Rising Star Mixologist Somer Perez of Couture Cocktail Concepts - Biography

Somer Perez started her career in beverage as a bar-back at Beacon Restaurant and Bar in the early 2000s (on the cusp of the “cosmopolitan craze”), working under the tutelage of a now pioneer of mixology: Audrey Saunders. It was there that Perez honed her skills in her “classic meets contemporary” method, learning the classics while working with the chef to combine culinary ingredients with up-and-coming spirits. When Saunders left, she took over as head bartender and began receiving attention for her roasted fruit mojitos and cocktails that incorporated rhubarb and rosemary.

Perez served as beverage director for The Hotel on Rivington while also consulting for Wines from Spain, and then moved to Royalton Hotel, where she renovated the beverage program to match their sleep, modern, and creative hotel renovation. Perez was one of the youngest beverage directors in the city, running the show at 26 years old. And her creative, seasonal cocktails won her a StarChefs.com 2008 Rising Stars Award.

After leaving the Royalton, Perez founded Couture Cocktail Concepts, and she consults for bars and brands across the United States.