Howie C.
Yelp
What happens when I, as a foreigner, lose myself in Downtown Phoenix at 10 p.m. on Saturday night? I walk down a seedy alley because I see a red light and walk straight under it. In a concrete storage alley in the basement of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel is Melinda's Alley.
The man at the front told me to walk down the curling steps and through the doors. I said to Salvador Dali on the wall and went through the rabbit hole. A narrow passageway makes for this hidden bar. Throughout, I encountered red lighting where only naughty things happen. A mish mash of faux antiques from all different time periods adorn the walls. Victorian, Renaissance, Art Deco, it's all tossed together like a salad.
There are two bars. One at the entrance and one near the back. The bar serves five cocktails and five cocktails only. No variations. No special orders. Four of the cocktails are constantly changing with the fifth, an Old Fashioned, a permanent resident on the chalkboard. The night we went, there was a good base mix for everyone... A gin, a bourbon and scotch, a rum, a vodka, and then the Old Fashioned.
The drinks were $12 and $13 each and are expertly made in front of you. Their drinks were amazing. Each drink was complex with many strong complimentary flavors shining through. 30 minutes later, my sip was as strong as it was in the first minute, the ice not even making a dent in the strength of the drink profile. These are true sipping cocktails. I tongue loved every last drop.
The dress here is classy or hipster, but I did see one guy with basketball shorts and well worn sneakers. Music here is varied and the room has a max capacity of 69 people. I had a great time hanging out with friends for almost 2 hours here. It's good place to get lost in whatever you want to get lost in after your dinner in the city. When you're like me, only in the city for a day without any idea where to drink and find myself in a speakeasy, life is good. Now if only Uber could have picked me up from the basement...
