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MAD MIXOLOGIST
THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER
Getting down and dirty with the Valley’s hottest shot slingers
CAMELBACK SOUR
1.5 ounce Bulleit Bourbon
.75 ounce St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur
Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
T
he Camby’s lead mixologist Brian Blevins considers the Valley his home, even though he was born in Crystal Lake, Illinois – a fun fact for any Friday the 13th horror movie fan. Blevins moved here with his family at age 7, but left the Valley for Austin after high school to play music. He always knew, though, he would find his way home. And find it; he did, thanks to his talent behind the bar. While in his mid-20s and still touring with his band, Blevins began working side gigs in the spirits and entertainment world, in Austin and Los Angeles. Eager to formally enter the industry – and get back to Arizona – Blevins applied for a bartending gig at The Camby in 2016, and got it. In just over a year, Blevins honed his craft, eventually earning the title of lead mixologist for the resort and its two main dining parlors – The Bees Knees and Artizen – in 2017. Today, Blevins is famed as the architect behind the Bees Knees acclaimed “Tipsy Tea Parties” and just launched Artizen’s new craft cocktail offerings, his second full menu for the resort, which he calls “Season Two.” We sat down with Blevins to learn more about his story and all of his crazy good cocktails at The Camby. WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM
Tell me about the oddest drink request you’ve received? Well, from a guest, I get a lot; especially given we are a resort that caters to people from all over the globe. I’ve gotten requests ranging from grape juice mixed with whiskey to following a patron’s own drink recipe to the tee (with her watching my every move and trying to help). But, the most recent “odd” request I got came from our own team. I was asked to dream up a “new version” of high tea, with the goal of launching it in our Bees Knees as an added treat for local residents and guests alike. As a cocktail man, tea was not in my wheelhouse – so I turned to tea-infused cocktails. The result: a modern twist on traditional high tea. Dubbed “Tipsy Tea Parties,” the events take place every Friday and Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Bees Knees. Each quirky service features a prix-fixe menu of sweet and savory bites for one’s party to share as well as each guest’s choice of a spiked tea – with both hot and cold options – served in its own funky teapot. Tipsy Tea is $40, inclusive of sweet and savory bites and one spiked teapot per guest. What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working? Being cheated out of giving someone an experience. That’s what I am here for, after all! There is nothing worse than smiling and offering up our menu to a guest – to engage them in conversation, interact with them, and to see what I can dream up for them – and without even
making eye contact, have them spout out a generic order and shoo me away.
What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own? I have two go-to cocktails. First, I love an Aviation, which is an old-school cocktail with gin and then some variation of maraschino liqueur, crème de violette and lemon juice. Then, when I want something with a darker spirit, I order a Boulevardier. It is a whiskey-based cocktail with Campari and vermouth. What does ordering a vodka tonic say about a person? That they should let me give them an experience (see pet peeve above)! Actually, I happily make it for them and then strike up a conversation, with my goal to help them find something approachable but a little more daring for drink two. Tell us about the cocktail program at The Camby? I shared about the Tipsy Tea, which I am very proud of. Then, on the Artizen side, we recently launched my second “Works of Artizen” cocktail menu, which includes eight custom cocktails developed by our team for $13 each. With this menu, we wanted to focus as much on how the drinks looked as how they tasted, meaning we wanted to use bold, colorful spices, shrubs, spruce, garnish and even ice to really amp up the “wow” factor.
.5 ounce fresh lemon juice .5 ounce simple syrup 1 egg white Petit Syrah Combine ingredients in a shaker tin, then whip-shake with two to three ice cubes Add more ice, then shake to temperature and double-strain over fresh ice into a highball glass Float Petit Syrah (I use J Lohr) on top and garnish with a fresh slice of pear and a pinch of ground black pepper.
What is one cocktail would love for us to feature in the magazine this month? The Camelback Sour What do you like about this drink? At The Camby, because we have so many guests who are visiting from elsewhere, sometimes we are their only (look) at the Phoenix cocktail scene. We take that responsibility very seriously, and want to make it one to remember. With The Camelback, we are bringing in one of our iconic places and matching it to a distinct flavor profile perfect for this season.
The Camby
2401 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.468.0700, thecamby.com.