With more than 20 years of combined experience in the service industry, it was only a matter of time before the Ritchie family created their own spot, albeit with one person missing. The impetus behind One Handsome Bastard, a small-batch distillery and restaurant in Old Town, is a heartfelt tribute to Trish and Bren Ritchie’s late husband and father, Brad.
For years, the trio dreamed of opening a bar. Bren worked in various restaurants around the Valley while Trish was the Regional Operations Director at Dave and Buster’s corporate. Brad worked in real estate, but was known as a “bartender at heart.” In 2021, the family received heartbreaking news: Brad was diagnosed with Stage 4 Leukemia. One year later, at the age of 56, he passed away.
“My mom and I wanted to do something in his name, something that would have made him proud,” Bren said. “Dad’s liquor of choice was vodka, so we decided to make him one.”
The business’s name came directly from Brad. According to Bren, he would always refer to himself as one handsome bastard, and the name stuck. After that, the duo went looking for a location and were in luck when they found out that Blue Clover Distillery was available.
“Blue Clover was everything we were looking for,” Bren said. “Previous owner Weston Holm was gracious enough to stay on as a consultant and help us with the recipes, so we’ve continued that spirit line and also produce One Handsome Bastard products.”
It takes around three days for the vodka (four for gin) to go from grain-neutral spirit to the bottle. One Handsome Bastard’s team purchases everything at a second distillation. The water used in the process is from a specialized reverse osmosis system that passes through a charcoal filter and is left to rest before bottling.
“We use nine different botanicals for the gin. Other than that, the process for both is the same. It’s a fruit-forward liquor, very southwest-inspired, and we are very proud of it,” Bren said.
One Handsome Bastard also honors its namesake by donating 10 percent of vodka sales to local nonprofits to support the fight against cancer. The full-service eatery serves specialty cocktails with house-made gin and vodka – like the BC Basil and Scottsdale Sunset – and elevated bar fare such as burgers, wings, pub pretzels, salads and flatbreads.
“My mom and I fell into roles that suit us well, her to the restaurant and me to the bar and distillery,” Bren said. “We are so happy to see everything come together to honor my dad. It makes it all worth it.”
The restaurant plans to host live music on Friday and Saturday nights. They hold trivia every Wednesday at 6 p.m., and offer a Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. with half-price cocktails and a dollar off draft beer and wine.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity and learning experience of starting this business. We welcome everyone to come in and try some booze!” Bren said.
One Handsome Bastard is located at 7042 E. Indian School Road in Scottsdale. To learn more, visit onehandsomebastard.com or check them out on Instagram @ onehandsomebstard.
