Category: Weekly Whet (Page 13 of 16)

Last night, Heidi and I went to meet the brains behind the operation of The Parlor Pizzeria, a funky restaurant located just outside of the Biltmore Corridor. The Parlor gets its name from it’s previous life as a salon. During the remodel, the builders did a great job of retaining some of the original elements of the salon by seamlessly re-using wooden floor slats to create rustic-looking wall and cieling accents, and creating pizza-bar stools out of old salon chairs. The result is a space that feels like a modern Italian wine cellar…designed by someone with a real yen for hair.

Excecutive chef, Jared Porter, and beverage director, Joshua James, showed us 5-star hospitality. Porter introduced us to his outstanding octopus salad (yep, anti-cephalopod girl called it “outstanding”) and the very popular “Arancini”, Saffron-infused risotto balls stuffed with fontina cheese, that have been deep-fried. Heidi tossed back a few of The Parlor’s signature spring/summer cocktails, one of which was the delicious Summer Manhattan (alright–I may have taken a sip or two when she wasn’t looking). For a taste of 5:00 freedom at The Parlor in the comfort of your own home, give this recipe a try:

Ingredients

• 2.5 OZ Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• .05 OZ Sweet Vermouth (peach or orange infused if possible)
• 3 Dashes Fee’s Brothers Peach Bitters
• 1/4 of a Grilled Peach (muddled)

Shake well and strain it into a martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of grilled peach and a cherry.

For more great cocktails and beautiful Italian cuisine, make The Parlor Pizzeria the destination for your next lunch or dinner out:

Click here for the menu and location information:

Last Sunday, I spent the morning with some out-of-town friends at La Grande Orange, a local grocery and eatery here in Phoenix, AZ. The day couldn’t have been more beautiful. It was sunny, there ws a light, cool breeze in the air, and even though I wouldn’t normally consider the picnic table we were occupying to be “choice seating”, I wouldn’t have chosen to be anywhere else. We enjoyed our brunch over a pitcher of Sangria (which probably had something to do with making the bench bearable), and I smiled to myself as I realized that Spring is finally here.

Springtime Sangria

Serves 6 (Six Cups)

• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
• 1/2 cup triple sec
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into rounds
• 1/4 cup white sugar (optional)
• 8 maraschino cherries
• 2 cups carbonated water (optional)

by Logan Purser

Ok, so I love this holiday. It’s an excuse for my kin and me to get piss-drunk, make a scene, and be loved the more for it. My standard go-to on this day is always Murphy’s or Guiness with Jameson chasers. If im feeling squirrely, and generally I am, we’ll do some Irish Car Bombs which are by far the most popular drink of the day. However. if you’re not into all that heavy beer, here’s something I came up with last week thats pretty freaking delicious, easy to make, and wicked strong.

Ingredients

Shake indredients with ice and strain into a shot glass. Garnish with some shaved dark chocolate on top. It tastes like melted mint chocolate chip ice cream!! Takes me back to my childhood, though I don’t have to sneak these like I used to 🙂

For a true, “Vig” cocktail, visit Logan at:

by Logan Purser, Beverage Coordinator of The Vig and The Vig Uptown

So when I think of Greek food, I think of bright, fresh fruits and veggies…OR luxurious mustaches and domineering woman. Our signature cocktail “Take Bethany Home” is the perfect compliment to Greek dishes. Made of Karpoozi (Watermelon) puree and Organic Ayyoupi (Cucumber) Vodka it blends well with the rich and flavorful cuisine of Greece. 

Ingredients

Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake til it hurts. Serve in a martini glass garnished with a cucumber wheel.

For a true, “Vig” cocktail, visit Logan at:

You know that saying, “Don’t quit your day job?” Well, I’m finally listening to the voice of reason and handing over the “Weekly Whet” reins to a professional.

I’ll keep my day job meddling in all of Into the Soup’s other affairs, but for the next few weeks, our buddy (and new favorite beverage director), Logan, is taking over this spot to show-off some of the delicious drinks you can get at The Vig and The Vig Uptown.

This week, he brings us “The Moscow Mule,” which was previously “served in a spectacular copper mug.” Unfortunately, he and the other bartenders learned the hard way that many of these Moscow Mule-fans had sticky fingers since “48 mugs went missing in the span of 2 months. Now they’ll get it in a regular pint glass and like it!” says Logan. 

Ingredients

• 2oz Russian Standard Vodka 
• 2oz Cock and Bull Ginger Beer (the original creators of the drink)
• 1/2oz Fresh Lime Juice
• Dash of Agnostura Bitters
• Garnished with a lime wedge

1.) Fill a pint glass (or stolen copper mug) with ice

2.) Pour vodka over ice

3.) Add ginger beer

4.) Top off with lime juice and bitters

For a true, “Vig” cocktail, visit Logan and Adam at:

It was recently brought to my attention that too many of my cocktails involve the use of a cocktail-shaker (oops). I deeply apologize to those of you who are not equipped with this fine bar tool.

However, I also must point out that a similar result can be achieved by pouring the ingredients into a glass full of ice, placing a tupperware lid over the top of that glass, and holding it securely over the opening with the non-mixing hand, while the “mixing hand” shakes the MacGyver-like contraption. You can use any kind of cooking strainer–or hell, a piece of your screen door–to strain your drink into a new glass (can you tell I went to college yet?)

But seriously folks, go ahead and just mix this one up with an old-fashioned spoon (or chopstick, or the end of that old flute you’re never going to play again). I won’t tell.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 oz light rum
• 3/4 oz lemon or lime juice OR pre-made sour mixer
• 1/4 oz grenadine