In another setting, Eliza Hoar might be considered a mad scientist. At Rosewood Miramar Beach, she’s Director of Bars. The Equal Measure alum, who made a name for herself in New York under Matt Resler, took over the bar program at Montecito’s prestigious resort in May.
Rosewood Miramar Beach wasn’t mincing words when, upon posting her announcement on Instagram, said she was there to shake things up. Not only is she a seasoned mixologist with loads of accolades, she also has the honor of being the first female Director of Bars for the hotel.
“It really shows me where this whole industry has gone,” she told me in July. “[It’s] a special moment for me.”
In a few months, Hoar has already lived up to the hype. She has changed five cocktail menus, including signature spirits at the Michelin-starred Caruso's, with plans to reinvigorate The Manor Bar Chronicles of Cocktails experience by January.
An ingredient-first mixologist who cares more about the process than the booze, Hoar is right at home in the sprawling five-star hotel flush with seasonal and local produce within reach. Expect bright pink hues made from local pluots, creamy shades of green created by avocado or levitating foam culled from basil. Whatever is available within a 50-mile radius, Hoar says, is sourced for the beverage menu—if not directly from the property’s bite-size vegetable garden.
“The amount of very cool, unique ingredients that are available so close to here is amazing,” she says. “It's been so inspirational.”
The New York native started “slinging lobsters” at Route 66 in Bar Harbor during her family’s summers in Maine. But it wasn’t until her return to New York, after a stint in Aspen, that she really fell in love with mixology. A few moves, competitions, and prestigious titles later, including a spot on Esquire’s Top Bars list and North America’s 50 Best Bars while Bar Principal at Jackson Cannon’s Boston bar, Hoar was ready for something bigger. “I wanted to challenge myself,” she says.
This role isn't for the faint of heart, as the resort has 153 luxury guest rooms with 10 dining options, but Hoar, the New Yorker, has dived in. Expect more from the beverage program to come—including expansion of the canned cocktails she introduced this summer at the pool, a partnership with Godmothers Bookstore, new appearances for the guest bartender series, and more.
Learn more: rosewoodhotels.com/en/miramar-beach-montecito