In Tampa, four new specialty cocktails have made their debut behind the bar of The Rez Grill. The additions aim to enhance the chef-driven American grill’s well-thought-out beverage program — built upon house-made syrups and juices, premium spirits and fresh produce — inside Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
One of the sippable newcomers, Cookies & Cream, even speaks to The Rez’s penchant for offbeat drinkware, as the nostalgic-looking mix of brandy milk punch and cookie crumble is served in a light bulb.
New Fashioned (Zacapa 23, chocolate bitters, dehydrated orange, filthy cherry) and Hot & Dirty (vodka, jalapeño, olive brine, spicy tomato popsicle) also accompany Cookies & Cream — plus a classic Mai Tai that calls for two ingredients fashioned on-site by executive chef Frank Anderson: orgeat almond syrup and Curaçao, which takes him a month to make.
General manager James Manuel and assistant general manager Lorenzo Cardei are the minds behind the bar program. The duo — who worked together at four other properties before joining the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa team — have been sampling the latest bar products and testing out different styles and techniques for more than a decade. But last year, when The Rez opened its doors, the longtime friends and colleagues unleashed their mixology vision.
In a statement, Manuel acknowledged that cocktails can take time to make — on occasion, anywhere between 12 and 15 minutes. He and Cardei, however, are trying to speed things up in a dynamic way.
“Our goal was to combine various techniques, styles and flavors,” Manuel said, “and dissect every component to determine how we can expedite the process for our guests without compromising quality and creativity.”
This article appears in May 3-10, 2018.
