Bars & Breweries

The Spot: Geisha A Go Go 7150 East Sixth Avenue, Scottsdale 480-699-0055 www.geishaagogo.com…

For decades, vodka was the “it” spirit. While there are a galaxy of flavored vodkas available, discerning drinkers have recently been turning to the original flavored vodka: gin. Now that modern drinkers no longer see gin as something to fear (largely thanks to cheap Windex-flavored gin and long-oxidized vermouth bottles…

On its own, the word mixology just feels pretentious. I get it. The image it evokes is of some bearded, bow-tied hipster bartender turning his nose up while shaking your $15 drink that’s basically an Old Fashioned with some berries and a weird savory component. In fact, I don’t think…

The Spot: El Chorro 5550 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, (480) 948-5170 www.elchorro.com The Hours: Summer happy happy hour food and drink specials are available from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday…

Beer: Oude Zuipers Brewery: Papago Brewing Co. Style: Tripel ABV: 11 percent “Daar zun meer oude zuipers dan oude dokters.” Translation: There are more old drunks than old doctors. It’s an old Flemish phrase you’re likely to find hanging on a sign or printed on a stained glass window in…

I’ve been on a serious iced coffee kick lately. A tall, cold glass of a brew as inky as midnight is a perfect pick-me-up on a stifling summer afternoon. For some time, I’ve been inhabiting various coffee houses, enjoying their variations on a theme. While I enjoy iced drip coffee,…

So you might have recently seen a cocktail on a menu featuring sloe gin. Maybe you’ve seen a bottle of it at your favorite liquor store. If that’s the case, you were likely intrigued by the liqueur’s deep red color. Sloe gin is a gin-based liqueur (or it should be),…

The Spot: Milagro Grill 4280 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602-773-5844 www.milagrogrillaz.com…

Beer: Xingu Black Beer Brewery: Cervejaria Sul Brasileira Style: Schwarzbier ABV: 4.7 percent I’m not sure how it happened, but somewhere along the line casual beer drinkers got the wrong idea about dark beer. Every day, all across the land, you’ll find drinkers turning down black-colored brews because they think…

The umbrella drink is one of the most derided categories of cocktail. People say that they’re foofoo, that the garnishes are ridiculous, and that drinks shouldn’t be a color not found in nature. Do you know what? They’re right. A serious drink shouldn’t be any of those things. The thing…

I have to say that I’ve completely let myself down. I’ve been a lifelong hater of soccer, it’s boring, it’s frustrating and tedious to watch, you can’t use your hands, there’s no heavy hitting or grand slams or ally-oop dunks. But, after watching Team USA surprise Ghana, live on Monday…

Sure, World Cup mania is hitting a fever pitch right now and cachaça and caipirinhas are taking center stage, but for tennis folk, it’s almost time for Wimbledon and that means plenty of Pimm’s Cups. Using the original gin-based Pimm’s No. 1, the drink commonly includes citrus, cucumber, and mint…

The Spot: The Local 1011 North Third Street, Phoenix 602-441-4333 www.iamthelocal.com…

Beer: Sarcosuchus Brewery: Dragoon Brewing Co. Style: Imperial IPA ABV: 10.5 percent Hanging on a wall in Dragoon Brewing Co.’s Tucson tap room is a small chalkboard, and on this chalkboard employees have drawn a pair of animals: a hippopotamus and a crocodile. These creatures were drawn out of boredom,…

Satan’s Whiskers is sure one hell of a name for a drink. (Pun most definitely intended.) It’s yet another in the long line of drinks with lurid names to get a drinker’s attention. These days, the name Satan’s Whiskers almost seems quaint instead of titillating. Still, the drink is a…

Poor Dad. We celebrate him every year for all the work he does. But how do we do it? We buy him ties to wear to work, power tools to fix stuff around the house and maybe a lawn mower to remind him of the yard that needs it. And…

It might be time to re-examine the kinds of drinks you drink this summer. While you can’t go wrong with a light, refreshing, icy cold local brew, when it comes to cocktails, you might just be ready for something new. Put away those heavy syrups and sugary juices and take…

The Spot: Bourbon Steak 7575 East Princess Drive, Scottsdale 480-513-6002 www.scottsdaleprincess.com/dining/bourbon-steak…

Beer: IPA Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. Style: American IPA ABV: 6.2 percent When you work around craft beer, the most common question people ask is, “So, what’s your favorite beer?” I’m never able to answer — I freeze up like I’ve been stumped at the spelling bee and usually mumble…

The only think better than going to a pool party is hosting a pool party. Attitudes at a pool party are a lot more relaxed than at a formal cocktail party. From a hosting standpoint, they’re great because the drinks are much lower maintenance. Instead of swizzling pitcher after pitcher…

It seems the past week in Phoenix craft cocktailing has been consumed with word of Ross Simon’s new bar, Bitter & Twisted. We don’t see that changing anytime soon, either. The venture, largely a labor of love and determination, is about 10 years in the making. The cocktail menu is…

The Spot: Naya Mediterranean Cuisine 8877 N. Scottsdale Road 480-355-6600 www.nayaaz.com The Hours: Happy hour is offered from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday…