THE LOCALS
FEATURED MIXOLOGIST
TommyMerolla By Thom Meintel
Tommy Merolla likes to talk and when he speaks people listen ... then drink. A proud native of Providence’s Little Italy, Tommy’s Boston accent could charm anyone but get this guy behind a bar with a cocktail shaker and you’re sure to be mesmerized. The head mixologist for the Living Room and Restaurant Solea at the W Hotel, Miami Beach, Tommy’s name sounds a lot like Tommy Mottola (from Kid Creole’s Cherchez La Femme ... who “lived on the run”, remember?) and when I ask him whether anyone ever mentioned that he laughs and says “shaww”, but people were more apt to call him Tommy Motorola. Does that say something about his conversation skills?
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CHILLED MAGAZINE
Perhaps it’s genetic. Tommy’s grandfather owned a bar where he practiced the art of the gab as he poured and it didn’t hurt that Providence’s confluence of creative and blue collar values played a part in the development of his mixology practice. He remembers how his parents slow-simmered a sauce (or gravy, as he calls it) for an entire day with fresh ingredients and herbs and the delicious food that his family sat down to eat inspired him to create sweet and savory cocktails that enhance food’s flavour. He’s a big fan of using fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and lavender in his drinks and the Summer Fling, made with Patron Reposado from his Solea menu, even toys with fresh cilantro. That’s a pretty bold move in a cocktail.
