• A new place called Public Bar is going in here.

It appears a new bar called Public Bar is setting up shop where the motorcycle shop Knucklehead Alley used to be at 63 E. Congress St. I noticed a liquor license application had been filed for the address the other day, so I headed down there today to check it out.

The tell-tale green sign announcing the pending liquor license is there in the window, and workers were busy tearing out the interior today. A sprinkler was also going off inside and soaking the poor guys trying to control the flood, so I didn't stop to ask them if they knew anything about the place.

Conversations with other people in the neighborhood lead us to believe the place is a project by some of the people associated with the nearby Sapphire nightclub. That's strictly hearsay for now though.

I love to see more and more businesses showing up Downtown. I don't know enough about logistics to comment on how many businesses that area can support, and sometimes I get a little nostalgic for when it was just the Chicago Store, Grill and a few bars and shops down there, but that doesn't detract from how impressive it is to watch individual business owners transform the area.

I find this chalkboard at Elliott's on Congress at 135 E. Congress St. very impressive. I will be returning at my next earliest convenience to try these flavor-infused vodka cocktails. I hear the food is killer, too. That is all.

Fans of bulk liquor at rock bottom prices, clear your schedule for Aug. 1 and make sure there's enough gas in the pickup to get to Oro Valley.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department's Civil Enforcement Division is holding an auction at a storage facility at 8710 N. Oracle Road where it will be selling off, among other things, a bunch of "assorted liquor, wine and spirits" that were confiscated from a now defunct liquor store near Oracle and Orange Grove. Bidding starts at 10 a.m.

The auction announcement says that six "lots" of booze will be up for auction, along with some furniture, computer equipment and shelving. The items are what's left of the Beverage Corner, which has been sued in Pima County Superior Court by its creditors, thus prompting the need to auction off the items.

The Sheriff's Office often conducts such auctions of seized or confiscated material, sometimes including vehicles, homes or vacant land, though most times it's the result of a court order from a civil action and now from a criminal case, said Jerry Sanchez, office supervisor for the Civil Enforcement Unit.

So, if you were hoping this lot was going to include a lot of Cristal or other stereotypical drug- or gang-related adult beverages, sorry. Though there's a good chance it'll include some Boone's Farm.

Not exactly life-changing food news, but Tucson Tamale Company at 2545 E. Broadway Blvd. serves beer now. We hear they've got a decent selection of bottles and cans, domestic and imported, for you to enjoy.

Hey, it's hot out there. Cold beer is good. There's more on the restaurant over here.

Wine Depot is holding a month-long celebration of wines made from Riesling grapes. Event officials say this grape - which originates from Germany's Rhine region - is one of the "world's greatest and misunderstood," which should make these tastings all that more interesting. From the listing promoting the event:

Each of these tastings will include 5-7 wines never before shown in Tucson and for most, will likely never be shown again. All tastings will include different wines and we will be pouring all types of Riesling from Dry to Sparkling to Icewine and everything in between.

Sounds like fun. The next event is this Friday, July 6. It's $10 at the door, but if you RSVP over here it's only $5.

Somehow, Kitty Katt McKinley has managed to make the backroom of Auld Dubliner in Main Gate Square seem like the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks but with shuffleboard. I don't understand it, but I suspect anyone who goes might be changed forever. Consider yourself warned.

[Yes, I'm aware we've posted a lot of Kitty Katt-related stuff lately. The guy's on a roll. What are we supposed to do?]

The guys from the Hopped Up series have their second video online, this time visiting with Grant Krueger and company at Union Public House. While I shook my head a little bit after Krueger's answer to the question of which person, alive or dead, he'd most like to have a beer with, I definitely appreciate the time, knowledge and footage of pork products that are seen in this video. Keep it up, guys.

Previously: I Would Like to See More Shows About Beer.

The Cup Café, the nice little restaurant with the penny-tiled floor inside the Hotel Congress, has launched a series of beer-tastings to help Tucson make it through the scorching summer.

The tastings take place from 5 to 6 p.m. on selected Saturdays through August. This week's event features beers by Dave’s Electric Brewery, Prescott Brewing Company and Mogollon Brewing Company. Next week there will be brews from San Tan Brewery and Grand Canyon Brewery to sample.

The events are $10, which includes a bit of light fare. If you want something a bit more substantial, the Cup Café is also holding four course beer-paired dinners on the last Saturday of each month. Check in over here for more information.

Once there was just vodka, and then there were a bunch of different Stolis, and now it's just gone totally artificial flavoring nuts, as if the largely flavorless drink is the hard liquor version of a Jelly Belly. 360 Vodka is among the worst offenders, now offering up a Glazed Donut flavor, which absolutely does not sound like something people should have any desire to drink, even sorority girls who enjoy novelty and intoxication fueled by sweetness.

For the waistline-conscious, donut devotees can save some calories while still enjoying the flavor of their favorite hole-some treat. Compared to the pant-splitting 250 calories packed into the average donut, 360 Glazed Donut has a mere 80 calories (per 1.0 ounce shot).

"Confectionery flavors are one of the hottest trends in mixology and we're thrilled to introduce this innovative and quintessentially American flavor to our collection of eco-friendly flavored vodkas," says Vic Morrison, Vice-President of Marketing for The Earth Friendly Distilling Company.

With a collection of twelve flavored vodkas, including the multiple award-winning and consumer favourite 360 Double Chocolate, the Earth Friendly Distilling Company is celebrated for perfecting innovative vodka flavors and sparking cocktail creativity among consumers and mixologists alike.

Fresh batches of 360 Glazed Donut have already been shipped to retailers across the country and are ready to be served on the rocks, as a dessert course, or in decadently indulgent cocktails.

Does this sound like the absolute worst drink ever concocted? I say yes.

Apple Fritter Martini

1 ½ oz 360 Glazed Donut

3 oz Apple juice

1 tsp Maple syrup

Add all ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice and shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar and cinnamon. Garnish with an apple slice.

From PR Newswire (share this quote)

If you have $15.99 and a disregard for your tastebuds, you can probably find Glazed Donut Vodka somewhere in town.

Union Public House up at St. Philip's Plaza kicks off its new Whiskey Wednesdays today, with half-off all bourbon, whiskey and scotch. The special runs all day and includes everything from rail liquor to the super-fine aged stuff.

Union Public House has also decided to start serving brunch on Sundays, and has worked up a pretty incredible menu for the weekly event. Expect the same crafty American fare, sparkling and regular cocktails and a variety of kids' meals priced around $6.

There's more on the restaurant here, or follow them on that Facebook gizmo over here.