unless it’s made in Jalisco, Mexico. Like Champagne and sparking wine, there’s tequila and there are agave spirits. I’m tempted to wax poetic and go full bard status here, so there are some things you should know about just what is in…

Beer: Salut! Brewery: Old Bisbee Brewing Co. Style: ? ABV: 4.9 percent Not to be braggadocious, but I drink a lot of beer. Probably more than a reasonable and healthy person should, but that’s an intervention I’d rather have later. Through putting together these columns, attending beer festivals, participating in…

It’s not too often Phoenix gets to brag that we had something before California, but we do get to show off our bottles of Sibona Amaro to everyone in the Golden State because we got it first. The distilled liqueur from Piedmont, Italy is bold and extraordinarily complex and only…

The Spot: The Lodge 4422 North 75th Street, Scottsdale 480-945-0828 www.lodgescottsdale.com The Hours: Happy Hour is offered every day from 3 until 7 p.m…

Beer: Grapefruit Sculpin Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Co. Style: IPA ABV: 7 percent There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to beers brewed with fruit: Hooray! and How Dare You? Given the number of examples on shelves crafted to be sickeningly sweet or brewed with more artificial…

Brazil has some noteworthy exports. There are those who consider its soccer team one of the finest things to come out of Brazil. Others will argue for the tendency of comely Brazilian women to use something resembling a length of unwaxed dental floss as swimwear. However, since this is the…

Who would’ve guessed that the top two drinks of Tuesday night’s USBG Most Imaginative Bartender Competition at the W Hotel, by significant margins, would both prominently feature turmeric? However, taking the sponsored spirit into account — Bombay Sapphire — the spice trade botanical definitely makes sense historically. Plus, it gave…

The Spot: Phoenix Public Market Cafe 14 E Pierce St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 The Hours: Happy hour is available everyday from 3 p.m. to close. See also: Phoenix Public Market Cafe: Happy Hour Report Card…

These are pumpkins. Seem a little out of place, don’t they? Know why that is? Because it’s f-ing August. The term “seasonal creep” has long been used to describe the way Christmas ornaments seem to start tinkling onto store shelves before the Fourth of July fireworks even get cold, but…

Some of my cocktailian brethren and I were recently bemoaning the lack of authenticity in some cocktails. Take the Manhattan, for example. Long ago, it was a 50/50 mix of rye whiskey and sweet vermouth, with a couple of dashes of orange bitters. Over time, the cocktail has evolved (or…

San Diegans are probably sick of the sight of us “Zonies,” as they refer to us. During summer months, it’s pretty much guaranteed that many Phoenicians will head to the city to escape and when we do it seems every time there’s a bevy of new food and drink spots…

The Spot: Bink’s Midtown 2320 E Osborn Rd, Phoenix www.binksmidtown.com The Hours: Happy Hour is offered everyday from 2:30 to 6 p.m…

Beer: Ristretto Cosmic Black Lager Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Co. Style: Schwarzbier ABV: 8.2 percent This column is normally directed at beer aficionados, but coffee connoisseurs may also want to pay close attention — this week’s brew is packed with enough espresso flavor that it earned the name Ristretto. For…