Winemaker Maynard James Keenan and his team announced the opening of a new concept for pairing sparkling Arizona meads, ciders, and wines. Introducing Four 8 Fried Chicken by Four 8 Wineworks. Housed in the space formerly occupied by Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room and Osteria which relocated to the Hilltop campus, Four 8 Fried Chicken is located at 1001 N. Main St. in Old Town Cottonwood. The new concept will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, March 14 at 11 a.m.
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“Many of the meads people are familiar with, if at all, tend to be treated like flavored beers, fruit wines, or brandy’s,” said Keenan. “Barely anything to do with honey at all. I was far more interested in what a true honey wine might be like. So we dove in head first. After the first batch was finished, the immediate thought I had was that this would go perfectly with my Spicy Fried Chicken recipe. It did and here we are.”
From the personal recipe book of Keenan, with the assistance of Chef Monty Frost the menu at this unique restaurant features a Southwestern twist on hot chicken. A variety of chicken cuts and pieces are available plus sides including his father’s green bean and bacon recipe, green chile shells & cheese, fennel slaw, potato salad, hushpuppies, jalapeno cornbread and more. Scratch-made to-order, the fried chicken is coated in a unique blend of Southwestern spices creating a slightly spicy flavorful profile that tantalizes the tastebuds. Waffle and gelato, seasonal bread pudding and assorted gelato flavors offer a multitude of sweet options on the dessert menu. The award winning Four 8 Wineworks mead, wine and ciders perfectly complement the robust dishes.
Four 8 Fried Chicken is open Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information visit www.four8wineworks.com .
