Photos By Isa Campomar / Creativos Tigre
For over a decade, Reynier Ernesto Rodriguez has been dazzling patrons with his artful concoctions and the engaging tales behind them, turning every drink into a memorable experience. His Cuban roots serve as inspiration, while his fluency in Spanish, English, French and Italian has allowed him to connect with a diverse range of patrons. Fully dedicated to his craft, Rodriguez has held prestigious positions in the industry both locally and abroad and won multiple mixology awards. We were fortunate to meet up with him at El Salón for drinks and an insightful conversation.
Q&A
What do you love most about bartending?
When I was a child, my father would take me with him to bars to visit friends in Cuba and I remember the smell, decoration and ambiance. It was at my first job in a bar that I discovered how much I enjoyed expressing myself through cocktails and engaging with people. It’s not just about the drinks but providing an experience for the guests. I want them to feel a part of the bar and its history.
What is your favorite quote?
Estudia, y no serás, cuando crecido, ni el juguete vulgar de las pasiones, ni el esclavo servil de los tiranos.
This quote means it’s important to educate yourself so later in life you won’t be used by anybody — you will understand how the world works, where your place is in it and what you can achieve. I’m a forever student and nerd, which is how I’ve gotten to where I am in the bartending world — the opportunities come to those who are prepared!
If you could design your own cocktail napkin, what would it say?
I’m running on Cuban time!
Drink everyone needs to know, and why?
The Martinez. It emerged during the golden age of cocktails, serving as inspiration for the most iconic cocktail, the martini.
Bar trend you wish would fizzle out?
I don’t like the modernization of the margarita in small glasses with ice and bad proportions of liquor and mixer. A margarita should be well shaken and served in an original margarita glass with no ice.
If you could only stock three ingredients behind the bar, what would they be and why?
I would have bitters, rum and some kind of vermouth or fortified wine. Something to use to mix and get flavors from the bitters and rum. Those ingredients are staples throughout history and come together to create so many cocktails.
What cocktail do you think represents your personality?
The Negroni represents me because it’s a mixture of three products that come to an equilibrium. It has three profiles: Campari (strong, dry and bitter), red vermouth (semisweet and aromatic) and gin (elegant, transparent and classic).
Best bar snack?
Chicken croquetas. They’re so versatile and you can choose lots of different ingredients for the filling — from the meat to the cream paired with a variety of dipping sauces on the side. You also get a nice crispy crunchy texture from the fry. It’s a well-rounded bar snack and has protein, carbs and fat.
There are so many great bars in South Florida — what makes El Salón stand out from the rest?
It starts outside. You’re captivated by the exterior and the ambiance, and then upon entering El Salón, you enter a different world. El Salón is elegant but intimate. It’s very versatile — depending on the time of the day, day of the week or what you’re looking for, El Salón has a lot to offer. That’s a huge differentiator here.
Who, living or not, would you want to make a drink for?
I would craft a cocktail for my paternal grandfather. He was a big deal in restaurants in Cuba and my dad ended up working in the restaurant industry because of him. I see now that restaurants are our generational thing and in our lineage. They passed that down to me, so it would be cool to make my grandfather a drink and share a conversation about how things have changed.
Clover Club
Ingredients:
• crushed ice
• ½ oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. raspberry syrup
• 2 oz. gin
• ½ oz. egg whites
• bamboo stick (garnish)
• 3 raspberries (garnish)
• orange blossom water (garnish)
Instructions:
To chill your glass add crushed ice and set aside. Add lime juice, raspberry syrup, gin and egg whites (aquafaba works as a vegan substitute) to a shaker with ice to reverse dry shake. Shake for 5-10 seconds. Transfer the cocktail into a new shaker without ice and shake for another 5-10 seconds. Discard the crushed ice from the chilled glass and double strain the cocktail into the glass. Garnish with a bamboo stick, three raspberries and perfume with orange blossom water.