14 Dec 22nD–Dec 28th, 2022 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | Aviation, which appeals to a softer palate,” she said. “Suncliffe has a spice to it that almost lends toward a Scotch inasmuch as you pick up the botanicals.” Jacob notes that the vapor-infusion method Suncliffe uses to create its spirit results in less of a metallic flavor, which she believes is imparted to some gins that macerate their botanicals in the neutral base more conventionally. In downtown Phoenix, Suncliffe is a staple at good-drinking spots such as Sauvage; Sottise; Little Rituals; So Far, So Good; and Rough Rider, where bar manager Alex Montoya uses Suncliffe for a tropical punch. “Suncliffe has a super cool dryness to it and a soft juniper presence,” they said. “It’s cool to see it popping up at a lot of bars. If you have a passion for local makers, it’s something you know about.” At Highball Cocktail Bar, Libby Lingua and Mitch Lyons use Suncliffe in an exceptional drink called the Painted Sky. It’s a juicy, fruity, clean blend of many liqueurs, guava puree, and lemon and grapefruit juices crowned with a purple Lambrusco float. “What I really enjoy about Suncliffe is that it has a complexity that lends itself to berries more,” Lyons said. He believes Suncliffe belongs “in its own category of gin” — not too juniper-heavy like a London Dry; not too citrusy like many new-wave products. “Honestly, it’s exciting to see Arizona coming up with its own distillates that can rival the big names,” Lyons said. “Suncliffe has a unique flavor that’s equally compa- rable to something of the stature of a Hendrick’s or a Bombay.” In Phoenix’s Melrose District, Valentine’s Blaise Faber was among the first Phoenix barmen to taste Suncliffe — and he uses it widely in both the restaurant and the connected Bar 1912. “There are some excellent American- style gins that push the boundaries,” Faber said. “Suncliffe is somewhere between the two, but closer to a London Dry palate. It has a lot more juniper and a lot more pine.” The Valentine house gin is a blend of three Arizona gins, including Suncliffe. Faber believes that the American spirits scene has evolved and become more free- form. Gins such as Suncliffe reflect the evolution. Now, craft spirits here are made to be more drinkable, he explained. “We’re turning a corner in American spirits where we can be more adventurous and bold.” ‘A Lot of It Is Scouting’ On the fall morning in Sedona, the first official day of the 2022 harvest, Lawrence and Giddings climbed into their white Jeep with a Suncliffe-branded spare tire on the back and took off for another favorite juniper spot. They turned through neigh- borhoods southeast of town. Outside a house, Lawrence jammed the brakes. Giddings popped out to inspect a juniper tree in the front yard. “This one has dropped everything,” Lawrence called out from the driver’s seat. “All the juniper fell on the floor,” Giddings said. He took a berry and sank his teeth into it. “These are super brown and dry.” Giddings didn’t intend to harvest from the tree. He and Lawrence considered it as part of their general scouting. They’ve real- ized that the juniper trees in the area are on differing multiyear cycles, so it’s important to observe, to keep tabs on natural rhythms. Driving away from the house, headed toward what they hoped to be a lush juniper spot based on recent observations, Giddings explained further. “This is a true reflection of a day in the life of us foraging,” he said. “A lot of it is scouting. Last year, we were foraging in October, but we were also foraging in February.” The pair also spoke about how proud they are to be an LGBTQ- and woman- owned business, one with a product that promotes unity and inclusiveness.” “We’re very transparent,” Lawrence said. “We love openness. We love bringing people together no matter what.” As the road turned and ramped down- hill, the two men also noted that profits from online sales, including their cocktail kits, benefit the Navajo Water Project, an ambitious effort to expand the water grid to more Navajo Nation families. Soon, the houses are gone. The white Jeep swings into a dirt lot below a moun- tainous ridge needled with conifers and low cactus. The vehicle comes to a stop with a small plume of red dust. Lawrence and Giddings get out, toting baskets, and follow a trail through a grove of amply spaced trees. The sun falls. Birds chirp. Lawrence leaves the trail, stepping over toppled cactus, for a juniper. The berries look nearly ripe, but the foragers aren’t so sure. Hands gloved, Lawrence grabs a branch and cradles a woven basket underneath it. “Generally, you kind of want to squeeze it, and they fall off,” he says of the plant and its seed cones. “In a weird way, it’s kind of like milking.” But so far the berries aren’t falling. “When they’re ripe, they go darker in color,” Giddings says. “There’s a ripe one,” Lawrence says. “These are some green ones.” Giddings reaches for a branch. A bracelet of dry juniper berries slides along his wrist. He picks a tiny berry and bites in, gauging for ripeness and whether this tree’s berries have the qualities needed to give a Suncliffe batch the soul of northern Arizona. He nods, approving. “Yup, you taste the gin.” Giddings and Lawrence tasting the juniper berries to gauge their ripeness. Spirit from p 12 Chris Malloy Now Serving Suncliffe Gin S uncliffe Gin conjures the enchanting canyons of Sedona from which it’s foraged. Founded by Thomas Giddings, Ryan Lawrence, and Clare Byrne in early 2020, the spirit has carved out a home on better bar menus across the state and beyond. Suncliffe incorporates three species of juniper and 12 total botanicals to bring a punchy yet refined, aggressively Arizonan gin into the world. These four metro Phoenix bars and restaurants serve great introduc- tions to the new-wave gin. Gertrude’s Restaurant 1201 North Galvin Parkway 480-719-8600 dbg.org/visit/dining/gertrudes- restaurant Michelle Jacob, the manager at this restaurant inside the Phoenix Botanical Garden, “sells a lot” of Suncliffe. She said its botanicals have an endearing loudness, a punch to rival Scotch. “I wanted to do some- thing that would play with its aromatics and flavor profile rather than mute them,” she said. So, she tricks out a gin-based mojito with thyme, blackberry, and sparkling cactus water: the Mojave Mojito. Rough Rider 1001 North Central Avenue 602-675-0439 roughrideraz.com The bar manager at this downtown Phoenix restaurant, Alex Montoya, is so into supporting local that they have a “602” tattoo. Lately, Montoya has been spiking a rotating tropical punch with Suncliffe, playing its “super cool dryness” and “soft juniper presence” against some giant Tiki flavors. One such punch packs Suncliffe, sherry, Velvet Falernum, Big Marble Organics Tonic water, and a “super juice” that Montoya concocts from fruit zest and malic acid. Valentine 4130 North Seventh Avenue 602-612-2961 valentinephx.com Known for having the most-Arizonan bar program in the state, Valentine uses Suncliffe in a house gin blend. Co-owner and barman Blaise Faber said that the blend is made from three Arizona gins, with Suncliffe making up about 30 to 50 percent of its volume. This means that Suncliffe will come in the glass if you order a classic G+T. It can also come in more experimental offerings, such as a cactus martini and some of the rotating biome-inspired libations from the clan- destine back room, Bar 1912. Highball Cocktail Bar 1514 North Seventh Avenue 602-675-4244 highballphx.com This sleek, second-story cocktail lounge uses Suncliffe in a cocktail that is arguably one of the greats in town: the Painted Sky. The lush drink features several liqueurs, including Amaro Montenegro and raspberry liqueur, shaken with citrus juices and guava puree, before being poured into a tall glass and crowned with a lambrusco float. Co-owner Mitch Lyons said that, as a gin, Suncliffe belongs in “a category of its own.” We agree. CHRIS MALLOY The Painted Sky at Highball Cocktail Bar. Kyle Ledeboer / KPLStudios
