5/30: Bitter & Twisted Cocktail bar opens in Phoenix

The highly anticipated Bitter & Twisted Cocktail Parlour, the brainchild of Arizona Cocktail Week co-founder Ross Simon, opens Friday, May 30, and promises to elevate the Valley's already-burgeoning craft cocktail scene.

The newest downtown Phoenix bar is meant for everyone, from cocktail nerds to newbies, college students to retired folks, with the primary goal of encouraging guests to "Drink Better," or so the tagline reads.

The bar has been holding soft-opening events leading up to Friday's grand opening. Here are five things to know about it:

1. Bitter & Twisted is located in the historic 10-story Luhrs Building, and sits beneath what used to be the Prohibition Department until 1934. Legend has it that hooligans would sit where Bitter & Twisted is now and reroute the plumbing so they could capture the booze being poured down the drain.

2. The slick menu features more than 60 cocktails in its 25-page Book O' Cocktails, with colorful photos and a playful cocktail graph on the last page to help gear customers to the right choices. The book is separated into 10 "chapters," including "Friends and Family," featuring drinks from guest bartenders around the world; "Market Price," a DIY section using in-season ingredients from local purveyors; and "Retro Drinking, All Hail," a list of classics with the option to upgrade to more premium spirits. There's pretty much no excuse for not finding something you would enjoy.

3. The venue utilizes a nanofiltration system that feeds all of the ice makers and bar guns, and a Hoshizaki ice system. Basically, it holds up the integrity of each and every cocktail.

4. The motto is "Drink Better," so don't expect every flavored vodka under the sun or the new energy drink of the month in stock. The cocktails here are all about premium spirits, daily fresh-squeezed juices, house-infused syrups and, most importantly, consistency.

5. While cocktails are king here, there's also a non-alcoholic drink section and tasty, creative bites with food served until 1:30 a.m. every night the bar is open.

Grand opening: 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday, May 30. The bar is open 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 1 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. Free. 602-340-1924, bitterandtwistedaz.com.

Reach the reporter at kellie.hwang@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8690. Follow her on Twitter @KellieHwang.