Newport Bartender Kerri Ayers-Kelleher on What’s Shaking for February

Kerri Ayers-Kelleher says she’s been making craft cocktails at bars and restaurants in Rhode Island “long enough that I’ll make your drink right the first time.” Currently the banquet bar captain at the Newport Harbor Island Resort, she calls bartending hospitality in its purest form: “You’re creating something delicious, but you’re also paying attention to flavors, mood, and energy, so the drink feels like it’s made just for you.”

What are you serving this month?

We’ve created two drinks here that will melt that February chill and help you celebrate love, romance, friendship, and more. Our His & Hers Valentine Cocktails – a Black Cherry Manhattan and a Sparkling Strawberry – are made to be sipped and savored by the fireplace.

What do you like about these drinks?

These cocktails are built around balance. The Black Cherry Manhattan is a twist on the classic Manhattan, invented in a New York social club in the late 1800s. This recipe replaces sweet vermouth with Averna Amaro for a deeper complexity. The Luxardo cherry adds dark fruit notes without overpowering the rye. On the other hand, the Sparkling Strawberry takes the opposite approach with fresh fruit puree, citrus, and floral St. Germain, making it bright and balanced – and any drink with prosecco is a mini celebration!

What’s a snack you would recommend with this drink?

These cocktails pair well with the hot pretzel from our Torpedo Bar and Lounge. The giant pretzel is perfectly salted, and the accompanying beer cheese and Whalers IPA mustard make it delicious with both drinks.

When you go out for drinks in RI, what are your local haunts and why?

I don’t get out nearly enough, but when I do have a drink these days, it’s usually at High Motor Bar and Grille in Pawtucket. I’ll order either a perfect pint of Guinness or a new whiskey I haven’t tried yet. It’s a great spot to watch a game and learn about whiskeys and tequilas you might not otherwise discover.

Black Cherry Manhattan

• 2 oz Knob Creek Rye
• ¾ oz Averna Amaro
• ¼ oz Luxardo Cherry Liqueur
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice, stir for 20-30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a Luxardo cherry wrapped in an expressed orange peel.

Sparkling Strawberry

• 1 ½ oz Tito’s Vodka
• 1 oz fresh muddled strawberry
• ½ oz St. Germain
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice
• ¼ oz simple syrup
• Top with La Marca Prosecco

Muddle fresh strawberries with simple syrup in a shaker, add vodka, St. Germain, and lemon juice. Shake briefly to combine and strain into a flute. Top with Prosecco and garnish with a lemon twist.

@KerriAtTheBar
@NewportHarborIsland