Randy Perez is no stranger to the cocktail business.
Beginning as a barback at Miami’s celebrated Broken Shaker, he climbed the ranks, ultimately becoming the beverage director, winning multiple accolades along the way. A creative entrepreneur at heart, he’s gone on to introduce products like Bar Lab RTS (Ready to Shake) and founded Magic City Garnish, dedicated to providing cocktail garnishes made from dehydrated fruit. Now working as Beverage Director for Motek, the popular Israeli-Mediterranean eatery with four locations (its largest recently debuted in Miami’s Brickell City Centre), Perez shared some insights on living the bartending life.
Q&A
What do you like best about your job?
What I love the most about my position at Motek is being able to grow and mentor our bar staff while having the creative freedom to push the boundaries of cocktails to the next level with no limits.
Favorite quote?
“Ride the high wave and stay humble” — Virginia King.
You can design your own cocktail napkin. What would it be or what would it say?
If I could design my napkin it would be made from recycled materials and embroidered, containing different plant seeds from herbs hidden inside so once you have finished, you can take them home and plant them in your garden to have fresh mint or rosemary year-round.
I love South Florida because…
I love South Florida because it’s home. I was born and raised here and want to share my passion with the community, grow the local food and beverage industry and elevate guest experiences and expectations through high-quality ingredients/offerings.
What makes the beverage program at Motek stand out above the rest?
What makes Motek’s beverage program stand out is our willingness to never compromise on ingredients while constantly pushing and creating the trends in our industry.
Speaking of trends, what is the cocktail trend everyone should try at least once?
Everyone should try a traditional sour that’s made with egg whites with a brûléed finish. This technique plays with temperatures, so you have warm frothy textures on your lips and finish with silky, chilled textures on your palate.
Best piece of advice you ever got?
Don’t sacrifice quality for speed!
Proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment was becoming a father and watching my son flourish.
February is our Travel Issue. Do you have a favorite spot to visit? Drink to have there?
In my travels, I’ve been to many cocktail bars around the globe. However, one has burned itself into my memory: Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy — the creators of the Bellini. You may think my must-have cocktail there is a Bellini; on the contrary, it’s a classic martini served bone-chilling cold in a small, frozen rocks glass with no ice! Life-changing!
Who, living or not, would you want to make a drink for? Why?
I’d love to make a drink for my grandfather whom I was never able to meet. He was a bartender in Miami Beach in the late 1940s at the Roney Plaza.
Garden Of Paradise
SERVES 1
Ingredients:
1½ oz. hibiscus vodka
1 oz. pomegranate juice
¼ oz. lemon juice
1 drop orange blossom water
Top with Uludağ Gazoz Mixed Fruit
Instructions:
Place all ingredients into a tall glass minus the Gazoz. Add ice and top with Uludağ Gazoz Mixed Fruit.