With the holiday season on our heels, now is the perfect time to settle in for a cocktail (or three) before the hustle and bustle commences. Downtown Phoenix’s Little Rituals and Bitter & Twisted have unveiled a slew of new cocktails and dishes that make choosing your night-out destination a breeze.
Tucked away on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott, Little Rituals is swanky and sexy with twinkling city views (request a window seat). Such is the perfect setting for sipping a Mr. Hollywood (pictured at top of page)–one of the cocktail lounge’s newest additions. It is a fizzy cognac cocktail, paired with a potato chip crowned with creme fraiche and caviar. A refreshing contrast to the ultra-luxe Mr. Hollywood, the Watermelon Sundae is fruity gin-based tipple, topped with a slice of cucumber and watermelon granita. If you like the icy granita, the Ballroom Blitz–a new frozen mezcal cocktail–should be next on the list. Served in a color-changing “mood ring” cup, Ballroom Blitz is smoky but incredibly crowd-pleasing.
With a menu that expands beyond great drinks. Little Rituals’ new food menu features comforting classics with a twist. The warm, fresh-baked Parker House bread is paired with a pandan vanilla butter that you’ll want to eat with a spoon. The Pho French Dip is a heartier pick, featuring the traditional French Dip construction with brisket and swiss but with Pho flavors and ingredients, like Thai basil, cilantro, carrots, cucumber, pickled chilies and a Vietnamese au jus for dipping.
For a double-your-pleasure night out, street-level Bitter & Twister is just a few steps away. Little Rituals’ older sister establishment is an undeniably cool, industrial-inspired bar where incredible cocktails take center stage (and there are several new ones to sample!). Among the top newbies is the Jammy Dodger–a veritable PB&J in a glass. The cocktail is topped with a crispy little cookie to confirm it as an elevated after-school snack for the 21-and-older set. The carbonated Tea-kachu! features green tea-infused Reyka vodka for a refreshing and fizzy highball (this is a fun one to watch being made, thanks to the carbonation process).
Earlier this month, Bitter & Twisted also unveiled a new food menu that pays homage to the menu that was served when the bar first opened in 2014. Joining the popular Hurricane Popcorn (the ultimate in next-level bar food with butter, garlic, furikaki, shichimi and spicy rice crackers) is the Dragon Dumpling Burger, green chili mac and barbacoa tacos on housemade corn tortillas.
Little Rituals is open Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, 5 to 11 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Bitter & Twisted is open Tuesday to Thursday, 4 p.m. to midnight; and Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
For more information, visit littleritualsbar.com and bitterandtwistedaz.com.
Little Rituals
132 S. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
Bitter & Twisted
1 W. Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85003