A Phoenix cocktail icon's long-awaited 'garden to glass' bar is opening downtown

Editor's note: Garden bar is now open. Read all about the new bar and the history backstory of the bungalow that houses it.

Following months of delays, Kim Haasarud, one of Phoenix's top cocktail experts, is finally opening Garden Bar in downtown Phoenix on Thursday, Dec. 2. A sneak peek is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Haasarud is the director and president of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, has written eight cocktail books, produced Arizona Cocktail Week and has even been a judge on "Iron Chef America."

She's now channeling her expertise from years of bartending and cocktail consulting into Garden Bar, where she aims to highlight her love of local ingredients and producers.

Her cocktail bar opened in a historic house: Then the family came home

She described the bar as a "garden to glass" concept. Many of the drinks will include botanical elements and locally sourced natural ingredients like honey and fruit juices.

Since the drinks will rely on sourcing what's in season, the offerings will rotate. The bar's opening menu is called "Home for the Holidays."

Haasarud said the name fits both the mood of the drinks and the bar.

Decked out with couches, coffee tables and a cozy fireplace, she describes the space as feeling like someone's home. "I'm super excited to welcome people," she said.

Meet Haasarud: The Arizona mixology legend opening a 'garden to glass' cocktail bar

What to expect at Garden Bar

While the bar is new, the building is not. Located inside a California-style bungalow built in 1914, certain improvements, such as a new floor and wider doorways, were necessary, but Haasarud said she and her construction team worked to keep the original house intact. Certain elements, like the window frames and beveled glass, are original.

"We really wanted to maintain the integrity of the building," she said, adding that she's incorporating the bungalow's history into the decor and the menu.

Rocking chairs will sway on the front porch, an old fireplace will be filled with candles, antiques will be sprinkled throughout and guests can even sit and sip a cocktail at an old piano covered with a layer of Plexiglas.

What's on the opening menu?

To add to the historic vibes, Haasarud did her research for the menu.

"The drinks are a nod to what would have been served for the holidays in 1914," she said.

Customers will find seasonal drinks like the figgy pudding buttered rum, smoky banana bread highball and a tequila-spiked cold brew coffee topped with sherry whipped cream. Other unique offerings include a green bean cocktail made with gin, cacha?a and aqua faba, a ruby port clarified milk punch and a cranberry jubilee made with kumquat vodka. Cocktail prices range from $12 to $21.

Instead of a chef, Haasarud hired a "grazing board engineer" who will create boards featuring a "rustic collection of cured meats and cheeses," local chocolate, fruits, nuts and pickled vegetables for guests to snack on while they sip.

Next year, Haasarud plans to invite local chefs from around the Valley to curate Garden Bar grazing boards. She hopes this will add to the community building and education aspects of the space. When the bar is closed, it will function as a drink development lab for local bartenders.

Guests can sign up to attend the Nov. 26 Black Friday sneak peek via a form posted to Garden Bar's Facebook page. The bar will open to the public on Dec. 2.

Details: 822 N. Sixth Ave., Phoenix. 602-824-2385, gardenbarphx.com.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @tirionmorris, on Facebook at Tirion Rose and on Instagram at tirionrose.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Downtown Phoenix welcomes new cocktail destination, Garden Bar