Ken Tetzner co-owns Wakefield’s Phil’s Diner and the upstairs restaurant, Phil’s Main Street Grill. It features a rooftop deck that sounds more and more appealing with each degree the temperature rises. We talked to Ken about summer sipping.
It’s spring, and we’re all moving from indoors to outdoors. What are some of the cocktails you are making this season?
We will definitely be going with a tropical and refreshing drink menu as the weather warms. We will still be serving all the classics, as well as some original creations and our own Phil’s Classic Sangria, served with fresh fruit.
Are there any warm weather ingredients that are a must-have for you behind the bar?
We are huge fans of fresh ingredients behind the bar. You can expect to see a lot of color and fresh fruit in our drinks. As the summer goes on and fruit becomes available, we will incorporate it into our drink menu. We get fresh produce delivered every day; as the summer evolves, so will our drink menu.
We use a lot of mint in our drinks in the spring and summer months. Mint juleps and mint raspberry mojitos are some of the favorites. When strawberries are looking good we garnish our mimosas with them. Citrus fruit goes nicely with our infused martinis (a favorite with the ladies).
Phil’s Main Street Grille has a great rooftop deck for the summer. Do you think the seating influences what people like to drink?
Most definitely. The rooftop is a hidden oasis on Main Street so we would like the drinks to reflect that feeling of escape. Light and refreshing is what people want, plus people also get more adventurous with their drink choices when they are having a good time in the perfect environment. Once you make a beautiful summer drink, the next thing you always hear is “I want one of those.
What is your favorite drink to make?
I love to make a drink I call the Rooftop Oasis. It has Absolut Orient Apple Vodka, ginger beer, fresh lime and mint, a dash of bitters and basil simple syrup. It looks fantastic and smells delicious, but you are going to have to come in to find out what it tastes like.
What do you see as the trends in cocktails these days?
I am starting to see a lot more people asking for gluten-free drinks. We actually have a whole line of flavored gluten-free vodkas, and we also carry gluten-free beers.
What do you like to drink when your shift is over?
Lately I have been a fan of Jameson Lemonade. It is just so refreshing.
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