Beer: Christmas Ale Brewery: Anchor Brewing Co. Style: Winter Warmer ABV: 5.5 percent There are certain flavors I’ve grown to associate with the holidays. Egg nog and sugar cookies are the taste of Christmas eve; maple-glazed ham epitomizes Christmas morn. But though many beers have tried to claim a place…
On Sunday Phoenix Public Market Cafe hosted their first ever Coffee Cocktail event. The evening featured cocktails crafted by six of our favorite Phoenix-area cafes. Here’s a summary of the highs and lows of this event, just in case you missed it…
I’m all set for chilly weather. Granted, given that I live in Phoenix, I probably shouldn’t keep my hopes up. But the mild climate doesn’t keep me from enjoying one of my favorite winter beverages, mulled wine. There’s something about a steaming pot of mulled wine that’s just a little…
Hey, did you know that Champagne can only be called Champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France? If it’s not, it’s just called sparkling wine. It is one of those painful truths that at every holiday party in which someone opens a bottle of festive bubbles, a…
Beer: Borg Brugghús Brewery: Fenrir Taðreyktur IPA Nr. 26 Style: American IPA ABV: 6 percent This is what you get, beer snobs. This is what happens when you chase down delivery trucks carrying the newest barrel-aged stout, wait in line for hours to sample an IPA made with 42 different…
Some of you might not realize that I’ve been writing Last Call for close to three years now. This means if you go back through the Last Call archives, you’ll find yourself quite an impressive collection of cocktails. This also means that if you’re looking for a certain style of…
Beer: Harvest Wild Hop IPA Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Style: American IPA ABV: 6.5 percent Of the four main ingredients used to brew beer, hops get the most fanfare — and why not? Humulus Lupulus is a beautiful plant, distinctive in shape and grown for a singular, noble purpose:…
Did you remember to make your egg nog a few weeks ago? If you’ve been playing along at home, you should have a tasty batch of luscious chocolate coquito waiting in your fridge, ready to serve at a quickly upcoming holiday party. Or maybe something happened. Someone found it and…
Beer: Here Gose Nothin’ Brewery: Destihl Style: Gose ABV: 5 percent Beer is like clothing, in a way. As tastes change, certain styles fall in and out of favor with the general public; beers that were once incredibly popular in a region may be laughed off by the modern drinker…
If you’ve ever stopped in for one at Matteo Schiavone’s authentic Neapolitan pizzas at Pomo, you likely remember how your meal ended. Every customer (of legal drinking age, of course) is treated to a complimentary shot of Schiavone’s handmade limoncello crema along with a side of fried chiacchiere or fried…
The Main Ingredient is a neighborhood hang out in all the best ways. It’s not frilly and it’s definitely not upscale, but it is a nice, casual spot in a cozy old house. The big patio is perfect this time of year to sit and sip happy hour drinks with…
Beer: Master of Disguise Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. Style: Golden Stout, I Guess? ABV: 9.7 percent Remember green ketchup? Heinz, those crazy bastards, launched an emerald-hued version of the condiment — made, I’m assuming, with ground-up leprechauns and seaweed — in 2000. It was incomprehensibly popular for about five years,…
As I look at the calendar, I realize that my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, is sneaking up on me faster than I’d care to know. The refrigerator is getting filled with all manner of tasty treats, and soon the house will be full of food and friends. With all the madness…
You’d think getting three different people with three different mixing styles and three different palates to work together to make one cocktail menu would be tricky. However, Mari Howe, Rich Furnari, and Kiefer Gilbert did just that for Cowboy Ciao’s most recent menu — and they say it was easy…
We’ll admit some skepticism when the people behind The Vig took over Mabel’s on Main. After all, they had big shoes to fill with the former Aaron May concept being known as an Old Town hotspot for craft cocktails for years. However, with some modest upgrades, the already moody, luxe,…
Beer: Born Yesterday Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Co. Style: Pale Ale ABV: 7.5 percent In beer, freshness matters. Brewers go to great lengths to get beer from their fermentors to your mouth in a timely fashion. The reason: science! Like most foodstuffs, beer is a perishable product. The longer it sits…
Count me in as a fan of egg nog. Not that stuff in a carton at the grocery store masquerading as egg nog, mind you, the real stuff laden with egg yolks and cream. And, of course, plenty of brandy and rum. However, around my house, egg nog has fallen…
The results of last month’s Last Slinger Standing tryouts are in and the five competitors have been announced. It’s no easy task to get in the finals, as each bartender had just five minutes to craft a well balanced and tasty cocktail using a random spirit base and liqueur of…
Second Story Liquor Bar sits above Old Town Scottsdale’s Gelato Spot off of Scottsdale Road just north of Indian School. Tommy Plato owns both restaurants, but SSLB is clearly a labor of love. Pulling in the talents of Josh Bracher, a relatively young and very up-and-coming chef, in the kitchen…
Several months ago, I took part in a judging competition for a local craft beer festival. As often occurs at such ceremonies, we began the day by tasting a calibration beer — one brew, given to every judge, that helps beer-tasters adjust their scoring so it’s in line with everyone…
It’s getting to be that magical time of year when thoughts turn to egg nog. In recent years, I’ve seen a lot of discussion regarding proper egg nog making technique. To be specific, I’m talking about how long to let egg nog sit in the refrigerator before drinking it. Due…
Mark your calendars now, beer lovers, because you’re not going to want to miss this. Later this month New Times will host the NovemBEER Festival, the grande finale of the month-long celebration of all things carbonated and boozy. The event will go down on Saturday, November 22 at the Arizona…
