About Cocktails and Cactus
Exploring Phoenix, one cocktail at a time. Our mission is to share with the world, Arizona’s exploding food and drink scene. While we love a great cocktail out on the town, once in awhile we like to mix one up at home. We’re working on creating more recipes so you can too!
Check out our popular Happy Hour Spotlight series. Now, this isn’t the happy hour where you’ll find a 99 cents margarita and a meat market to pickup a date. We focus on bars with the best mixologists in town and great atmosphere. We share the food and drinks specials so you know where to find a great happy hour. Want to keep up with the newest restaurants to hit the Phoenix food scene – check our recaps of our visits to the newest spots in the exploding Phoenix food scene.
Want to work with us? learn more here or email us at cocktailsandcactus@gmail.com
About Dana
Hi there! I’m a Phoenix food and cocktail blogger. I live in the NW part of the valley but don’t mind driving for great food. I’ve lived in Arizona since 2006 and still find there is so much to explore. I’m a single mom to an 11-year-old boy who is a foodie in training – you can follow his teen food blogging adventures at Where’s B Now?
BBQ, Bacon, and Whiskey are my favorites but I love all (well almost all) foods and drinks. My passion is local restaurants and bars where the owners are part of our community. Love having the chance to chat with the owners, chefs and bar tenders to hear their passions, inspirations, and visions. Nothing better than having your cocktail mixed by the person who created. It’s a craft. An inspiration to watch.
I’ve been a member of the Arizona food scene since 2007 when I opened Simply Sweets Cake Studio first in Phoenix and then Scottsdale. The same year I started blogging. At the end of 2015, I launched Cocktails and Cactus as an Instagram channel and in 2016 launched the blog.
I’m a proud member of the local chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild. I also manage their social media.
I was born in King of Prussia, PA and moved to San Diego for college staining there for 16 years (minus 1 year spent in New York). In 2006 moved to Phoenix. My career path has been diverse first as a Molecular Biologist, then a cake decorator and cake shop owner and now I find myself in my latest journey as a social influencer.
You can also find me blogging at Sips and Surf (our San Diego sister site to Cocktails and Cactus), Sweet Shoppe Mom, and my son at Wheres B Now? I’m also a food photographer and offer services in social media management, blogger outreach, and media event coordination. Email me at cocktailsandcactus@gmail.com or visit our ‘work with us‘ page to see my complete list of services.
Awards, Recognition, Media
2016 Best of the Valley Best Food Instagram Feed nominee, Cocktails and Cactus
2014, GoDaddy Real Customer Campaign
2012, March – Arizona Republic feature, Simply Sweets Cake Studio
2010, Arizona Brides Magazine
2010, March Phoenix Magazine feature, Simply Sweets Cake Studio
2009, Arizona Bridges Magazine
2008, Martha Stewart Living television show, Cupcake Award winner