Walking through downtown Scottsdale’s Entertainment District is no joke; lined with bars, restaurants and live music, there is something for everyone. A must-visit is the intimate and upscale cocktail lounge, The Beverly on Main, which has announced a partnership with Torrey Craig of the Phoenix Suns.
In his second stint with the Suns, forward Torrey Craig is making sure to stay involved in the Valley community by giving back. Craig and his charitable organization, The Torrey Craig Foundation, have teamed up with The Beverly to give a portion of proceeds from a signature cocktail and, in the near future, a vegan meal, back to the foundation.
“I like to eat after every game,” Craig told AZ Big Media. “This place [The Beverly on Main] is always open late. The kitchen closes around 1:30 a.m. and a lot of times we have late games, so this is one of the spots I started coming to.”
Craig switched to a vegan diet seven months ago and loves the variety of vegan options on The Beverly’s food menu. “The first two weeks were tough because I was trying to adjust and learn what to eat and what not to eat . . . and check and see what has what in it,” says Craig.
It took a team for Craig to make the diet transition with support from his chef who created a great variety of vegan food. So far, the new diet has helped Craig feel better when he plays, knowing the food he is eating is good for his body.
It’s now a part of Craig’s regular routine to eat at The Beverly while getting to know the owners and staff members. This relationship has grown over time, especially with athlete manager Josh Mason.
“Torrey spoke to me about the foundation he started, and I had an idea of bringing awareness to it,” says Mason. “The Beverly was a perfect place to have activations involving food and beverage and we formed a partnership.”
The partnership seemed meant to be as the signature cocktail on the menu, called “0 F*ucks Given,” is named after Craig’s Suns jersey number zero. The one-of-a-kind cocktail includes Mandala Tequila, passion fruit, mango, lemon juice and Red Bull Blue Edition, which adds a blueberry flavor. Taking inspiration from the hardwood, the drink comes with two orange ice spheres, similar to a basketball, served in a whiskey-style cocktail glass. All of these come together to make the cocktail taste like a game-winner, especially knowing that a portion of the purchase will help The Torrey Craig Foundation.
“It’s really for younger kids, anywhere really, and I started it [The Torrey Craig Foundation] when I re-did the courts back home in my hometown,” says Craig, who grew up in Great Falls, S.C. “I felt it was only right to start a foundation then and from that, I’ve been able to give back to kids.”
Recently, the foundation sponsored two families for a special Christmas. It has also sponsored the Build-A-Bear Foundation, which has a literacy program that donates reading materials, as well as The Hearts ‘n’ Hugs Fund that provides Build-A-Bear friends to children in need of comfort.
“It’s the little things here and there, and I’m trying to help as many kids as I can,” says Craig. “I was there building bears with them!”
Coming soon to The Beverly’s food menu will be a Craig-inspired vegan meal where a portion of the proceeds will also benefit The Torrey Craig Foundation.
For now, Craig is making sure to play his best for the end-of-the-season playoff push with the Suns.
“Once we get healthy, I feel like we have a chance to be just as good as we were when we went to finals,” says Craig. “We’ve just had tough luck with these last couple of months with guys being injured, myself included. We’re just trying to get back whole and try to turn this thing around as fast as possible. It’s been tough these last couple of weeks.”
