Featured Bartender February 2026: Mitch Lyons, Highball Cocktail Bar, Phoenix, AZ

Arizona native Mitch Lyons got his foot in the door of the hospitality industry as a young teen, where he first discovered his passion for food and beverage. His first official role behind the bar came during his college years at Northern Arizona University. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business marketing, Mitch’s love for travel took him across the globe, bartending in destinations including Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.

Upon returning to the United States, he joined The Breadfruit & Rum Bar in Downtown Phoenix, where he was given the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of spirits, cocktails, and technique while assisting in the development of the beverage program. He later transitioned into his first Bar Manager role in the restaurant space, where he shared his skills, mentored developing bartenders, and gained valuable insight into the business side of the industry.

Mitch joined the Barter & Shake Creative Hospitality family at the inception of UnderTow in 2016 and played an instrumental role in shaping the success of the now-iconic immersive fictional Spice Trade ship concept. Driven by a constant yearning to learn and refine his craft, he quickly became known not only for his creativity behind the bar, but for his exceptional ability to teach and uplift the bartending community around him. Through dedication, leadership, and a deep understanding of beverage operations, he steadily worked his way up within the organization to become Director of Bars, ultimately overseeing four distinct concepts under the Barter & Shake brand including the highly regarded Platform 18 Art Deco luxury train concept. In this role, he led beverage development, staff training, and operational standards across multiple venues, earning recognition for his talent in building layered, memorable flavors in liquid form while fostering growth and excellence within every team he worked alongside. He continues to carry these passions forward through his consulting LLC alongside his business partner, Libby Lingua, as well as at the his flagship cocktail bar, Highball, where education, innovation, and community remain at the core of his work.