La Bocca Urban Kitchen + Wine Bar's New Beverage Program
Manhattan (all photos by Hanna Leeke)
La Bocca Urban Kitchen + Wine Bar Debuts New Beverage Program; Focuses on Locally Sourced Ingredients, House-Made Cellos and Custom Wine Flights
Both La Bocca Urban Kitchen + Wine Bar locations – on High Street in Northeast Phoenix and on Mill Avenue in the heart of Tempe, respectively – area pleased to announce the launch of their completely re-imagined beverage program. The new menu features more than a dozen new cocktail and sangria offerings, customizable wine flights, more than 30 whiskies by the glass, and even a new house-made cello (or three).
- Mandarin Collins: Hangar 1 Mandarin Vodka, simple syrup, strawberry shrubs, fresh lemon juice and soda water ($10)
- Vino Spritz: Absolut Elyx Vodka, pinot grigio, watermelon syrup and fresh lemon juice ($10)
- Bocca 75: Caswerks Gin, Sofia Blanc de Blanc, prickly pear bitters, simple syrup and fresh lemon juice ($10)
- Uva Bella: Bols Gin, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice and muddled grapes ($10)
- Icelandic Mule: Reyka Vodka, ginger beer and fresh lime juice ($10)
- Desert Oasis: Azunia Blanco Tequila, Chareau Aloe Vera, honey syrup, Cynar (an artichoke-based bittersweet liqueur) and fresh lime juice ($11)
- Pineapple Daiquiri: Giffard banana syrup, Plantation Pineapple Rum, simple syrup and fresh lime juice ($11)
- Pisco Sour: Payet Pisco (a Peruvian white bandy), raspberry syrup, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice and egg white ($12)
- Corpse Reviver #Blue: Plymouth Gin, Lillet (a French wine aperitif), Blue Curacao and fresh lemon juice ($11)
- Old Fashioned: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, cinnamon syrup, figgy pudding bitters and orange bitters ($11)
- Manhattan: Sazerac Six-Year Rye, vanilla-infused Vermouth and angostura bitters ($12)
- House-Made Sangria: A secret recipe of wine, spirits, spices and fresh fruit available in red, white or mixed by the glass ($6) or carafe ($22)
- House-Made Cellos: Available in unmistakably classic lemon or summery creamsicle flavors, plus revolving weekly seasonal specials ($6)
The menu, which also includes a seasonal bourbon cocktail that will change regularly, is the result of collaboration by La Bocca’s beverage director JT Tillman, a USBG Spirits Professional, and La Bocca North general manager Kyle Mason, an award-winning mixologist and Jade Bar Hall of Fame inductee, both veterans of the industry.
In addition to the cocktail menu, the wine menu has been given a similar makeover, now boasting red, white, rosè and bubbly offerings from Sonoma, Willamette Valley, Napa, Paso Robles, Washington, Lodi, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and France, among others. And thanks to the addition of a new Coravin Wine System, which uses transformational technology that allows La Bocca to pour any wine by the glass without actually pulling the cork, every single red, white and rose wine can be offered in three-ounce pours.
“This system allows you as the guest to build your own wine flight to your own tastes and preferences, even giving you the ability to taste from ultra-premium brands for a fraction of a cost of a bottle or even glass,” said Kyle Mason, general manager of La Bocca and an award-winning master bartender in his own right. “We also have a sommelier on staff – Ty Crandall – available to help guide guests on a tasting or in choosing the perfect bottle for everything from a girls’ night out to a romantic dinner for two.”
With the wine menu launched, La Bocca will also launch regular, monthly winemaker dinners, in partnership with their chef, Judd Cummings, starting in July.
Those looking beyond cocktails and wine to beer will be similarly satisfied as La Bocca has local breweries including Four Peaks, Lumberyard, Hess Brewing Company on draft alongside regional favorites including Left Hand Brewing and Bells Brewery and classics such as Coors Lite and Michelob Ultra.
Happy hour is offered seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and includes $5 off any glass of wine, $2 off all drafts, and $2 off single pours.
About La Bocca Urban Kitchen + Wine Bar: With several convenient locations in the Valley –in the heart of Tempe on Mill Avenue, in the up-and-coming High Street in Northeast Phoenix and the soon-to-be opened newest location in Downtown Chandler (August 2016) – La Bocca Urban Kitchen + Wine Bar brings together everyone’s all-time favorite Mediterranean and Italian ingredients. Offerings range from fresh basil and creamy hummus to savory prosciutto and made-from-scratch pizzas. In addition to the food, La Bocca boasts custom handcrafted cocktails, by mixology mega-stars JT Tillman and Kyle Mason, and more than 150 wines from across the globe. La Bocca is owned by Mill Avenue Management Group, which brings more than 40 combined years of experience in the restaurant, nightlife and event industries to the exploding culinary scene in Arizona. Its ingredients for success are simple: take a healthy dose of classic hospitality and sprinkle with equal parts innovation and inspiration. For more information, please visit www.laboccapizzeria.com.