In homage to the classic Phoenix ’60s lounge Chez Nous owned by Andy and Maureen Womack, The Womack serves up signature retro cocktails with a reimagined twist. The lowly-lit live music lounge provides patrons with an upscale vintage experience. From soulful spirits and R&B to Sunday drag show brunches, the nostalgic bar truly has something for everyone. We sat down with The Womack’s general manager Bradford Faris to talk about Andy and Maureen’s lasting legacy as well as what he has in store for the second installment of Summer Cocktail Camp on Sunday, July 9.
How did you get started in the mixology/bartending industry?
I started before the cocktail renaissance. I was interested in the food and restaurant world, and bartending was my summer job forever. I came out here to go to NAU, and eventually, restaurant management became my world.
What should patrons expect while visiting The Womack?
The Womack is an ode to a classic club called Chez Nous that Andy and Maureen Womack started, hence the bar’s name. Chez Nous was opened in 1963 and closed in 2006. It was quite the spot out on Indian School and 7th Avenue. Marine Womack was one of the early pioneers of women bar owners, and her husband Andy was a hall-of-fame rodeo clown. Andy wanted to open a cowboy bar, and Maureen was like, “Over my dead body.” Instead, she told him they would open a cocktail lounge with live music and jazz. Her vision became the classic Chez Nous — a dark, dimly lit jazz and live music club. So, the overall vibe of The Womack is from the Chez Nous era and resembles a ’60s/’70s lounge with black leather booths and a mirrored ceiling over the bar.
What does The Womack have in store for Summer Cocktail Camp?
One of the things we wanted to show off and teach about is clarified milk punch. We will go through a sped-up version of the punch-making process during the event. It’s a very old process. At his inauguration, George Washington had a clarified milk punch, and Ben Franklin wrote in his diaries that it was his favorite way to drink rum punches. It originally started as a preservation method. One first makes the punch and then dumps it into a warm batch of milk which causes the milk and acid proteins to interact, giving the mixture a long shelf life. The interaction between the milk proteins and acid from the alcohol also gives the drink a really interesting, silky texture. One then strains out the cheese-like curdles using a cheesecloth or linen, which leaves a translucent beverage with a shelf life of up to six months. The entire process takes about 48 hours. In addition to the clarified milk punch, we will also share how to make chamomile foam and mix syrup with fresh herbs.
What is your favorite summer cocktail ingredient?
Watermelon or blackberries.
This or that: Bloody Mary or Martini?
Martini.
RECIPES FROM COCKTAIL CAMP
PAPER PLANE
- .75 ounce bourbon
- .75 ounce amaro nonino
- .75 ounce aperol
- .75 ounce lemon juice
SPILL THE BEANS
- 1.5 cup bourbon
- 1.5 cup plantation pineapple rum
- 6 ounce coffee liquer
- 5 ounce lemon juince
- 0.5 ounce tamari
- 2 tbs cacao nibs
- 2 tbs whole coffee beans
- 2 zested lemons
- 20% whole milk (approx. 2 cups)
Coffee Symple
- .75 ounce sugar
- 1.25 ounce hot coffee
Combine and stir until fully disolved
