Bartender Submission - Renee Harper, Phoenix

Renee Harper

Rattle & Rum Phoenix, AZ

Photos courtesy of Rattle & Rum

“After many years working in fine dining restaurants as a server, I was looking for something with more of a creative challenge that would also give me time to connect with my guests.” For Renee Harper, Chilled 100 Member in Arizona, becoming a bartender came from a passion for food, quality ingredients, and good service.

Harper recently was the bar manager at Valley Bar in Phoenix. The music venue offers a craft cocktail menu that uses highquality ingredients. Live music kept her job interesting and provided something new every night. According to Harper, bartending should be fun.

While the proper tools, the right ice, and certain ingredients can make or break a drink, she follows a tried-and-true template for creating cocktails. “Ultimately, bartending should be fun, and if you enjoy the drink, there are no wrong answers. It doesn’t take much to create an amazing drink that your friends and family will enjoy.”

For those creating cocktails at home or are new-to-thescene bartenders, Harper offers this advice. “Tasting individual ingredients before turning them into cocktails gives some idea of how well each ingredient will play off the other,” she explains. “It will help judge the inherent sweet, sour, or bitter content you’re working with.”

When Harper tries a drink that inspires her, she will spend time dissecting that drink, figuring out what makes it special. Once she figures out the main elements noted, it’s time for her to play around and add a personal spin to it.

Harper often uses purees when creating drinks. The convenience a puree offers is an easy way to add unique flavors that would otherwise require a lot of planning and prepping. The possibilities are endless for puree flavors, and they add a wonderful texture to drinks.

Harper has worked with many talented chefs, bartenders, and managers over the years. According to her, she credits her boss at Rattle & Rum as having a large influence on her. “Damon Scott has been a huge influence on me for the past five years. He and his two partners, Brian Downing and Shannon Krol have helped push me forward in my career and have been a huge source of confidence and creative inspiration.”

ALL THAI’D UP

INGREDIENTS 1 oz. silver rum ½ oz. aged rum ¼ oz. orange curaçao ½ oz. The Perfect Purée Thai Basil & Black Pepper blend ¼ oz. orgeat ¾ oz. lime juice

PREPARATION Shake with ice and double strain into a glass. Garnish with a Thai Basil leaf.