Summer is here and it’s time to cheer! This summer at Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, guests are mixing up summery libations with Cocktail Culture, one of the exciting new elements that put guests in the spotlight with a sophisticated and fun experience they can find only at Renaissance hotels. All across the country, guests can find unique blends of fresh ingredients and fresh squeezed juices, bright and vibrant colors, and cold and icy chillers – perfect for the long, hot dog days of summer.

Cocktail Culture includes the custom Renaissance Cocktail Blocks – an exciting and fun way for guests to interact at the bar. Each block features different cocktail ingredient “building blocks,” including Spirits, Barware, Fresh Ingredient, Method of Preparation and Flavor Profile. Guests experiment with the blocks and the bartenders by rolling different combinations to create a signature cocktail. The bartender then picks the winning combination, named for the guest who created it, and features it as the drink of the evening for all to try.

Inspired by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel’s homage to all things Hollywood, the “Caddy Shack,” “Blue Crush,” “A Star is Born,” and “Green Mile” martinis pay tribute to some of the most popular films of our time. The “A Star is Born” martini is a refreshing mix of Grey Goose Vodka, Cointreau, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, topped with Champagne and served with a star-shaped orange slice. All the way across the country at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, guests celebrate seasonal summer sippers with “mocktail” beverages, perfect for taking the heat off, like the “Sun-Ripened Sour” and the “606 Congress SpecialTea.” At the hotel’s recent grand opening celebration, two signature Cocktail Culture martinis were created in celebration of the Boston Celtics’ 17th victory in the NBA’s Championship; the “Celtics’ 3 Point Shot” featured Stoli Blakberi, fresh cranberry and orange juice, served with a fresh orange and blackberry garnish, and the “Seventeeni” (pictured on the left) combined vodka, Midori and fresh pineapple juice, straight up in all its green glory. 

At the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Cocktail Culture has been a huge hit. Two guests helped create the “You Got to do Better Than That!” cocktail, which combines muddled strawberries with simple syrup, Captain Morgan and Cointreau, topped with Sprite and served on the rocks.  Employees with the Tractor Supply Company were staying at the hotel for a conference and crafted “The Big Lie” cocktail – a mix of muddled oranges and cherries, simple syrup and vodka, shaken and served on the rocks.  Music City Marathon runners, Annie and Holly, invented ‘The Finisher” with Absolut Mandarin, Pink Lemonade, Sierra Mist and a splash of grenadine, shaken and strained into a Martini glass.

Down south at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel, the heat is rising but the cocktails are cooling. Guests got their hands wet creating “The Magnolia,” a tasty combination of Watermelon Schnapps, Dr. Pepper and grenadine, and “The Southern Belle,” with Southern Comfort and Abita root beer. Guests at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel were on the same page when they created the “Cowgirl Quencher” – Malibu Coconut Rum, Peachtree Schnapps, orange juice, pineapple juice and a splash of grenadine. 

Nothing says summer like the Fourth of July. At the historic Mayflower, a Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., bartender Sambon Lek created the “Red, White & Blue Martini,” which layers a blended mixture of vodka, pineapple juice, Coco Lopez, half & half and ice with Crème de Almond and Blue Curacao. Just down the street at the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel and just in time for a summer heat wave, guests sip away the day with the “Jamaican Ten Speed” – a mix of Absolut Vodka, Midori, Crème de Banana, Parrot Bay Coconut Rum and a splash of half & half. 

Renaissance Hotels & Resorts wants their guests to “Stay Interesting.” At the Renaissance Grand & Suites Downtown St. Louis Hotel, guests can “Serve Interesting,” too! The first Cocktail Culture guest concoction ever sold at the bar was the very popular “Sweet Orange of Mine” by Mark Huff. The mix of muddled oranges with simple syrup, Jack Daniels and a little bit more simple syrup (for that extra sweetness) is a favorite at the bar. The “Lost in Desire” martini, created by guest Kelly Hurt, combines 3 whole lychees muddled with simple syrup, Grey Goose Vodka, more simple syrup and a splash of fresh lychee juice, shaken 20 times over ice and strained into a martini glass to perfection.

The Renaissance Cocktail Culture Experience sets the brand apart by using fresh squeezed juices in all of its core cocktail recipes and focusing on not only what’s in the glass, but the look and feel of the bar, generating excitement with handcrafted cocktails, and customizing the bar and lounge experience through the use of local cocktail signatures. The signature blocks are being rolled at Renaissance Hotels and Resorts around the world.

Visit Renaissance’s Facebook Page Page to roll the cocktail blocks and create a signature drink. And to check out some of the other cool things going on at Renaissance hotels this summer, click here for fun summer packages.

Renaissance Hotels & Resorts is an upscale brand providing full-service accommodations with local flair to discriminating business and leisure travelers at more than 140 properties in 28 countries.  The brand’s presence is strong in the U.S. and worldwide, with approximately half of its properties in North America and half throughout Europe, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia. 

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