SCOTTSDALE, AZ — There’s a new concept coming this spring to Scottsdale that hopes to stir-up the cocktail scene … say hello to “Tell Your Friends.”
The new venue will have 52 seats and promises unique drinks, live music and will be located under the restaurant called The Americano.
Here’s what Keifer Gilbert, Valley bartender behind the Cocktail Program at Tell Your Friends, shared with ABC 15.
COCKTAILS
According to Gilbert, the speakeasy will have “somewhere between 15 and 25 cocktails” and there two sides distinct sides to the menu.
“There will be a classic section that I think will be nice and introductory for people. And the reason that we went that route is gaining trust of the public as we are a new concept opening in a part of town that doesn't have the [richest] cocktail culture. So having those drinks where it's like an old fashioned, a Manhattan, a bee's knees of French 75, things that are familiar to people and even somewhat nostalgic, sometimes being able to offer that experience and then also being able to switch over to kind of where my expertise came in a little bit more of the Crafty mixology side of everything,” said Gilbert. “You'll start seeing a lot of you know fresh produce being used, fresh citrus, lots of different styles of drinks, some different preparation techniques and just kind of using some of the culinary background that I've been able to grab [from] people that I've worked with over the years, and use that to manufacture ingredients or infuse spirits or make a syrup to give our drinks that really unique feel.”
This drink featured below may not have a name yet, but there’s been a lot of preparation to craft it.
“What we did is, I took beeswax, and I cured the inside of a bottle with that beeswax, so melted it down and then coated the inside of a bottle. And what we've been doing over the past few weeks is we've been pre-batching those old fashions, and then storing them in those beeswax cured bottles. So, what that whiskey is going to do when you think of the way that spirits age and things of that nature is going to start kind of breaking down and absorbing things from what it's stored in. And so, what we're doing with that beeswax is we're going to incorporate a little bit of texture, and mouthfeel and kind of give like our little unique twist on something that you can get just about anywhere, but you can only get that version of it from us,” said Gilbert.
A COLLABORATION
The speakeasy will be located underneath The Americano and will be “accessed through a nondescript side door.”
Valley Chef Beau MacMillan leads the small-bites menu for the location; guest will have the ability to order from dining menu of The Americano too.
“When you enter, there's going to be kind of a holding area where you'll get greeted by the hostess […] and then what's [going to] end up happening is we'll open these kinds of drapes up and you'll be introduced to the space for the first time,” said Gilbert.
WHAT TO EXPECT
“Because we are underneath a restaurant, I think people are going to be very caught off guard by how high the ceilings are. So, it's this really cool space. And the build out is has this crazy like Rat Pack, kind of New York City vibe to it with the way that they went with the build, think like rich red colors for a lot of the décor, banquettes kind of lighting the room, the stage is set right in the middle,” shared Gilbert with ABC15. “Then you're going to have the bar is kind of the centerpiece of the room and there'll be lighting fixtures that come out from behind the bar that arch over into the dining area and [it's] an absolutely beautiful space.”
More than just drinks, and bites… the Tell Your Friends will have nightly entertainment.
“One of the things that I don't want to leave out is it is a live music venue. So, there's, there's going to be a jazz band playing every night. […] Even if you know, the food and drink and all that stuff, maybe necessarily isn't like your cup of tea or anything like that, we'll have a very diverse offering behind that bar,” said Gilbert. “There are not very many places that have live entertainment on a nightly basis anymore. So, I think they did a great job identifying that gap in the market.”
TIMING
According to Gilbert, Tell Your Friends is set to open in the month of May. As of now, the venue plans to be open Thursday through Sunday.
In the meantime, the organizations behind this new concept are keeping busy with the final touches, including the hiring process.
“The biggest thing that we're focusing on with getting this place open is the hospitality side of everything. We've been really meticulous with the hiring process. And we just want to create like a really good restaurant culture. And we want the place to be inviting and we want people to be excited to come back and see those personalities that are the magic behind everything that's happening,” shared Gilbert with ABC15.
The video in the player above showcases the best things to do in the Valley this March. Read more about it right here.