Manzanita at Midnight cocktail (Photo courtesy of TCOG)

Toast the Holidays with the ‘TCOG Cocktail of the Year’


December 5, 2023
By Matt Sterner

During the month of December, the Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCOG), and The Parish are celebrating the holidays together in style.

For all performances and shows, Fox Tucson Theatre’s bars will feature this year’s “TCOG Cocktail of the Year” competition winner Manzanita at Midnight. This cocktail was created by The Parish‘s lead bartender Kelsey Counch.

“We worked to create a special blend of flavors that feels like Tucson and were so thrilled to be acknowledged by the public as the ‘Cocktail of the Year,'” said Counch. “I am looking forward to working with the bar staff at the Fox to help recreate this special drink for their guests”.

The Parish’s lead bartender Kelsey Counch (Photo courtesy of TCOG)

Ingredients in the Manzanita at Midnight include Suncliffe Gin, mint, citrus, blackberry liqueur, bitters, and more. 

“The Fox is delighted to partner with City of Gastronomy and the incredible team at Parish to feature this extra tasty concoction in the month of December,” said Bonnie Schock, Fox Executive Director. “We like to think of our role as a connector between artists and audiences — inviting people to discover and celebrate artistry of all kinds. It’s exciting to be able to highlight this piece of artistry in Tucson’s unparalleled food and beverage scene on our Fox stage.”

This collaboration is just one part of the Fox bar team’s ongoing commitment to local spirits, beers, and wines. The gin-based drink is the perfect accompaniment to any of the holiday shows at the Fox in December.  

The Manzanita at Midnight cocktail will be available for purchase for $16 at all bars at the Fox Tucson Theatre during December (get it while you can).

Manzanita at Midnight cocktail (Photo courtesy of TCOG)

“This was the people’s choice for ‘Cocktail of the Year’ at this year’s Tucson Cocktail Challenge, and we are proud that more people will have opportunities to enjoy Kelsey’s special creation at Fox events over an entire month,” said Jonathan Mabry, Executive Director of the nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy. “The mixologists from our Certified restaurants battled it out with new recipes featuring heritage ingredients and locally made spirits that represent southern Arizona’s cocktail terroir.”

Fox Tucson Theatre is located at 17 W. Congress St. For more information, visit foxtucson.com. 

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