"I got my start as a barback when I was just 17 and eventually graduated to the role of bartender at the upscale and old-fashioned steakhouse where I began by mixing up the classics. When I moved to Flagstaff to attend Northern Arizona University, I discovered an interest in wine and studied to obtain my introductory sommelier and certified specialist of wine (CSW) certifications while working in several wine bars. I helped open and run Criollo Latin Kitchen, a tequila and mezcal bar where I fell in love with spirits and cocktails. With a new interest in the creation of flavors, I came to Phoenix to head up the cocktail program and bar at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails and LUSTRE Rooftop Garden at Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Phoenix in September 2012, where I began experimenting with flavor and accessibility in craft cocktails.”

—STEPHANIE TESLAR, HEAD MIXOLOGIST AT BLUE HOUND KITCHEN + COCKTAILS

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