Fellow drink-lovers, unite! Time to quench your thirst in another segment of our island-wide hunt for St. Maarten’s best drink!
The Friendly Island is sometimes also referred to as the “Little Miami of the Caribbean”, so it is high time to put those names to the test to discover where we can get both a friendly chat and a good drink. We took the crucial task upon ourselves to go out and about and sample the island’s specialty sips and then to report our findings back to all you thirsty people. The best part? While we’re at it, we get to ask the island’s talented bartenders, baristas, and smoothie specialists for their secret recipes so that you can try your hand at these special sips at home!
This week, our search for the island’s hottest drinks takes us to La Patrona, located at Simpson Bay Resort, Marina and Spa in Pelican. The Mexican restaurant is popular among tourists and locals alike for its gorgeous views, friendly staff, authentic cuisine, elaborate all-you-can-eat Sunday brunches and exclusive cocktails.
Of course, we’ve come to test the latter, so we meet up with bar manager Daza Muñoz to try some of La Patrona’s specialty sips while overlooking the turquoise waters of Simpson Bay.
Daza tells us he is originally from Mexico, but has been working in Sint Maarten’s service industry for over four years before becoming a bar manager for the resort’s various bars some 10 months ago.
Though Daza is a well-known figure at Replay, Bovin, Coco Beach and the resort’s three pools, he can mostly be found behind the bar of La Patrona. “It’s a nice office,” he jokes while pointing out the marvellous ocean view from behind the bar. “The sunsets are always something special,” he adds. “They’re always different, which is why one of our waitresses takes a daily picture of the sunset views.”
Daza’s bartending journey started over eight years ago when, as a barback, he learned the trade from the best bartenders in Mexico and decided he wanted to follow in their footsteps. “Bartending is all about making experiences,” he says. “Bartenders make art – we like to make people happy.” It is no wonder that this talented bartender likes to experiment with different flavours. “I love surprising people with new flavour combinations; I love to see people smile after sipping my creation,” he explains.
Daza tells us his inspiration for those flavour combinations comes from his surroundings. He says he was amazed by the flavour combinations of the local rum punch and Ti’ punch when he first arrived on St. Maarten. “So, here in the Caribbean, I like to add Caribbean flavours and use fresh fruit and freshly squeezed juice,” he says.
Besides adding a Caribbean flair, La Patrona tries to match their drinks to their authentic Mexican cuisine. For Daza, that means using Mexican spirits such as tequila, mezcal and sotol and ensuring that the flavours pair well with the restaurant’s rich and often spicy dishes. His secret? It all starts with knowledge.
He explains that it is important to learn how to make the classics so that you have a base to start experimenting. “Old school is always the best school – you have to know what you are doing,” he adds. When looking at La Patrona’s drinks menu, it is clear that the mixologists indeed know what they are doing. Besides 13 classic cocktails, the menu features five signature drinks, which change every season. The most popular drinks stay, but there is always something new for recurring guests to try.
Today, we are going to sample the two most popular cocktails of that ever-changing list. First up is the bestselling Watermelon Cooler, a refreshing and fruity cocktail that does especially well during brunch (or any time of day, if you ask us). As expected, we LOVED this one. It combines watermelon, tequila, lime and passion fruit, resulting in a fresh, fruity, sweet and slightly sour drink – what is not to love?
Next up is the Piñata Tai, La Patrona’s version of the classic Mai Tai cocktail. It is no wonder that this perfectly balanced drink is the restaurant’s second most popular cocktail. It’s less strong than a regular Mai Tai, but still has a kick to it. The mezcal adds smokiness, while the pineapple juice gives it a sweet and refreshing taste, yet neither of them overpower.
Though we share the recipes to these signature sips below, we cannot recommend enough that you go to La Patrona to try the real thing. Our tip: Take a seat at the bar and catch the stunning sunset views on a Monday or a Friday between 7:00 and 10:00pm for a 2-4-1 happy hour on all signature and classic cocktails.
Watermelon Cooler
- 45 ml tequila
- 30 ml passion fruit cordial
- 50 ml fresh watermelon juice
- 50 ml fresh lime juice
- Ice
- Garnish: mint and (dehydrated) lemon
Combine all ingredients into a shaker and shake it, baby. Strain over ice in a tall glass, garnish with mint and lemon and ENJOY.
Piñata Tai
- 30 ml mezcal
- 30 ml white rum
- 45 ml fresh pineapple juice
- 30 ml peach cordial
- 30 ml homemade avocado seed orgeat – or regular orgeat syrup
- Ice
- Garnish: mint, pineapple leaf and (dehydrated) orange
Combine all ingredients into shaker and – you guessed it – shake it. Strain into a cup (ceramic if you are feeling fancy) over ice, garnish and ENJOY.
La Patrona is located at Simpson Bay Resort, Marina & Spa and is open daily from 7:00am until 11:00pm. For reservations and more information, call +1 (721) 544-2503 ext. 5500 or check out https://lapatronarestaurant.com/.
