Yesterday we met Travis Nass, whose mustache is almost as epic as his drink-making abilities. Today he dips into the cocktail menu he designed at Rancho Pinot (6208 N. Scottsdale R., 480-367-8030) to share the recipe for the Agave Nectar, a drink whose recipe was inspired at a tasting of local tequila…
Travis Nass fits in perfectly with the southwestern décor of Rancho Pinot (6208 N. Scottsdale Rd., 480-367-8030). With his old-timey mustache, bolo tie and immaculately coifed hair, he could be the barkeep at some wild West saloon, serving shots of whiskey to depressed cowboys. Luckily for us, he lives in an…
The Spot: Carlsbad Tavern, 3313 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, 480-970-8164 http://www.azeats.com/carlsbadtavern/ The Hours: Enjoy drink specials and cheap appetizers every day of the week from 3 to 6 pm. Reverse happy hour also kicks in from 10 to 2 am Sunday through Thursday, or 11 to 2 am Friday and…
Yesterday we met Bill DeGroot, the bartender-turned-consultant who designs the cocktails at South Mountain’s Quiessence (6106 S. 32nd St, 602-276-0601). Today he shares the recipe for the Vodka Gimlet, one of the restaurant’s “farmhouse cocktails” that makes use of fresh basil grown feet away on Maya’s Farm. DeGroot says he plans…
Talk to Louis Dolgoff for a moment or two and you’ll understand what a busy guy he is. He’s working on a beer pairing television show for PBS. He continues to orchestrate several ornate, beer-tasting dinners all over the country for Dogfish Head Brewing and then there’s his latest venture:…
Bill DeGroot is an oddity for us here at Behind the Bar, for he no longer works behind the bar at all. A veteran of the cocktail scene for more than 15 years, DeGroot paid his dues at establishments throughout the valley, including Star-Spangled Tavern, Canal, Estate House and Metro Brasserie. He now…
The Spot: Thai Elephant, 815 W University Dr, Tempe, (480) 966-3489 http://thaielephant.qwestoffice.net/ The Hours: Thai Elephant offers Happy Hour every day of the week between 5 and 7 pm. Alas, they no longer offer reverse happy hour. (The website was incorrect when we checked it.) The Details: Domestic beer for…
Yesterday we met Dave Thorfinnson of Tap’s Cuisine and Bar, the man with a nickname fit for a Viking and a golf-induced sunburn on his cheeks (typical to the Litchfield Park region). Today he shares his recipe for Thor’s Hammer, a potent mix of rum, peach schnapps, and a last…
Across the street from the Wigwam Golf Resort and down from the perfectly-manicured lawns of Litchfield Park, Taps Signature Cuisine and Bar (76 N. Old Litchfield Rd., 623-935-2037) is at the ready with a drink. Specifically, Dave Thorfinnson — or Thor, as he is lovingly called by many of his customers –…
The Spot: Rula Bula, 401 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, 480-929-9500 http://www.rulabula.com The Hours: Rula Bula’s generous happy hour is offered Monday through Saturday from 2 to 7 pm, and on Sundays from 2 pm to close. Reverse happy hour is also offered Tuesday through Thursday from 10 pm to close…
Yesterday we met Gary Koh, Blue Martini’s resident bartender, golfer and straight shooter –with upper-management written all over him. Today he shares the recipe for his original creation, the Scottsdale Princess. “I call it that because it’s a purple drink, and you know how these girls are in this town…
Underneath the giant disco ball, amidst the vast, multi-level interior awash in funky jazz music, next to the rows of clear glass vodka bottles backlit in cool hues of volcano red and electric blue, Gary Koh tends bar. For three years, he’s been a familiar face at Blue Martini (5455 E…
The Spot: Feeney’s, 6314 N. 12th St., Phoenix, 602-274-9700 http://www.feeneysaz.com/ The Hours: Happy hour proper is between 3 and 7 pm during the weekdays, and after the restaurant closes the bar keeps on serving with a reverse happy hour from 11 pm to 2 am. The Details: Four buck appetizers…
Yesterday we met Greg Murphy, W Hotel’s laid-back and garrulous drink maker. A bartender for more than five years, Murphy’s come up with his share of original cocktails, but there are a few he takes special pride in. There’s the Time Machine (made with Ciroc Coconut and Midori), the Denzel…
The seemingly vast community of bartenders in the Valley is smaller than you might think; Greg Murphy got his start at Merc Bar, serving drinks alongside Simon Alam and Sean Snelling. He now crafts cocktails at Scottsdale’s W Hotel (7277 E. Camelback Road, 480-970-2100), where he’s been since the opening on…
The Spot: FEZ, 3815 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, (602) 287-8700 http://www.fezoncentral.com The Hours: Double the hours, double the cheap drinks with a 4 to 6:30 happy hour for the after work crowd or from 10 to close to satisfy the late night CenPho scene. The Details: Two-for-one wells and beer,…
Yesterday we met Sean Snelling, the Aussie who tends and manages the bar at Primebar in the Scottsdale Quarter. Today he shares the recipe for the Whiskey Peach. “We have 16 cocktails on our menu, and most are made with rum or vodka,” Snelling says. “This one’s made with bourbon…
There are few things more attractive than a good accent — the more masculine and foreign-sounding, the better. Sean Snelling, a native of Australia, has one of the best around. Having successfully managed Merc Bar in Phoenix, Snelling recently returned from a four-month hiatus in his home country to man…
The Spot: Pita Jungle (one of ten locations across the Valley), 4340 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-955-7482 http://www.pitajungle.com/ The Hours: Monday through Friday, from 3 to 5:30 pm. Reverse happy hour is every day of the week from 9 pm to close. The Details: Domestic bottled beers for $2,…
More than 500 years ago, German Beer Purity Law decreed that the world’s favorite fermented beverage was to be made with only four ingredients: water, malt, hops and yeast. In recent years, however, the definition of a permissible beer ingredient has expanded somewhat, and brewers worldwide have branched out, throwing…
Yesterday we met Steve Douds, Renegade Canteen’s head bartender, who loves tequila and hates flavored vodka. Today he shares with us the recipe for the Shandygrath, a cocktail he concocted for Renegade’s drink menu and named for Renegade’s chef, Robert McGrath. Made with Grand Canyon Pilsner, Cock n’ Bull Ginger…
If his snowy beard is any indication, Steve Douds has been in the bartending business for a long time. But with the years comes experience, which Douds uses to great effect, competing in — and winning — national bartending competitions. Douds now employs his wisdom at Scottsdale’s Renegade Canteen (9343 E. Shea…
