Meet the master mixologists and boffo beverage concepts that make possible
the latest incarnation of our summer cocktail demo series.
Tell Your Friends
June 7
A sleek and sultry speakeasy with Roaring ’20s vibes and live music, Tell Your Friends is cleverly nestled beneath North Scottsdale Modern-Italian steakhouse The Americano. In keeping with its seasonal beverage program, bar maestro Cassy Sandow has released a new menu for summer that is “playful and crushable.” Drinks include Hero’s Dose, which features red pepper jam and guava purée; and the Art of Aries, a vodka-based cocktail with clementine juice and fig. For Cocktail Camp guests, two of the drinks were created especially for the event. “Our two new cocktails each showcase an infusion, fat-washing and funky flavor profiles across different spirits,” Sandow says. “For one, we smoked butter and infused bourbon with it; for another, we focused on one sustainable cocktail that reuses the fruits and herbs used in its creation for the final product.”
17797 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-530-0045, tellyourfriendsaz.com
Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine
June 14
Co-founded by Michelin-starred chef Sujan Sarkar and his business partner, Madhavi Reddy, Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine in Chandler blends the regional and traditional flavors of India with modern culinary innovation. To that end, the cocktail program closely mirrors that of the kitchen, using ingredients like turmeric, rose, paan and mango. These lively, aromatic actors find expression in specialty cocktails like the Ghee Old Fashioned, which uses ghee-washed whiskey and spiced date syrup to create a rich update of the classic. The Cutting Chai is a highball inspired by India’s street tea culture through masala chai-infused vodka, lemon and honey. Meanwhile, the Paan G&T puts a Southeast Asian spin on gin and tonic with betel leaf, gulkand and aromatic paan elements.
3491 W. Frye Rd., Chandler, 480-534-7178, feringhee.com
Filthy Martini Bar
June 21
Set next to red-hot steakhouse Cleaverman in the heart of DTPHX, this glamorous beverage lounge takes its inspiration from old-school supper clubs and New York nightlife. No surprise: The drinks program is focused on elevated martinis, using the classic cocktail as a baseline for its genteel mixology excursions. The Pretty Decent Martini pairs vodka or gin with house brine and a vermouth blend for a clean, balanced take on the dirty martini that avoids excess, proving that the hardest thing to do is nail the classics; while the Cleaverman Martini uses celery-infused vodka or gin alongside lemongrass, house vermouth and orange bitters, creating a green, savory profile.
455 N. Third St., Phoenix, 602-675-3635, filthymartinibar.com
George & Gather
June 28
Open for every conceivable meal, with a relentless passion for local sourcing, George & Gather is downtown Chandler’s singular contribution to the all-day dining scene – an upscale hangout joint that’s half FnB, half Lux Central. House specialty cocktails charmingly take their names from history’s famous Georges. There’s the Harrison, a coconut-fat-washed pisco with a chamomile-steeped lychee-yuzu mix; and the Curious, with strawberry-infused vodka, aperitivo, sparkling rosé, rhubarb and osmanthus flower. For its Cocktail Camp offerings, George & Gather is partnering with Arizona distilleries. Desert Botanical Distillery will feature in The Burr, with passion fruit and Nopal Cactus Spirit; while the Arizona Sun cocktail integrates Suncliffe gin with guava and Alo-è Liqueur. Finally, the Velvet Desert pairs Del Bac whiskey with port wine, New Orleans bitters and date syrup.
336 S. Washington St., Chandler, 480-470-5143, georgeandgather.com
Pa’La Downtown
July 12
Though hosted by Pa’La, this mid-summer Cocktail Camp is intended as a sneak preview of Magdaleña, a much-anticipated sister property that’s slated to open in Goodyear this summer. The wood-fire concept will lean heavily into Latin American influences for its cocktails. Offerings on the upcoming menu include Pachamama’s Punch, utilizing Bolivia’s signature, brandy-like spirit, singani, along with beet and clove; and Elote en Vaso, an homage to the “corn in a cup” street snack, in which nixtamalized Mexican corn whiskey and liqueur are clarified with milk and lime before being topped off with cotija cheese foam and a Tajín rim for a savory, playful twist. To give Camp attendees insight to Magdaleña’s vision for cocktails, they plan to serve a Carola with tequila and cucumber; Sunset in Nagano, a black Manhattan; and Carajillo, a combination of espresso and Licor 43, served as the welcome cocktail.
132 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-368-3052, palakitchen.com
The Mission Kierland
July 19
One thing this Modern Latin restaurant from chef Matt Carter has never been shy about is its agave-centric cocktail program, showcased in the myriad agave spirit bottles sitting against the mirrored bar backdrop. It should be no surprise, then, that the drinks on deck for The Mission’s Cocktail Camp engagement keep with the tradition of Latin flavors. Carter and co. will greet guests with a Primarita – The Mission’s version of a skinny marg, made with reposado tequila and a judicious measure of agave syrup and top-shelf orange liqueur. That will be followed by the presumably Wilco-influenced Maybe Mexico, Possibly L.A, made with green chile vodka, house-made escabeche shrub and mango. Campers will then sip the Lazy Maize with mezcal, elote liqueur, harissa syrup and fresh-pressed lime before finishing the evening with a La Familia, a Manhattan-ish stirred cocktail made with Arizona rye, house-made Oaxacan hot honey, Aperol and apricot liqueur.
7122 E. Greenway Pkwy., Scottsdale, 480-292-7800, themissionaz.com
Society Swan
July 26
Sam Fox’s Society Swan is an ode to the grand tradition of the French brasserie – with some American flair added to the mix. In keeping with the refined atmosphere, Society Swan places high import on its martinis; there are classics with an elegant twist, like the Decadent Dirty, punched up with caviar; and modern, approachable iterations like International Affair, which combines vodka with Junmai sake, lychee and yuzu. Campers will delight in four Fox originals when they convene in late July, starting with the S.S. Skinny, a margarita combining tequila reposado with monk fruit. After that: the Southern Sophisticate, mixing gin, vodka, elderflower, ripe strawberry and mint; and the Ciao Brooklyn, mingling rye whiskey, toasted pecan and bitter cacao with a vermouth trio. And, for you, martini fans: a classic Dirty Martini, complete with house brine and cured olive.
7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 480-863-3999, societyswan.com
Little Rituals
August 2
Daringly opened on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn Phoenix Downtown in 2019, accolade-heaped Little Rituals not only helped redefine the concept of a hotel bar, but of Phoenix mixology writ large. Co-founder Aaron DeFeo took the name from the easy-to-skip “little rituals” that go into high-quality mixology – something that is never missed in the 30-odd cocktails he keeps on the menu. DeFeo’s irrepressible spirit of adventure and baroque layering find full expression in offerings like Chillable Red, in which Johnnie Walker Black, Sagamore Rye, Zucca Rabarbaro, Frederiksdal Vermouth and cherry conspire to impersonate a glass of rich Cabernet; and the C.R.E.A.M., a clarified concoction which plays into the Calvados base with green apple, wasabi, elderflower, Avuá Cachaça and Greek yogurt. Toast the night to a close with a Golden Sgroppino, marrying quince Champagne with miso-mango sorbet.
132 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-603-2050, littleritualsbar.com
INDIBAR
August 9
A James Beard Award semifinalist, INDIBAR has earned national recognition for its brash take on contemporary Indian cuisine. The cocktail program is an extension of that philosophy, offering a prismatic peephole glimpse of the country’s exciting culinary landscape. The artful interplay of sweetness, heat and aroma helps define signature drinks like the Mango’ Lore, a smoky, fruity mezcal concoction layered with black lime, orange, coconut and mango. Blending coconut rum, pandan, lime and coconut foam, the Nutkhat spoils us with a lush, textured finish; while the Coorg Confidential, combining espresso vodka, kaapi, Earl Grey and chocolate-driven liqueurs, puts a subcontinental spin on the decade’s defining cocktail trend.
6208 N. Scottsdale Rd., Paradise Valley, 480-219-9774, theindibar.com
The Vault at Bond
August 16
One of the newest bars in our Summer Camp lineup, The Vault is also among the most exclusive and intimate. Sitting below restaurant One Sixth (like The Vault, the brainchild of chef Christopher Collins and his Common Ground Culinary team) at Bond, an upscale mixed-use space set in a rebranded office park on the Camelback Corridor, the speakeasy offers nary a letter over the vault-like entrance to announce its presence. Which is to say, it’s the kind of place that doesn’t necessarily want to be found, with a stylishly under-lit interior that you can disappear into. Lucky campers in the know will get an early taste of beverage director Katelyn Stoichkov’s drinks program at the bar’s late-summer Cocktail Camp. Highlights include the Negroni-inspired Paradiso; a clarified sipper called Clear Skies with Mi Campo blanco tequila and grapefruit liqueur; and Director’s Cut with caramel-corn-infused Buffalo Trace. Wrap things up with the appropriately named Last Call, a combo of Ketel One vodka, Mr. Black coffee liqueur, local Press espresso and chai.
3200 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602-282-6252, bondphoenix.com
The Little Woody
August 23
As the second oldest continually operating bar in Phoenix, this Arcadia neighborhood haunt leans hard into its retro vibes. The ghosts of watering holes past are palpable here, summoned in part by the bar’s previous identity as The Trails End Tavern – so named because it sits where Indian School Road previously dead-ended at a dirt lane. Still, the owners at Genuine Concepts have added thoughtful modern flourishes here and there, including a copious whiskey selection. The cocktail menu, while not vast, is smart and intentional, with enough options to keep patrons’ palates entertained late into the night. The Cocktail Camp menu was not set as this issue went to press, but it figures to be informed by The Little Woody’s stalwarts, including the pandan-infused Bacardi and ube cream liqueur cocktail Tiki After Dark; and the sassy Bandido, mingling jalapeño-infused mezcal with limoncello and avocado.
4228 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-955-0339, littlewoodyaz.com
Telefèric Barcelona
August 30
One of the new additions to the reenergized porte-cochère dining playground at Scottsdale Fashion Square, Telefèric Barcelona is a tapas concept known for its ebullient atmosphere and similarly joyous approach to Spanish cuisine. The beverage program leans into the classics. Notable hits include The Gothic Mojito, which builds on a Havana Club with lime, mint, soda and fruit purée; and The Tourist, pairing Cazadores blanco tequila with lychee juice and fresh raspberries. Telefèric’s camp menu reads like a well-rounded overview of its beverage program, starting off with the Agua de Sevilla welcome drink, a mix of cava, orange juice, gin and syrup; followed by the strong but refreshing La Flaca, combining mezcal, tequila, green chile liqueur, prickly pear, agave and lime. The sipping sesh will hit rich, Iberian notes with Fancy a Carrot, a stirred cocktail of fig-leaf-infused tequila, carrot cordial, Amontillado, oregano and spicy agave; and conclude with Pine-Apple Inception, mixing vodka, pine nut orgeat, lime, spiced apple curd and bitters.
7014 E. Camelback Rd., Scottsdale, 657-282-5395, telefericbarcelona.com
Forgive Me, Father
September 6
This soon-to-open immersive nightlife chapel in Tempe is the latest disarming specimen of “cocktail theater” from Pretty Decent Concepts (Carry On, Cleaverman). Tucked within the also-upcoming Roman God of Fire – a vibe-y Old World Italian restaurant co-produced by celebrity chef Scott Conant – the lounge will be led by PDC’s award-winning bar team, blending elevated Italian-inspired cocktails with the group’s signature sense of storytelling, spectacle and hospitality. Designed as both an intimate escape and a high-energy experience, Forgive Me, Father plans on transforming the traditional cocktail bar into something cinematic and playful. While beverage director Zach O’Haire’s Cocktail Camp menu was not yet available as we went to press, given PDC’s track record, we’re feeling confident.
52 E. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe
Little Rich Girl
September 13
For the first time ever, Cocktail Camp is heading north to the cool climes of Flagstaff for its valedictory engagement of 2026, and the payoff will be well worth the drive – a hidden basement speakeasy from James Beard Award-nominated chef Rochelle Daniel. Set next door to Daniel’s acclaimed restaurant, Atria, in Flag’s historical downtown district, the cocktail bar will open this summer beneath yet another Daniel concept, a bakery-bistro concept called Pompette. Decorated in hues of blue and rich purple, the luxurious setting is the perfect backdrop for bar chief Michael Hopper’s inventive and seasonal cocktail menu. Leaning on local produce, the first menu will incorporate Arizona citrus as a major flavor profile before Hopper’s creativity takes over for Cocktail Camp in September.
101 N. Leroux St, Flagstaff, littlerichgirl.com
