PHOENIX – Downtown Phoenix has a new place where people can taste and learn about tequila, mezcal, and other agave-distilled spirits.

Barcoa, a combination of the words “bar” and “coa”, the tool used to help harvest agave, opened a few weeks ago in the historic “Hardware Store” building, near First Avenue and Roosevelt Street, west of Central Avenue. A grand opening is scheduled for January 22, 2022.

This is a new business partnership between festival producer David Tyda, who created the Phoenix Pizza Fest and Downtown Donut Fest, and Ryan Oberholtzer, owner of Provecho at Churchill.

“We decided to call it an ‘agaveria’ to include all of these different types of spirits,” Tyda told ABC15 in a recent interview. “So when someone walks in the door, I want them to feel like they can sort of find out something. So if they’ve only been drinking tequila and they want to find out. mezcal is there for him. But if he’s down in the wormhole – no pun intended – mezcal, that’s it, they can get into bacanora, raicilla, sotol. “

Josh Frigerio, ABC15

There are technically two bars within Barcoa: Cantina in Barcoa, which is on the ground floor and designed to provide a relaxed drinking experience with recognizable cocktails (ie: margarita, paloma, mezcal mule) and Barcelona, located in the basement, which has a larger bar and lounge area and intended to showcase neat flights and flows.

“I want people to try the spirit without adding anything, just to get a feel for the different tastes of agave,” Tyda said, adding that the bartenders will be there to answer questions and make recommendations.

Mexican beers, wine, and craft cocktails are also on the menu.

One cocktail Tyda mentioned was “The Botanga,” which is basically tequila, coke, and lime, served in a glass with a salty rim, with a steak knife as a garnish.

Why? “You have to come to find out,” Tyda said.

“We pay tribute to some of these drinks and the stories and folklore behind them,” he said.

Barcoa does not have a kitchen and therefore will not serve food. But, they will occasionally partner with local food trucks that can park in an alleyway and serve food through a garage door that opens into the cantina, Tyda said.

The opening has been over a year in the making. We first shared the news of Tyda’s plans for Barcoa in August 2020.

Currently, the Cantina is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., but will eventually be open all week.

Barcoa, the basement bar, is currently open Wednesday through Saturday, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Reservations can be made online, https://barcoaphx.com.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO:
Barcelona
829 N. 1st Ave
Phoenix, Arizona 85003
https://barcoaphx.com