The Duvel’s in the Details

Beer: Duvel Brewery: Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale ABV: 8.5 percent The year is 1830, and the southern provinces of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands are sick of it. Sick of the tulips; sick of that sauce made with egg yolk and butter; sick of the…

Revealing the Secrets of Absinthe

One of my favorite parts of tending bar is clearing up misconceptions about alcohol. The biggest one has to be the old saw about beer before liquor or vice versa. (Answer: It doesn’t matter, except you tend to drink faster and, therefore, drink more when you start with beer.) Right…

Fate Brewing’s Flagship, Irish Red

Beer: Irish Red Brewery: Fate Brewing Co. Style: Irish Red Ale ABV: 5.4 percent Having just attended a gathering of beer industry leaders who discussed the merits of drinking local and supporting a brewery’s core brands, I am (for this week, anyway) pumped on flagships. These are the beers that…

How to Make the Best Manhattan Cocktail

While looking through all the Last Call columns I’ve done, I was somewhat taken aback that I’d been writing about cocktails for this long and have yet to discuss a cocktail cornerstone, the Manhattan. It’s a very elegant cocktail; it has only three ingredients, but its flavor is almost infinitely…

Wine Distribution 101

Have you been searching for your favorite wine and can’t find it anywhere? It often comes down to how wine is distributed in the United States. In short, politics, laws, and distribution. In most cases, wine needs to be “picked up” by a distributor to be sold legally to retailers…

Otro Café in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card

The Spot: Otro Cafe 6035 North Seventh Street 602-266-0831 www.otrocafe.com See Also: – CLOSING: 31-Year-Old Guerrero’s Mexican Food in Tempe on July 31 – Roka Akor in Paradise Valley: Happy Hour Report Card – Mexico City Memories at Chef Doug Robson’s Otro Cafe in Phoenix…

Get BJ’s Got Beer

Beer: Got Beer Brewery: BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse Style: Gotlandsdricka ABV: N/A Got beer? Gotland does. A 90-mile-long island off Sweden’s eastern coast, Gotland has a population of about 60,000, several hundred of whom brew beer. And bubbling away in the cellar of nearly every one of these Baltic brewers…

How to Make a Royal Daiquiri

Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron once said “The main reason for having a lot of liquor is to show off.” You know what? He’s exactly right. We bar folk tend to be show-offs, whether through technical drink expertise, or good old extroversion. Either way, bartenders often have very impressive home bars…

DIY Coconut Vodka Berry Slush

If you’re looking to impress your guests at Fourth of July celebrations and weekend BBQs, look no further. We’ve got you covered with this simple slush recipe. Just be sure to keep it away from the young ones because it packs a punch! Non-alcoholic versions of this could made –…

DIY Raspberry Red Wine Spritzer

The season of outdoor parties and barbecues is officially under way, and refreshing cocktails are a must. Whether you’re hosting or an attendee at your next soiree, indulge in this simple and delicious cocktail…

Kona Wailua Ale

Beer: Wailua Ale Brewery: Kona Brewing Co. Style: American Pale Wheat Ale ABV: 5.4 percent At substantial risk of telling you what you already know: It’s hot outside. Like, soul-crushingly, melt-your-eyeballs hot. I enjoy thick, robust stouts and palate-busting barleywines as much as anyone, but when I’m wandering this desert…

How to Make a Bushwacker Cocktail

It’s nice to have a finely crafted drink. These days, a well-made frozen piña colada or margarita is especially delicious. But sometimes, I want to let down my hair. I want something that I can throw together with a minimum of fuss that’s still delicious and full of booze. That’s…

SunUp Cherry Buzz and a Shout-Out to Arizona Girls Pint Out

Beer: Cherry Buzz Brewery: SunUp Brewing Co. Style: American Pale Ale ABV: 5 percent We begin today with an apology. I’ve been derelict in my bloggerly duties and neglected, when it occurred May 1, to wish the women of Arizona Girls Pint Out a happy third anniversary. Since 2010, this…

DIY Alcohol-Infused Paletas

Many of us are lucky enough to have our very own neighborhood paleta man. I hear the ringing of the little bell and the sound of the paleta cart coming down my street just before sunset each day. The sound of that bell makes me want to run out the…

When It Comes to Wine, Bigger Isn’t Always Better

“Gimme your biggest wine!” One of the requests I dread the most. I know for sure he just drove up in his Toyota Tundra Crew Max Double Cab 4×4 Platinum 5.7L V8 FFV ** 6-Speed Automatic. After all, why not drive the biggest, most expensive, most powerful vehicle that will…

Cibo in Phoenix: Happy Hour Report Card

The Spot: Cibo Urban Wine Bar & Pizzeria 603 N. 5th Ave., Phoenix 602-441-2697 www.cibophoenix.com See Also: – Last but Not Least on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: DeFalco’s Italian Eatery in Scottsdale and The Duce in Downtown Phoenix – Co-Founder of Arizona Cocktail Week to Open New Bar at Downtown’s…

The Secrets to Making an Awesome Piña Colada

One can hardly discuss frozen drinks without bringing up one of the best-known items in the category, the piña colada. A trip to the Caribbean wouldn’t be complete without one. It’s so popular in its birthplace, Puerto Rico, that it was named the country’s official drink in 1978. See Also:…

“Los Milics” Blended Last Week and Scheduled for Bottling in July

In this occasional series, FnB’s Pavle Milic spills about his current mission to learn how wine is made, literally, from the Southern Arizona ground up. See also: – Maynard Keenan, Sam Pillsbury, Todd Bostock and other Wine Experts Give Pavle Milic Advice on Designing Wine Labels — and Pavle Finally…

Put Your Juicer to Good Use with Our Margarita Recipe

The juicing craze seems to still be in full swing, so let’s go a step further from the typical post gym pick-me-up and throw some alcohol in the mix! Margaritas are a summer staple ’round these parts. They’re easy to make, refreshing, and can be made in frozen form. What’s…