24 Nov 7th-Nov 13th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Intergalactic Inspiration Quartz and The Cave debut new menus that “even leave the planet.” BY SARA CROCKER Q uartz, the downtown cock- tail lounge that mines inspi- ration from the natural world, has unveiled a new cache of stone- and desert- themed drinks. The concept is home to not one but two bars, including a main lounge and a hidden space called The Cave. Quartz opened in the historic Welnick Marketplace and Liefgreen Seed Co. building on Van Buren Street near Third Avenue in April 2023. The dual spaces offer a casual, communal walk-in watering hole and a dreamy special occasion spot where groups can tuck into booths. Since opening, the two-bars-in-one concept has been named Phoenix New Times’ Best New Bar and among the Valley’s Top 100 Bars. About a year and a half into Quartz’s tenure, bar director Maxwell Berlin says it was time to change things up in both the main lounge and The Cave. “We’ve been very fortunate and blessed to be very known for cutting-edge cocktails here in Phoenix and abroad,” Berlin says. “It’s time to push it up, kick it up one more notch.” Crystals, boozy kakigori and happy hour deals The new menu in Quartz’s main lounge, which is anchored by a long bar with a craggy faux rock and rope lighting hanging overhead, is inspired by healing crystals. “It’s another way to offer new cocktails, new flavor profiles and introduce people to more rocks that we love,” Berlin says of the “Crystal Cruncher” menu. The entire bar team got in on the menu, selecting crystals as their prompt. The Bamm Bamm Beryl uses the intention of its namesake stone to represent love and nostalgic memories, by drawing on the childhood cereal Fruity Pebbles. The pastel-hued drink is made with vodka, strawberry-banana shrub, rhubarb and lemon. Served in a coupe glass, it’s topped with a cereal milk foam. The main lounge will also add a dedi- cated daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m., offering $4 off a selection of classic and tropical-leaning tipples, such as a caipir- inha — a Brazillian cocktail made with cachaça that is a favorite of Berlin. But, not every drink on the former lounge menu is gone. Some of Quartz’s most popular birthstone-inspired tipples will stay. Among those are the vibrant Sea of Aquamarine, the smokey Turquoise Dilemma and the creamy chocolate, mint and anise-flavored Peridot Periquito. Some of the returning drinks have been refined. The Peridot, for example, is now served on nitro to add a creamier texture to the drink. The bar’s menu also expanded with its boozy version of the fluffy Japanese shaved ice kakigori, “done up” Jell-O shots and a larger selection of beer, wine and zero- proof sips. On the food menu, metal bento boxes packed with charcuterie or conservas and crackers join the selection of hot dogs and snacks, such as a masala- spiced Chex Mix. Berlin says the bar will also continue to partner with chefs on pop-ups and will begin hosting potlucks as part of their roster of regular events. Cocktails at The Cave draw Quartz bar director Maxwell Berlin and his team have created a new menu of cocktails inside their lounge and hidden sibling spot, The Cave. (Photo by Sara Crocker) >> p 27 ▼ Food & Drink