Ashley Cibor Is Redefining Scottsdale’s Cocktail Scene at Tell Your Friends

Beverage Director Ashley Cibor isn’t just mixing drinks at Tell Your Friends—she’s shaping Scottsdale’s cocktail scene.

Photos by Tell Your Friends

In less than a year, she’s brought the sultry speakeasy to national recognition, unveiling its first full menu revamp with a lineup of reimagined classics defined by precision, layered textures, and modern flavor profiles. The result is a cocktail program that balances innovation with approachability, firmly rooted in her ingredient-driven creativity.

Her vision has earned Tell Your Friends top honors, Bar of the Year at the 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo Industry Excellence Awards and Iconic Speakeasy Experience at the Arizona Foodist Awards, cementing its place among the country’s standout bars. A former biochemistry major turned cocktail expert, Cibor brings scientific rigor to her craft, supported by whiskey certifications and a decade of hands-on experience. From her formative years at Phoenix tiki hotspot UnderTow, where she collaborated with mixology pioneer Jason Asher, to her leadership today, Cibor continues to elevate Scottsdale’s cocktail scene with both technical mastery and a hospitality-first ethos. We caught up with Ashley to talk about her first full menu revamp at Tell Your Friends, the science behind her cocktail creativity, and how she’s shaping Scottsdale’s cocktail culture.

Your first full menu revamp at Tell Your Friends just launched! What was your creative vision going into this overhaul, and how did you want the new cocktails to reflect the evolution of the space?

My first focus is always seasonality. We launched the new menu at the beginning of February to start transitioning into those spring flavors. I aimed to keep things lively and fresh, while also incorporating twists on classic cocktails to offer a sense of familiarity for guests. I want people to remember each visit to Tell Your Friends and feel encouraged to explore something new through cocktails they may not have experienced before. The cocktails, atmosphere, food and music bring a renewed energy to our part of town that I think guests will really enjoy.

You have a background in biochemistry—does that scientific training influence your approach to technique, flavor balance, and experimentation behind the bar?

Yes, my background in biochemistry deeply informs my approach behind the bar by bringing precision, an understanding of molecular interactions and a methodical mindset to flavor balance and technique. It turns experimentation into a deliberate, scientific process—transforming creativity into repeatable results.

Walk us through a cocktail that best represents your style and the innovation you’re aiming for.

My favorite cocktail on the menu right now is the Decadence in Disguise. The inspiration for it is one of my most loved desserts: carrot cake. I tried to impart each flavor from the cake into its liquid form, and when it all comes together, it’s identical. It has a carrot syrup spiced with cinnamon and ginger, a walnut liqueur, a sherry that has a golden raisin flavor, and a goat cheese-infused rye whiskey for a velvety texture.

After wins like Bar of the Year and Iconic Speakeasy Experience, what’s been most rewarding about watching Tell Your Friends gain more and more recognition?

I think the best part of receiving any kind of award is the recognition for all the hard work that goes into opening any bar or restaurant. From ownership and architects to the servers, bartenders and barbacks, it takes a full team of dedicated individuals to bring a vision to life – and then to success. It’s very rewarding to be a part of that. Seeing people genuinely connect with the space and with each other, turning the bar into more than just a place to drink, has been incredibly fulfilling. Watching that community grow alongside the recognition has meant a lot.

Scottsdale is clearly having a cocktail moment. How do you see Tell Your Friends setting the tone for where the city’s scene is headed?

Tell Your Friends sets the tone in our area by pushing creative boundaries while staying rooted in hospitality. We’re showing that North Scottsdale can be both innovative and intimate, with cocktails that are as thoughtful as they are memorable.

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