New cocktail bar to open
Little Rituals to be located in Phoenix Marriott hotel
Little Rituals is a new cocktail bar coming to the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Downtown in mid-2018.
Little Rituals is a new cocktail bar coming to downtown Phoenix, but there’s nothing small about the talents of the duo behind Little Rituals.
Ross Simon and Aaron DeFeo have joined forces on a project designed to be small in scale, large in impact and a pleasant surprise for those with an outmoded idea of what hotel bars can be. Both names have a strong reputation at the local and national level:
Simon is proprietor of Phoenix’s wildly successful Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, which this year was nominated for the world’s best cocktail menu, among other awards.
DeFeo is property mixologist for Casino del Sol in Tucson, where he has been since 2011. Among his many accolades: one of GQ magazine’s Most Inspired Bartenders.
“I feel it could reinvent how hotel bars are perceived in Phoenix, and hopefully, it becomes a destination as well as being a great amenity to guests in the hotel,” Simon told The Republic in an exclusive interview about Little Rituals.
The bar will open in mid-2018 on the fourth floor of the Residence Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Phoenix Downtown. However, it will be independently run and one of a scant number of Valley cocktail lounges not affiliated with a restaurant.
Simon and DeFeo envision Little Rituals as a carefully designed venue designed to embody the spirit of its name, a reference to the attention to detail necessary to achieve excellence in their field. Put simply, they intend to make the space one of Phoenix’s premier destinations for mixed drinks that will further contribute to a burgeoning downtown scene.
“We’ve been very fortunate in being welcomed, and a lot of people have embraced Bitter & Twisted, but we want to add to the scene because there’s so many more concerts, there’s so many more conventions, which is fantastic for Phoenix,” Simon said. “If we can open up unique, independent spots where they can get a different experience, I think it’s great for the city.”
To make Little Rituals his primary focus, DeFeo is leaving Casino del Sol and moving to Phoenix at the end of December
“I’ve developed a pretty strong tie with a lot of people in Phoenix. They’re like my second family,” he said. “Phoenix is poised to explode, and any help I can give to the community and this project with Ross, I’m just super excited about it.”
To complement existing options downtown, Simon and DeFeo are designing Little Rituals as an intimate, refined, highly focused cocktail lounge that can serve hotel guests and outside visitors alike.
“We really want to focus on creating a lounge experience that you don’t get elsewhere,” DeFeo said. “We want something that’s going to be kind of dark and sexy and is going to appeal to people who are on dates, as well as a wide range of customers.
“Cocktail-wise, we’re trying to bring a lot of international influences, because it is a hotel bar, and if you look at some of the better ones in London and other places, they have that type of dynamic. We want to recreate that in Arizona.”
Besides providing a home and thematic grounding, Little Rituals’ hotel location will give it the flexibility to remain open on nights and during hours when many other cocktail spots are closed.
DeFeo and Simon are designing what they describe as a tight, seasonal list of 16 to 24 cocktails that will change on a frequent basis. They’re aiming for compositions that are simple, elegant and bolstered by careful prep work behind the scenes.
“What I really want to dial in here is the execution of techniques that don’t interfere with how the guests enjoy the drink,” Simon said. “They’ll add to the taste of the drink without becoming gimmicky.”
Though he and DeFeo have yet to finalize a culinary partner, Little Rituals will feature a short menu of dishes and bites to support the cocktail list.
“I think it’ll be a good complement to the current scene,” Simon said. “All of the bars that are here at the moment are doing great things, and I think we’re going to be a great addition to wave the flag of cocktail culture in Phoenix.”