BY 2017, he not only took on the role of beverage director for the brands, but he bought into ownership of parents company, THAT Place projects. With the help of mentors – not to mention the restaurants’ investment in local and exotic spirits, fresh juices, house-made bitters and aromatic – Williams star rose quickly. Nick Williams joined Tinderbox Kitchen and Annex Cocktail Lounge in Flagstaff in 2013 as a barback with almost no experience. Information: Nick Williams joined Tinderbox Kitchen and Annex Cocktail Lounge in Flagstaff in 2013. Allen’s recipes are bold by design, matching the crazy assortment of vessels in which they come, including a margarita served in an actual mini piñata. The work led him to partner with chef-owner Joey Maggiore to dream up the over-the-top (and proud of it!) program at the brand’s newest concept, The Mexicano. Swilling’s Pool Bar & Grill – Matt Allen joined The Maggiore Group in 2021 to take on the combination Sicilian-Italian-American beverage program for The Sicilian Butcher locations statewide. Information: Matt Allen, The Maggiore GroupĪfter serving as the beverage specialist for Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, where he oversaw cocktail programs for the resort’s seven signature dining and beverage spaces – Nellie Cashman’s, Deseo, Brittlebush Bar & Grill, The Scotch Library, The Rim Lobby Lounge, Waltz & Weiser Whiskey Bar and Cantina and J. Though a busser back then, today he not only leads the cocktail program at Bourbon & Bones Chophouse and is working to complete both his Advanced Sommelier and Certified Specialist of Spirits designations, but he recently opened B&B Cocktail Lounge, an extension and wholly separate space from the Chophouse with nearly three dozen cocktail options as well as more than two dozen bottled beers, rare whiskey and bourbon selections from around the globe, 11 different whiskey flights and more than 100 wines by the glass and bottle. General manager, beverage director and sommelier Christopher Marshburn began working in the restaurant industry when he just 12 years old. Information: Christopher Marshburn, Bourbon & Bones and B&B Cocktail Lounge Now nearly a decade into his dream job, Morales kicks up classics while dreaming up wild and whimsical cocktail events for diners, ranging from bourbon cocktail pairing dinners to decades dinners with new twists on classics from the past 100 years. The passion led Morales to lead Sportsman’s Fine Wines & Spirits for years before being hired to reimagine the bar program at Tarbell’s in 2013. At culinary school and immediately after in the kitchen at T.Cooks at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa, Morales learned the art of crafting unique flavor profiles and became passionate about this aspect of the culinary world, but mixology became a new interest for him. Mikey Morales – best-known behind the bar as spirit doctor Mikey Moe – began his journey into the food and beverage industry as a chef and is graduate of the Art Institute of Phoenix’s culinary curriculum. Information: Mikey Morales Mikey Morales, Tarbell’s He is also a two-time national finalist for GQ’s Most Imaginative Bartender Competition and is a past winner of the Arizona Restaurant Association’s “Mixologist of the Year.” Little Rituals is located on the fourth floor of the combination Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Downtown, yet it a wholly independent entity with a menu of cocktail creations that reads like a combination encyclopedia-comic book. Renowned for his imaginative use of natural and locally sourced ingredients, DeFeo’s cocktails have earned him multiple local and national accolades, including the 20 World Margarita Championship. Previously Casino Del Sol Resort’s resident property mixologist, DeFeo ran the beverage program for more than six years until leaving at the end of 2017. This list must start with DeFeo, who migrated north from Tucson to join forces with Bitter & Twisted founder Ross Simon on Little Rituals, a stylish reimagining of the traditional hotel bar concept in downtown Phoenix. Here is a look at some of the masters of mixology changing the game as it relates to beverage programs statewide: Aaron DeFeo, Little Rituals The local talent has never been stronger. READ ALSO: Ranking Arizona: Top 10 best places to live for 2022 4 hotel bar in the nation at Tales of the Cocktail, and Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour won a spot among North America’s Best Bars by 50 Best, both nationally recognized outfits that until recently did not have Arizona mixologists on its radar. This past summer, Little Rituals was named the No. While Arizona’s culinary scene has been earning national acclaim steadily for the past decade, its mixology scene is only now getting its due.
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