The Phoenix, crafted by Santo and Pecado bartender Nicole Long, was selected by imbibers who tasted recipes from finalists at bars around the Valley over the past two months.
In February, mixologists of all skill levels were invited to send in recipes to be considered for the Spirit of Phoenix cocktail competition. The prompt was relatively simple: create a drink that embodies the city using traditional bartending techniques and Milagro Tequila, a sponsor of the contest.
As Long set out to design her cocktail entry, two things stood out, she says.
“I knew that my recipe had to be spicy, and I definitely wanted to use local ingredients,” she said in a video shared by Visit Phoenix.
Her winning recipe for The Phoenix starts with 2 ounces of Milagro’s reposado tequila, shaken with chiltepin mesquite honey syrup, lemon juice and prickly pear. Long’s drink was named the city’s official cocktail on June 2, during celebrations for Phoenix’s inaugural 602 Day.
Though there are many unofficial cocktails in Phoenix – the tequila sunrise and the prickly pear margarita among them – city officials set out to find something that captures the area’s history and the vibrancy of its food and drinks scene.
"We’re inspired a little bit by the Manhattan, which has transcended New York,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said earlier this year. “I hope people will one day be drinking the Phoenix outside of Arizona.”
Competition organizers, which included the city, Visit Phoenix and the Arizona Restaurant Association, said they received “dozens upon dozens of recipes,” according to a press release. The field was whittled down by a panel of expert judges from top bars in Phoenix, who then selected four cocktails for Phoenicians to try at bars and pop-up events around town. The review and tastings were blind.
Those who crafted the top four cocktails all work in the industry. In addition to Long, the recipe writers for the top tipples were Highball and MercBar’s Arlene Magaña, Huss Brewing Co.’s William Johnson and Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.’s Spencer Pendergrass. Recipes for all the finalist cocktails are available online.
“We were amazed by the creativity and talent of all the participants,” Gallego said in the announcement. “Nicole’s cocktail dazzled us with its ingenuity, expertly incorporating local ingredients that capture the bold spirit of our city.”
Drinkers can sip The Phoenix at the Arcadia-area restaurant and bar duo Santo and Pecado, and the press release teases to watch for the cocktail to “hit menus at restaurants and bars throughout Greater Phoenix.”
