No Result
View All Result
Tampa Magazines
  • Local Knowledge
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Tampa Culture
  • ADVERTISE
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • ABOUT
  • PURCHASE A COPY
  • DIGITAL ISSUES
  • EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
  • CONTACT US
  • SHOP
  • MY ACCOUNT
    • Your Membership
    • Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Login / Logout
Tampa Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Tampa Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Ro Patel The Collection

Mixing with Tampa’s Cocktail Master, Ro Patel

Ro Patel distills a lifetime behind the bar into every drink, elevating Tampa's cocktail scene with each sip

by Derek Herscovici
September 20, 2018
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Turning an ordinary drink into an experience certainly depends on the ingredients, but who’s making it is even more crucial. In the hands of master bartender Ro Patel, a drink is a drink, but it’s also a story — a history of the craft and a lifetime of perfecting it. And yet it almost wasn’t meant to be.

“I was studying exercise science and sports medicine, and I realized it wasn’t for me,” says Patel, a native of London, England. “I started bartending at 20 years old, and it wasn’t a notable bar. However, I loved the interaction with guests, so I switched to a better work environment that fit my needs.”

Patel’s new workplace wasn’t just any bar, but the world-famous Dick’s Bar located inside the Atlantic Bar & Grill. Named for bartending pioneer Dick Bradsell, the historic speakeasy was a cornerstone of London’s cocktail revival in the 1990s. At just 22, Patel was named its head bartender.

“Every cocktail had to be perfect,” he says. “The cover was $50 and the clientele included royalty and A-list celebrities. The responsibility was frightening, but I was lucky I had amazing mentors.”

Patel’s talents behind the bar led him out of London and around the world for years, but a holiday on Anna Maria Island in the early 2000s proved to be a life-altering experience. As a father with young children looking to settle down, Patel found Tampa appealing, but it had an abysmal cocktail scene, he says. Instead of a positive experience, he notes, guests were paying moderate to expensive prices for bad cocktails. Patel opened Ciro’s Speakeasy in his adopted hometown in 2007 as an antidote, helping usher in the city’s current craft cocktail craze.

“In a time where pairing soda with spirits was a cocktail, we pushed the envelope by using fresh ingredients and explaining these recipes to our customers who appreciated our knowledge,” he says.

Following Ciro’s success, Patel opened the consulting firm Sling Bar Company in 2011 to advise and collaborate with the with the bartending community in Tampa. Patel has also designed the cocktail programs for Anise Global Gastrobar, Grille One Sixteen, The Collection in the Hall on Franklin, Franklin Manor in Downtown Tampa, the Getaway in St. Petersburg and many more bars around the world.

“The hardest and most essential part of bar consulting is being knowledgeable about cocktail trends, whether it’s knowing how to craft a martini or an elevated, simple cocktail with a fresh juice mixer,” Patel says.

“However, this pushes me to continue to identify new and exciting cocktail programs for bars and my guests.”

Patel continues to create innovative new drinks with French and Floridian twists and encourages more creative approaches to drinking.

“Everyone should know how to make simple, elevated cocktails that use high-quality spirits and fresh, local ingredients,” he says. “You don’t need to be a professional bartender or bar consultant to create a delicious cocktail at home.”

Patel is also a collaborator with Pinnacle Vodka. See one of his favorite cocktail recipes below. “My favorite drink that I created alongside Pinnacle Vodka is the Pinnacle Florida Breeze, inspired of course, by our home state,” he says. “The Florida pink grapefruit is a great complement to the smooth, crisp nature of the French vodka, and it’s incredibly easy to recreate at home and it does not require any bar tools – it can be built right in the glass.”

 

1 of 5
- +

Pinnacle Florida Breeze

2 parts Pinnacle Original Vodka
4 parts fresh Florida pink grapefruit juice
1 part pomegranate juice
Thin grapefruit wheel for garnish

Build in a highball glass. Fill the glass with cubed ice. Add pomegranate juice to the bottom of the glass. Next, add Pinnacle Original Vodka and fresh pink grapefruit juice. Lightly stir and serve. Garnish with a thin grapefruit wheel.

Read about Patel’s Hall on Franklin neighbor, Bake’n Babes’ Julie Curry, here

Tags: Anise Global Gastrobarciro'scocktailsDick's Barfranklin manorgrille one sixteenhall on franklinRo PatelSling Bar Companythe collectionthe getaway
Next Post
Sweet Dreams with Bake’n Babes’ Julie Curry

Sweet Dreams with Bake'n Babes' Julie Curry

Please login to join discussion

INSTAGRAM

We love our city❤️ TAMPA BAY! Best of the City We love our city❤️ TAMPA BAY! Best of the City voting coming soon 👀
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampaeats #thingstodointampa #tampabay
After the rain comes the rainbow 🌈 - - - - #tam After the rain comes the rainbow 🌈
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #tampabay #stpetebeach #stpetersburgflorida #rainbow
Whether you want a classic cocktail or a tantalizi Whether you want a classic cocktail or a tantalizing creation, Tampa Bay has bars and lounges to please every palate and vibe 🍸

🏷️ Tag your go to cocktail spot 
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampaliving #thingstodointampa #tampadrinks #tamparestaurant #cocktails
Where to buy plants and flowers in Tampa Bay 🌺 Where to buy plants and flowers in Tampa Bay 🌺 tap the link in our bio for the full list. -
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #bayshoreblvd #southtampa
We love the views from Harbour Island and the City We love the views from Harbour Island and the City of Tampa Bay! Comment your favorite thing about our city 🫶🏼✨🌞
-
-
-
#tampa #tampabay #florida #tampafl
Take a walk with us at @hydeparkvillage ⛲️- 6 Take a walk with us at @hydeparkvillage ⛲️- 6 city blocks of Tampa’s favorite restaurant’s and shops. What do you love about Hyde Park Village?
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampafl #tampaliving #tamparestaurants #tampashops #thingstodointampa #hydeparkvillage #tampalocal
Tampa is blessed with lots of new restaurants open Tampa is blessed with lots of new restaurants opening this year, and we are especially excited for Ro, the modern Asian and sushi restaurant coming to Hyde Park Village later this summer 🍣 We got a sneak peek of the new menu items for our Food & Wine edition 😍
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #tamparestaurant #tampafoodie #tampafood #tampaeats #hydeparkvillage #tampabayeats
The port of Tampa Bay is the largest port in the s The port of Tampa Bay is the largest port in the state of Florida by land and tonnage, Comment below if you visited this beautiful port! 
-
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #tampa #portoftampa #florida #southtampa #tampabay #southflorida #cruises
Public art can express community values, enhance o Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a landscape and heighten our awareness. What’s your favorite public art work in Tampa Bay? Coming soon: Art Philanthropy and Home Design Edition. Email info@TampaMagazines.com to have your business featured. 
-
-
-
-
#tampabayarea #tampamagazine #tampa #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampafl #tampabayarea #thingstodointampa #publicart #usfgrad #tampabayisawesome #tampaartist #tampaart
Happy 4th of July Tampa ❤️🇺🇸 - - - #tamp Happy 4th of July Tampa ❤️🇺🇸
-
-
-
#tampamagazine #southtampamagazine #tampaflorida #tampalife #tampaliving #thingstodointampa #4thofjuly
Load More... Follow on Instagram

  • Local Knowledge
  • Food & Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Tampa Culture
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Purchase a Copy
  • Digital Issues
  • Email Newsletters
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Tampa Magazine. All rights reserved. Part of the Tampa Magazines Network.

No Result
View All Result
  • Tampa Culture
  • Food and Drink
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Moving Tampa
  • Sporting
  • Health
  • Local Knowledge
  • Advertise
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Purchase a Copy
  • Shop
  • Digital Issues
  • Email Newsletters
  • Contact
  • MY ACCOUNT
    • Your Membership
    • Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Login / Logout

© 2023 Tampa Magazine. All rights reserved. Part of the Tampa Magazines Network.