The Handlebar Tempe, a modern American beer garden located on Tempe’s historic Mill Avenue proudly announces several employee wins and accolades with national trips and event participation. Opened in 2012 by local restaurant entrepreneur, Julian Wright, principal of Fork & Dagger Bar and Restaurant Development Company, The Handlebar Tempe has quickly become a Mill Avenue staple and destination for craft beer and craft cocktails. The location features experienced industry veterans including a U.S. Bartenders Guild member and a resident ‘Beer Geek’ on staff.Staff member Jerame “JT” Tillman, a member of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, hosts a weekly Tuesday night event featuring craft cocktails and oversees much of the location’s in-house aging of spirits. JT recently participated in, and won three separate cocktail competitions, including "War of the Pour” at the Chandler Craft Spirits Festival and “Finlandia Scottsdale Farmers Market”. Tilman was venerably selected to participate in, and won the “Jack Daniel’s Rock and Roll Cocktail Competition” -- a statewide contest in which only seven contestants were selected to compete for the grand prize of an all-expenses paid trip to the Jack Daniel’s distillery, Johnny Cash Museum and private party and concert on BBQ Hill at the Jack Daniel’s headquarters in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Tillman won the “Peoples Choice” award for his rock and roll inspired cocktail entitled "Take Your Tennessee Home”; a nod to both the sour mash Tennessee whiskey with which it was made, and a Van Halen song called "Take Your Whiskey Home”. JT’s winning beverage, which scored him the trip to Lynchburg, Tenn. is a beer whiskey cocktail that Tilman describes as follows.
“The ‘Take Your Whiskey Home’ is a refreshing beer whiskey cocktail, perfect for summer. The grapefruit bitters really help merry the citrus and sour beer elements with the sweet and tasty Tennessee whiskey. Finally, the orange zest helps give the final touch of aromatics and color.”
The winning drink is available for purchase at The Handlebar Tempe for $8.50 for a limited time and is made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, grapefruit hopped bitters, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and topped with Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Ale and an orange zest.
The Handlebar Tempe is also proud to announce that resident ‘Beer Geek’ and staff member Nick Nitz was selected from a significant pool of regional candidates to attend Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s “Beer Camp” in Chico, California. The multi-day beer camp features brewery tours and tasting, samplings and education, activities with the brewers and brewery staff and creating a new beer recipe with fellow camp members.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team and their recent accomplishments,” stated Julian Wright, The Handlebar Tempe’s owner and principal of Fork & Dagger Bar and Restaurant Development Company. “We’ve got a great little team in here doing off-the-wall fantastic things weekly and these recent wins and awards are a testament to putting Tempe’s flourishing food and bar scene on the map.”
For additional information about The Handlebar Tempe, please visit: http://www.handlebaraz.com.