Just a reminder that the first-ever Southern Arizona Cocktail Competition goes down at Hotel Congress tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29.

If you have yet to delve into the world of modern-day mixology, this event is a good place to start. Some of the city's finest mixologists will be in attendance, and only drinks made from original recipes are eligible in the competition. A panel of cocktail experts will do the judging, and a rather nice prize package will be given to the winner.

Admission is free, and there will be specials on Absolut Wild Tea and Beefeater 24 cocktails. The action starts at 6 p.m.

It's been nice outside lately, although we all know that won't last for long before the oppressive inferno-like heat kicks in. If you're having some sort of spring outdoor event soon, here's a drink you might consider serving courtesy of noted cocktail expert Sandra Lee involving kiwis and melon liqueur. Keep an eye out for the secret ingredient near the end. SPOILER ALERT: It's the liquid from a jar of canned jalapenos.

The "Last Night Never Happened" app is $1.99 on the iTunes App Store, but the peace of mind that comes from instantly deleting all the stupid crap you posted last night on various social media platforms while intoxicated is priceless. It doesn't actually deleted the real-life debauchery you were posting about, but at least some of the evidence can be wiped away.

There are moments in this video where I'm wondering if the Justin Bieber lookalike hosting "My Drunk Kitchen" isn't just faking her drunkenness, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. I'm just happy she didn't set her apartment on fire.

[Urlesque]

The Coyote Moon Pub, located at 915 W. Prince Road, will next month become Pulse Tucson.

Here's the press release:

Coming April 2011: The all new Pulse Tucson, a brand new venue for the GLBT community.

Pulse Tucson, formally The Coyote Moon Pub, will bring a stunning, brand new vision to nightlife in Southern Arizona. From weekly cabaret shows to intense dance music to countless events, Pulse Tucson will be one of Tucson’s “don’t miss” destinations.

The new owner is none other than Tucson’s famous Miss Lucinda Holliday (a.k.a. Larry Moore). A proud Tucson resident since 1989, Larry has been an active and indispensable member of the GLBT community. As Lucinda, he has propelled his art and its public acceptance to unimaginable heights. Larry’s vision combined with that of his General Manager’s, Rick Morey-Wolfe, will breathe new life into this city!

Pulse Tucson is an all-inclusive alternative lifestyle venue. It will be Tucson’s favorite place for food, shows, dancing and hope.

For more information, please contact:
Rick Morey-Wolfe, General Manager
[email protected]

Pulse Tucson
915 West Prince Road
Tucson AZ 85705

To go with our article on microdistilling in this week's Yum! section, Hotel Congress bar manager Aaron DeFeo shows us how to make one of their cocktails featuring craft whiskey.

Story by Melanie Huonker

Surrounded by picturesque views, grazing cattle, and open fields, I found myself forgetting I was in Arizona. Gone were desert plains and cactuses, I was surrounded by vineyards.

Just 60 miles southeast of Tucson in the Sonoita and Elgin area is home to 10 different vineyards surrounded by scenic views of mountain ranges.

“They are starting to make some really good wines here,” said Cindy Carlson, a frequent visitor to the area. “The fact that it’s growing like it is [here] is very nice to see.”

From the AP:

"Police say an angry customer at a suburban New York liquor store swept her arm through a shelf of high-priced booze, smashing $1,600 worth onto the floor."

Trivia alert! Michael Mallozzi, one of guys opening the new Borderlands Brewing Company downtown, also happens to be one of the nation’s leading experts on anthrax. Seriously. The medical student opening the brewery with him told me so.

“Mike also knows everything about yeast. ... And yeast is critical to brewing beer,” said Myles Stone, a UA medical student who is opening the brewery with Mike Mallozzi, who does research on bacteria at the UA.

Stone says he and Mallozzi are not brewing experts (although Mallozzi did put himself through college working for Anheuser-Busch), but they’re working on that. They’ve been brewing 10 gallons of beer a weekend for the past couple of years to develop their recipes, which has made them quite popular with their, ahem, research crew.

“It’s amazing how many friends come out of the woodwork when you brew 10 gallons of beer a week,” said Stone.

As for the beer: The everyday drinking beer will be a lager. Stone says that’s the kind of beer the Germans brought to Mexico centuries ago, and that it held up over the years because its especially tasty in hot climates.

Come prickly-pear season around November, they’ll make a prickly-pear wheat bear. A vanilla porter made from vanilla imported from Sonora, an amber and a traditional stout are also on deck.

Stone expects the brewery to open in June or July.

A new microbrewery named Borderlands Brewing Company is going in at 119 E. Toole Ave. It will have a tasting room, but will not dabble in the bar business like the other local microbreweries.

What’s especially fascinating is the video below where David Aguirre, executive director of Dinnerware Artspace, and Myles Stone, co-founder of the microbrewery, talk about the collaborations they’ve come up with. Apparently the brewery will share the space with a community art center that will host all sorts of classes, lectures and events.

Short version: Yoga, beer, screen-printing, galleries and food trucks working in tandem.

Shorter version: F’in awesome.