36 Below

UnderTow, Platform 18, and 36 Below Are Phoenix Cocktail Bars With a Big Touch of Theater | Bon Appétit

"Hidden in the basement of a coffee shop, this subterranean, nature-themed bar is a lush, digitally enhanced wonderland with wall-to-wall naturescapes, quarterly rotating themes (recently Aquatic Mediterranean), piped-in sounds of waterfalls, and diffused aromas that match each motif. Cocktails are served in dramatic vessels—think a stone chalice shaped like a Greek goddess—and the menu features theatrical, flavor-forward drinks such as the Antediluvian (a spicy bourbon- and sotol-based cocktail topped with aloe air foam and edible flowers), Plato’s Atlantis (thyme- and tomato-infused gin with strawberry, Suze, lemon, cucumber, and a kinome leaf garnish), and the Buried Fortune (presented in a smoke-billowing bowl that invites you to “go fish” for your treasure, tasting strongly of bourbon with nutty sunflower-seed syrup notes). Digital art (for example, fish and orcas swimming by a submarine porthole) and immersive scents complete the sensory experience." - ByLanee Lee