Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated
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What’s happening
A new cocktail bar called Emersa is set to open at Verrado Marketplace in Buckeye, Arizona, at 1503 N. Verrado Way, Suite 101, according to ABC15 Arizona. The bar is built around an “observatory” concept that uses mixed-use projectors, 4K VR displays, and a sky dome to constantly change the look and feel of the space. Josh Katz, founder and managing partner of Emersa, told ABC15 that screens installed along the sides of the bar will act as virtual windows, giving guests the sense of looking out into simulated environments that can be swapped out over time.
Katz described two example scenarios: one visit might place patrons inside an observatory on Mars, gazing out at planets and space, while a future visit could simulate an observatory at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, looking up through water at fish and plant life. He said the goal is to periodically change the simulated environment so that each visit feels like a distinct experience. Projectors will handle sky imagery specifically, working in tandem with the sky dome and the VR wall displays to build out the atmosphere.
To build the technology behind Emersa, Katz said he’s working with a creative technologist who has past experience with Netflix and Disney Imagineering, handling the projector systems and VR software, alongside a separate IT company managing the hardware. Katz framed the project as an exercise in storytelling, saying the aim is to shape the guest’s experience continuously from the moment they walk in until they leave.
The menu is expected to include more than a dozen specialty cocktails, with six to eight of those tied directly to the bar’s rotating themes. Reservations will reportedly be for 90-minute experiences, though Katz said booking wouldn’t likely open for a few more months. The bar is being targeted for a debut by the end of the year, per ABC15.
This isn’t Katz’s first foray into immersive bar concepts. He also owns 36 Below, an existing immersive cocktail bar located near 36th Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix, situated inside Sip Coffee and Beer, which similarly uses VR screens to simulate different settings for guests.
A separate item: a frozen cocktail feature from Phoenix New Times
Alongside the Emersa announcement, Phoenix New Times published an unrelated piece in its “Best Bites” series spotlighting a frozen cocktail at Sunny’s Lounge, a dive bar at Indian School Road and 27th Street in Phoenix. The feature centers on Alex Montoya, beverage director for a bar group that includes Platform 18, Undertow, Grey Hen Rx, and Sunny’s Lounge. Montoya argues that frozen cocktails have an undeserved bad reputation, tracing the stigma to a past lack of cocktail science knowledge among bartenders (the New Times notes the frozen margarita was invented in 1971).
The article highlights Sunny’s Lounge’s frozen, hibiscus-toned Pink Margarita, which uses Ana Maria Tequila (tinted pink by red wine), hibiscus tea, strawberry syrup, lime, and Thai chile, describing it as icy with a spicy kick balanced by sweet acidity rather than being an overly sugary “slushy.” Montoya said the drink was inspired by childhood visits to Tacos Mich & Bar for tacos and agua fresca, and that his cocktail-making approach — which also includes boozy ice creams and soft serves for the bar group’s other venues — stems from his first hospitality job scooping ice cream at Phoenix parlor Churn, which he credits with teaching him the value of “fun and whimsy” in hospitality spaces.
How the coverage compares
These two pieces come from different outlets covering distinct, unrelated stories within the Phoenix-area food and drink scene, rather than competing accounts of the same event. ABC15 Arizona’s report is a straightforward business-opening preview built around an interview with Emersa’s founder, focusing on the technology, the team behind it, and a rough opening timeline. It does not provide pricing, an exact reservation-opening date, or specifics beyond Katz’s own descriptions, leaving some details — such as exact menu items or firm operating hours — unconfirmed.
Phoenix New Times’ article is part of an ongoing “Best Bites” franchise exploring the craft behind specific dishes and drinks, and it embeds its coverage within a broader fundraising appeal for the outlet’s journalism (noting a $15,000 summer campaign goal). Its focus is narrower and more personal, built around one bartender’s philosophy and one specific drink’s recipe and inspiration, rather than a business launch.
Why it matters
Together, the two stories reflect two different threads in the Phoenix-area bar scene: the emergence of high-tech, experience-driven “immersive” venues like Emersa and Katz’s earlier 36 Below, which use projection and VR technology to sell an evolving atmosphere rather than just drinks; and a countervailing appreciation for craft and nostalgia at neighborhood dive bars like Sunny’s Lounge, where the appeal rests on recipe technique and personal storytelling rather than technology. For consumers, Emersa represents a forthcoming, tech-forward addition to Buckeye’s Verrado Marketplace with a debut targeted for later this year, while the Sunny’s Lounge feature offers an immediate recommendation for a specific drink already available in Phoenix.
Sources
Featured photo: Marine 69-71 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)