Every week at Melinda’s Alley in downtown Phoenix, part of my job is helping create an entirely new cocktail menu. That means every R&D shift looks a little different. Sometimes I walk in with an idea, build it, make a couple small adjustments, and it is basically there. Other nights I make something, taste it, realize it is not hitting the way I imagined, and start moving pieces around. Last night was definitely one of those nights. I was responsible for both the gin and teq

San Francisco, Competition Nerves, Unfamiliar Jiggers, an Elevated Daiquiri, and Lessons I Still Carry Behind the Bar Some competitions stick with you because you won. Others stick with you because of everything they taught you while you were trying to. About two years ago, I found out I had been selected as one of three West Coast regional finalists for the Angostura Swizzle Competition. Angostura flew me to San Francisco, put me up at the St. Regis in the heart of the city,