Now that Bar Chef author and mixologist Christiaan Rollich has become bar director at Matt Carter’s sleek, high-end Italian enclave, the bar has taken a giant leap forward. Rollich, who thinks like a chef, is inspired by ingredients in Carter’s kitchen, and the delicious result is balanced, creative cocktails with ingredients such as turmeric and harissa.

Tucked behind its sister venue Valentine, this stark-white, Mission Revival-designed enclave also pays homage to the 48th State, building cocktails around indigenous ingredients and Arizona’s economic drivers, the “5 Cs” (cotton, cattle, citrus, climate, and copper). Don’t miss the Cattle, a silky riff on the Manhattan, fat-washed with beef tallow. Blaise Faber gets credit for the suave cocktails; Valentine chef Donald Hawk provides sophisticated bar bites, and the staff spins their favorite vinyl selections.

Mixologist/partners Jason Asher and Rich Furnari of Barter & Shake have put three brilliant bars under one roof at the destination, award-winning bar Century Grand. Platform 18, a reservations-only bar tucked inside a posh replication of a Presidential Pullman train car (complete with train whistles, the clacking sounds of the train on the tracks, and snowy scenery flashing past the windows), offers elegant riffs on classic cocktails from the 30s and 40s. Tiny Grey Hen captures the vibe of an old New Orleans apothecary, offering a New Orleans-influenced cocktail menu that includes classics such as the Sazerac and Vieux Carre. Dark, atmospheric UnderTow (which requires reservations) simulates a turn-of-the-century clipper ship with its low ceilings, wooden rum barrels, and tiki totems. The cocktail menu honors famous tiki drinks from historic bars such as Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic’s.

Owned by cocktail savants Libby Lingua and Mitch Lyons (who create high-volume cocktail programs for other venues under the brand name Two Hands Consulting), Highball, perched on the second floor of an historic building, is a cozy yet sophisticated hangout. The wildly creative cocktail menu comes with helpful descriptors such as “velvety, smooth, tantalizing” and “quirky, ripe, exotic.” Try the geeky, Curacao-blue Typhoon Lagoon or anything else that catches your fancy.

This pitch-black, unpretentious hangout delivers on more than the shock value of its name, but there’s no denying Killer Whale is both irreverent and fun. Just take a gander at the Polaroid pics of guests’ butt cracks throughout the place, then feel free to add your own to the collection. Expect creative cocktails and large format drinks.

Discerning drinkers love slinky, dimly lit Pigtails, an intimate hideaway with a hard-to-find, speakeasy-style entrance. Cleverly-named cocktails are arranged in categories such as bold n’ boozy, fun n’ fresh, and cool n’ nerdy. Consider the signature cold brew shot or, for a splurge, the $100 VIPig made with Macallan 18-year-old scotch and Hennessy VSOP. There’s a second location in Desert Ridge.

Scottish-born barman Ross Simon created a stir when he opened Bitter & Twisted in 2014, and as the founder of Arizona’s Cocktail Week, he’s now considered the godfather of the city’s burgeoning cocktail scene. This now-legendary downtown spot offers more than 65 cocktails, including classics, twists on classics, and dazzling new creations, many served in whimsical vessels such as Santa mugs, honey bears, and porcelain teacups. 

Housed on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott, this classy cocktail bar, owned by award-winning mixologists Ross Simon and Aaron Defeo, offers great views of downtown Phoenix and an edgy mural of Arizona’s pop-culture icons. It’s been named one of the top hotel bars in the U.S. and nominated for a 2020 James Beard award for outstanding bar program. Its owners are both meticulous and cutting-edge, stocking premium liquors, making their own syrups, tinctures, and foams, and creating beautiful, memorable cocktails.