Little Rituals adds twist to mix of bars in downtown Phoenix

What does it take to make a good drink? You could argue nothing more than a clean glass, good ice and a topquality spirit.

But what about when it comes to making a world-class cocktail? Well, that might require a few more tools.

In the case of Little Rituals, a new bar in downtown Phoenix, it requires a lot more tools.

Behind the stick, at Phoenix’s newest cocktail destination you’ll find items that look more suitable for science experiments than for making drinks. There’s a multichannel pipette for dropping perfect spheres of liquid atop your drink and a fish pump for crowning your cocktail with a layer of bubbles. A high-tech carbon dioxide glass chiller can freeze your rocks glass in a matter of seconds.

“It’s like the Ferrari of bars, if you will,” co-owner Ross Simon says with a smile. “We can stand toe to toe with any bar in the country.”

The new concept comes from two of Arizona’s top cocktail talents, making this one of the most anticipated new bars or restaurants to open this year. Simon also is proprietor of Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour just around the corner. He’s partnered with awardwinning mixologist Aaron DeFeo.

You’ll find Little Rituals inside the

Renaissance Courtyard Phoenix Downtown, but the owners say this is not meant to be just another hotel bar — nor another Bitter & Twisted.

“It’s a very different vibe from Bitter (& Twisted),” Simon says. “We wanted to help create a downtown that’s not a carbon-copy experience. We wanted to add something on top of what exists.”

The bar is on the fourth floor of the hotel. Elevators will be open to the public most of the time. On Friday and Saturday nights, expect to show an ID to security in the lobby before being given a key to access the elevator and bar.

If there are no seats available, guests can add their names to a wait list on the app Nowait. That way customers can enjoy drinks in the hotel lobby bar or next door at Bitter & Twisted until they 602-603-2050, littleritualsbar.com. get a text saying their table at Little Rituals is ready.

“So no one ever has to wait,” Simon says. “Unless they want to.”

Which they might. At least, they might want to make a pit stop in Little Rituals’ waiting area where the owners have installed a one-of-a-kind beer vending machine. The retrofitted soda machine now is stocked with glass bottles of Miller High Life. Customers can purchase a Little Rituals coin for $2.50, pop it into the machine and have a cold one while they wait.

Once you’re at your table or bellied up to the bar, you can peruse the menu.

Bitter & Twisted is well-known for its elaborately designed and award-winning menu and Little Rituals carries on the tradition. The photo album-inspired design is simpler in comparison, but the nine-page list of about 30 drinks still makes an impression.

The menu is divided into six subsections of about five drinks each. They range from Daily Rituals, or “everyday drinks people can enjoy all the time,” says DeFeo, to Indulgent Rituals made with rich and rare ingredients like blackberry-infused Botanist Rum and housemade coconut sorbet.

Chef Bob Tam, also behind the food menu at Bitter & Twisted, consulted on the concise list of bar bites at Little Rituals. The eight options range from sticky, crispy Caramel Clay Pot Chicken Wings swimming in a piquant chile-spiked broth to a Pho French Dip made with braised oxtail that’s worth a visit even if you don’t enjoy a sip of spirits.

Even desserts are worth exploring: choose between a traditional Englishstyle rice pudding and a version of Milk Bar’s best-selling crack pie that’s so good you’ll have no reason to go to the Big Apple ever again.

From both the food and beverage sides Simon and DeFeo have designed the menu with a wide variety of customers in mind. Many of the cocktails are marked “Low ABV” to indicate their lower alcohol content; others sport a badge indicating they can be easily made with no alcohol at all.

Food options can be adapted for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free guests.

The plethora of options is intentional. It’s important to both Simon and DeFeo that Little Rituals is a place where everyone can feel at ease, from local cocktail lovers to international travelers just looking for a drink.