Attention all cocktail aficionados. There’s a new tasting room in town.
The Sonoran Sip Room, a pop-up tasting lounge at Hotel Congress, is hosting a launch party of spirits and fun times from 5 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 9.
The evening before Sonoran Restaurant Week kicks off, the new bar is getting things rollin’ by highlighting the wide range of regional wines and spirits found along the Arizona and Mexico border. The pop-up will have flights, tastings, and individual pours of the regional wines, spirits, and local craft beer — enough to wet the whistle of anyone seeking an authentic taste of the Sonoran region.
Arizona Arts Live is sponsoring the new tasting room, which can be found downtown inside Hotel Congress’ Century Room (formerly, Copper Hall event space).
The menu has been curated by the team behind the Agave Heritage Festival and it’s the perfect local sip before or after visiting a participating Sonoran Restaurant Week restaurant for dinner.
Participating wines
- Flying Leap Vineyards
- Dos Cabezas
- Callaghan Vineyards
- Sonoran Wines
- Maynards’ private label
- Carlson Creek Vineyard
- More TBA…
Participating agave distilleries
- Bacanora Mazot
- LaMata
- Racho Tepua Bacanora
- Mezcal Vago
- Sotol Por Siembre
- More TBA…
Launch Party on Thursday, September 9
The grand opening launch party, which is from 5 – 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 9, is also a fundraiser for the San Xavier Co-op Farm, with all of the ticket proceeds benefiting the non-profit farm on the Tohono O’odham Nation.
Tickets are $65 per person during the launch party and are extremely limited — maybe purchase your spot sooner rather than later if interested. Your ticket includes drinks from the new Sonoran Sip Room menu, as well as appetizers made with indigenous ingredients grown on the San Xavier Co-op Farm.
If you miss the launch party, the Sonoran Sip Room will be open from 8 – 11 p.m. on Thursday, September 9, 5 – 11 p.m. on Friday, September 10 – Saturday, September 11, and 5 – 11 p.m. on Thursday, September 16 – Saturday, September 18.
The Sonoran Sip Room is located inside Hotel Congress at 311 E. Congress St. For more information, visit sonoranrestaurantweek.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
