Over the last decade, Phoenix has solidified its position as a top-tier cocktail destination, attracting national awards and acclaim from publications including Travel + Leisure, Thrillist, and Esquire. Most recently, Century Grand’s exciting win as Best U.S. Cocktail Bar at the prestigious Tales of the Cocktail Foundation Spirited Awards became the newest feather in our city’s cocktail cap. From upscale lounges to subterranean speakeasies, these exceptional spots are worth raising your glasses to.
Century Grand
Known for its innovative immersive experiences, Century Grand uses light, sound, and visual effects to offer guests three distinct 90-minute adventures under one roof. At Platform 18, you’ll be greeted with a glass of bubbly as you take your seat in a glamorous Presidential Pullman train car before your cocktail journey travels through the Louisiana Bayou. Make a reservation for UnderTow and you’ll be sipping on exotic tiki drinks in the belly of a spice trader’s turn-of-the-century clipper ship. Or take a trip to 1800s New Orleans at the apothecary-inspired Grey Hen Rx bar, where the whisky-centric “remedies” are the cure for what ails you. And don’t miss special events like burlesque shows and take-overs featuring award-winning bars from all over the world, such as Death & Co in Denver and Rayo in Mexico City.
3626 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018
Highball
Ascend the stairs and step into this sophisticated oasis, with its exposed brick walls, gleaming copper bar, and cozy leather couches. Here, the drinks are just as beautiful as your surroundings. Indulge in the crowd-favorite Pink Your Poison with Diega Rosa strawberry, lavender, and rose petal Mexican gin mixed with rhubarb liqueur and vanilla yogurt. Or sip on the Typhoon Lagoon, where a union of mango-infused Pisco, Japanese shochu, and Blue Curaçao is accented by yuzu, grapefruit, ginger, and tarragon. Another standout is the None Ya Beeswax, a complex blend of Japanese whisky, bourbon, and Palo Santo wood-infused reposado tequila aged with beeswax and miso. Once a year the cocktail menu is completely revamped to introduce a fresh lineup of Highball originals.
1514 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85007
Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour
Approaching its tenth anniversary next year, Bitter & Twisted was founded by Ross Simon and is the granddaddy of this group. Located in the historic Luhrs Building in downtown Phoenix, within a year of opening it had racked up local “Best” awards as well as national recognition including Eater and USA Today. Its gorgeously illustrated tomes have also landed it on the Spirited Awards Top 10 “World’s Best Cocktail Menu” list multiple times, with themes ranging from sci-fi to the current literature-inspired book. Flip through the 70+ recipes to find categories like Bitter Hall of Fame (best sellers over the years), Fabulous Flying Negronis (riffs include Tart Cherry and Earl Grey), and Mixing Under the Influence (for the newest creations, like Giving Tree, a refreshing mix of cognac, Calvados apple brandy, apple liqueur, and fermented cider soda).
1 W. Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Little Rituals
For his second establishment, Ross Simon partnered with Aaron Defeo to open this sophisticated lounge on the fourth floor of the Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn overlooking Downtown Phoenix. “Phoenix belongs in the conversation as one of America’s great cocktail landscapes,” reads the menu at Little Rituals. At this hot spot, that notion is embodied in the little rituals of cocktail crafting such as housemade tinctures and infusions. Each cocktail is beautifully illustrated and displayed in a photo album-style menu, with the newest additions offering creations from the luxe Mr. Hollywood (Remy Martin cognac, Pineau de Charentes, sweet onion cordial, and Taittinger champagne crowned with a caviar and crème fraiche-topped potato chip) to the luscious Watermelon Sundae (gin, watermelon rind tincture, watermelon juice, and Bonal aperitif garnished with cucumber and watermelon granita).
132 S. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85004
Bar 1912
Those in the know head to the back room of Valentine, a restaurant and coffee shop in the Melrose District, to find this hidden gem. Named for the year that Arizona became a state, homage to the region is the core of the menu. Arizona’s six ecological biomes—desert, grassland, chaparral, woodland, forest, and tundra—are represented in drinks such as the Grassland, a blend of sotol, blanco tequila, Navajo tea, Green Chartreuse, and lime, decorated with chiltepin and sumac salt. Or, maybe you’ll want to dive into the libations representing Arizona’s Five C’s (copper, cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate). Opt for one of these and you might be sipping Cotton, a delicious union of pistachio, sherry, and lemon with a frothy egg white cap topped with pistachio cotton candy.
4130 N. 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85013
The Brickyard Downtown
The Brickyard Downtown opened in historic downtown Chandler to instant acclaim with its dedication to artful craft cocktails led by a brigade of skillful bartenders. Take a seat at the 30-foot bar in the brick-walled 1920s building to peruse the Level Up Cocktail Book, a 22-page compendium of clever libations inspired by video games and characters. Try Save The Princess in the Arcade category, inspired by Princess Peach from Super Mario. It’s a bright refresher combining the floral notes of Ketel One peach and orange blossom vodka with crème de pêche, Japanese yuzu, and orgeat. Or turn the page to the Next-Gen section for the sultrier Animist, a spiced blend of Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum, mixed berry syrup, and pineapple, wrapped in a cloud of cinnamon smoke.
85 W. Boston St., Chandler, AZ, 85225
36 Below
Elegance meets whimsy in this intimate underground lounge which celebrates magic and wonder. To set the mood, custom scenes line the walls, brought to life through the ingenuity of video game engine technology. One visit might find you sipping on the whiskey-based Buried Fortune presented in a decorated fish bowl, as tropical fish and Orca whales glide by. Another venture may have you surrounded by an outer space paradise with bioluminescent plants, while you savor cherry bark and pink peppercorn-infused bourbon in a moss-covered Hidden House. Artistic themes and cocktail menus undergo a metamorphosis two to three times a year, ensuring that every return visit is a new adventure.
3620 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ, 85018
Rough Rider
You might wonder why there’s a giant mosaic of Teddy Roosevelt decorating the Ten-O-One office building on Roosevelt Row, but the answer lies…in the basement. Enter the lobby and take the middle elevator down to the bottom floor to be transported to a bygone era. The Roosevelt-themed bar and restaurant is filled with carved wood bookcases, stately mantels, tufted leather furniture, and vintage memorabilia that evoke the spirit of Roosevelt and his famous Rough Riders regiment. This spirit is also captured in the cocktail list, which, in addition to familiar classics, offers a variety of drinks inspired by recipes of the late 1800s, including punch bowls and cobblers.
1001 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ, 85004
written by: christina barrueta | photographed by: luke irvin