F & B
The Front Yard at the Garland in North Hollywood , California
Greg Almeida just won a Patron contest for top U . K . bartender . The best-selling cocktail is the Bombay Sapphire Highgrove , inspired by a country estate of Prince Charles .
Prep is extensive and occur in a separate room , Bonsor says . Cocktails average £ 15 ( US $ 19.80 ).
THE LIVING ROOM , DEWBERRY HOTEL , CHARLESTON , SOUTH CAROLINA When the posh Dewberry , in a former federal building , announced it was bringing on highly regarded mixologist Ryan Casey , formerly of McCrady ’ s and FIG , the buzz started even before the official opening in June 2016 and hasn ’ t slowed since . “ We have about 50 / 50 locals and hotel guests ,” he estimates .
Clad in a white dinner jacket , Casey cuts a dashing figure behind the elegant brass bar that is the focal point of The Living Room , furnished in mid-century modern . He concentrates on the kind of spiritsforward cocktails popular a hundred years ago , stirred not shaken . His best-seller is a US $ 14 old fashioned with Basil Hayden bourbon and “ dressed to the nines with our fancy ice cube branded with the hotel ’ s signature D . We ’ ve only been open a little over a year and I ’ m approaching 5,000 sold ,” he says .
Specialty ice , a signature here , is delivered daily as a 300-pound block broken into eight sheets . Casey uses stems and rocks glasses , different for each drink .
“ The Living Room has exceeded our expectations for revenue and enjoys an above-average amount of liquor sales to food sales .” Drink prices : US $ 12-US $ 16 .
STOKE , MARRIOTT CITY CENTER , CHARLOTTE , NORTH CAROLINA “ We use all locally sourced ingredients because people love supporting where they ’ re from ,” says the director of eat & drink , Sean Potter , who set up the bar program with Marriott ’ s Gruver .
Stoke opened in August 2016 . About 70 % of patrons are local and many hotel guests choose the hotel because of the bar . Lead bartender Samuel Rouson , dressed in checkered shirt , a vest and jeans , makes his own tinctures , syrups and infusions . “ We even have a smoking machine for making smoked cocktails ,” Potter says . Fresh juices are squeezed and bottled cocktails are made in a prep room .
The best-selling signature is a single barrel Old Fashioned , served over a big ice ball , with the bitters aromatized by lighting . The bar goes through a 55-gallon barrel in six weeks . Drink prices range from US $ 10 to US $ 16 .
THE FRONT YARD AT THE GARLAND , NORTH HOLLYWOOD , CALIFORNIA After a remodel , The Front Yard at Marcus ’ The Garland hotel launched in May 2015 .
The Front Yard ' s Cucumber Press
The Garland Director of F & B Oliver Goldsmith had an ambitious goal of US $ 6.5 million to US $ 7 million for the restaurant . He hit US $ 7 million and says 30 % comes from bar sales . Bartenders wear a classic back vest and a black tie or bow tie , gray shirts and black jeans .
“ It ’ s extremely popular with locals ,” says Goldsmith , who participates in community events such as farmers ’ markets . “ It costs us little or nothing to be part of these events and we get a lot out of it .” He also uses social media , boosting reviews to 4 stars on Yelp .
Premium spirits and house-made syrups , shrubs and fresh juices are the focus . Bestsellers are the Strawberry Fields ( strawberry juice and vodka ) and the Cucumber Press ( gin , cucumber juice , cilantro and St . Germain ); the bar sells 25 to 30 on busy nights . Drinks average US $ 12 to US $ 14 and come out in seven minutes or less .
40 hotelsmag . com December 2017