This week, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails’ Head Bartender Phil Clark and Executive Chef Dushyant Singh are shaking things up by launching 16 new tropical cocktails and an elevated, yet approachable lunch menu perfect for the Valley’s warmer weather.
Recently named “Best Bartender” by Phoenix New Times, Clark is pulling inspiration from the sweet and savory flavors of Jamaican cuisine to redefine what Caribbean cocktails look like in the desert. By taking traditional recipes like a Mai Tai or Mud Slide and restructuring them with new and unconventional ingredients like a house-made Mountain Dew shrub, Aperol and peach, the new cocktail lineup features light and refreshing sippers with complex flavor profiles.
“With this new cocktail menu we are giving our guests an expanded vision of our program and can offer them options that may seem familiar, but have that contemporary craft element that Blue Hound is known for,” said Clark. “These are perfect for cocktail on the patio before a baseball game or a bright refresher before a night out, these lighter options will put you in the mood for all that Downtown Phoenix has to offer.”
Some standouts on the spring cocktail menu include the Jamaican Getaway, inspired by Derek Brown with Cynar 70, Overproof Jamaican Rum, Angostura, demerara sugar, and lime; Paper Tiger by Kayla Szeliga with Campari, Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey, house lime cordial, hibiscus and egg white; Bitter Enthusiast by Derek Mattson with Meletti Amaro, Akashi Japanese Whisky, banana, chocolate bitters and expressed orange; Frost on Windowpane by Jimmy Pederson with Absolute Elyx Vodka, pear liqueur, pinot grigio syrup, lime, soda and sage; Tropical Ice Age by Mike Mailloux with El Dorado Rum, Banks Rum, banana, cacao, cinnamon, lime and pineapple; and Dew the Mezcal by Kayla Szeliga with Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, mountain dew shrub, yellow chartreuse, orgeat and rhubarb. All cocktails are $15.
Not only is the bar program being reinvigorated for summer, Chef Singh’s new lunch menu focuses on using undiscovered flavors, seasonal ingredients and contemporary techniques. The menu offers New-American cuisine taking a more sophisticated approach to classic warm-weather dishes like hot dogs, fresh salads and protein-packed bowls.
Some standouts on the lunch menu include the Crispy Sunchokes ($9) with pickled Fresno chile, kafir lime aioli and cotija; Citrus Cured Roasted Beet Toast ($14) with herb goat cheese, frisee, candied pecans, radish and pomegranate seeds; Spring Shaved Vegetable Salad ($12) with frisee, radish, feta, golden raisins and green goddess sauce; The Classic Burger ($15) with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, house pickle, smoked thousand island and a Noble buttermilk bun; Schreiner’s Hotdog ($13) with pickled celery, bloomed mustard seeds, house pickle, truffle aioli and a Noble bun; Steak Sandwich ($16) with caramelized onions, marinated tomatoes, arugula, comte, garlic aioli and chimichurri; and Ahi Bowl ($18) with cucumber, radish, edamame, avocado, mushroom and sweet soy ginger.
For more information on Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails or to book a reservation call 602-258-0231, or visit https://bluehoundkitchen.com.
