Event // Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails - Cocktail Tasting with Phil Clark

Last night, I had the pleasure of a cocktail tasting at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, hosted by Phil Clark, recently named “Best Bartender of 2018” by Phoenix New Times. As a rum lover, I started off the night with “Hogo Made Me Do It” which was like an elevated Hurricane with the ingredients of rum fire, passion fruit, galliano, curacao, lime, pineapple, and hibiscus. The pink drink is served in a large, tall glass and it is fruity and classic. It took me back to memories far away from our desert home, and out on a Caribbean beach. The rum fire is special, with it being distilled like it was just in the 1700’s, and distilled from molasses instead of sugarcane.

The next drink I had was called “It’s Like Liquid Nutella.” A variant form of an Old Fashioned, this one had a chocolately taste to it. The story behind this cocktail is that they put the cocktail in a 55-gallon barrel for more flavor, and had it rest for more than two weeks! The result? An indulgent drink for any whiskey lover out there.

Finally, I tried the War of Roses, Blue Hound’s signature cocktail. It came in a gimlet glass, and was a strong cocktail with Pimms no. 1, gin, St. Germaine, lime, mint, and Peychaud’s. The menu said it was “by Mike Ryan”, and that tidbit is part of why Blue Hound’s cocktail menu is quite impressive – the cocktail creations were a team effort led by Phil. In Phil’s own words, mixology is like “cooking with ice” - experimenting with different recipes, playing with old structures, and concocting something that is more elevated than what you can create in your own home. I sincerely enjoyed the cocktail journey I took with Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, and I cannot wait to go back!