Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Cocktail Culture

    BETHESDA, Md., June 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Summer is here and it's time to
 cheer! This summer at Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, guests are mixing up
 summery libations with Cocktail Culture, one of the exciting new elements
 that put guests in the spotlight with a sophisticated and fun experience
 they can find only at Renaissance hotels. All across the country, guests
 can find unique blends of fresh ingredients and fresh squeezed juices,
 bright and vibrant colors, and cold and icy chillers -- perfect for the
 long, hot dog days of summer.
 
     Cocktail Culture includes the custom Renaissance Cocktail Blocks -- an
 exciting and fun way for guests to interact at the bar. Each block features
 different cocktail ingredient "building blocks," including Spirits,
 Barware, Fresh Ingredient, Method of Preparation and Flavor Profile. Guests
 experiment with the blocks and the bartenders by rolling different
 combinations to create a signature cocktail. The bartender then picks the
 winning combination, named for the guest who created it, and features it as
 the drink of the evening for all to try.
 
     Inspired by the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel's homage to all things
 Hollywood, the "Caddy Shack," "Blue Crush," "A Star is Born," and "Green
 Mile" martinis pay tribute to some of the most popular films of our time.
 The "A Star is Born" martini is a refreshing mix of Grey Goose Vodka,
 Cointreau, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, topped with Champagne and
 served with a star-shaped orange slice. All the way across the country at
 the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, guests celebrate seasonal summer
 sippers with "mocktail" beverages, perfect for taking the heat off, like
 the "Sun-Ripened Sour" and the "606 Congress SpecialTea." At the hotel's
 recent grand opening celebration, two signature Cocktail Culture martinis
 were created in celebration of the Boston Celtics' 17th victory in the
 NBA's Championship; the "Celtics' 3 Point Shot" featured Stoli Blakberi,
 fresh cranberry and orange juice, served with a fresh orange and blackberry
 garnish, and the "Seventeeni" combined vodka, Midori and fresh pineapple
 juice, straight up in all its green glory.
 
     At the Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Cocktail Culture has been a huge
 hit. Two guests helped create the "You Got to do Better Than That!"
 cocktail, which combines muddled strawberries with simple syrup, Captain
 Morgan and Cointreau, topped with Sprite and served on the rocks. Employees
 with the Tractor Supply Company were staying at the hotel for a conference
 and crafted "The Big Lie" cocktail -- a mix of muddled oranges and
 cherries, simple syrup and vodka, shaken and served on the rocks. Music
 City Marathon runners, Annie and Holly, invented "The Finisher" with
 Absolut Mandarin, Pink Lemonade, Sierra Mist and a splash of grenadine,
 shaken and strained into a Martini glass.
 
     Down south at the Renaissance Worthington Hotel, the heat is rising but
 the cocktails are cooling. Guests got their hands wet creating "The
 Magnolia," a tasty combination of Watermelon Schnapps, Dr. Pepper and
 grenadine, and "The Southern Belle," with Southern Comfort and Abita root
 beer. Guests at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Convention Center Hotel were
 on the same page when they created the "Cowgirl Quencher" -- Malibu Coconut
 Rum, Peachtree Schnapps, orange juice, pineapple juice and a splash of
 grenadine.
 
     Nothing says summer like the Fourth of July. At the historic Mayflower,
 a Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., bartender Sambon Lek created the
 "Red, White & Blue Martini," which layers a blended mixture of vodka,
 pineapple juice, Coco Lopez, half & half and ice with Creme de Almond and
 Blue Curacao. Just down the street at the Renaissance Washington D.C. Hotel
 and just in time for a summer heat wave, guests sip away the day with the
 "Jamaican Ten Speed" -- a mix of Absolut Vodka, Midori, Creme de Banana,
 Parrot Bay Coconut Rum and a splash of half & half.
 
     Renaissance Hotels & Resorts wants their guests to "Stay Interesting."
 At the Renaissance Grand & Suites Downtown St. Louis Hotel, guests can
 "Serve Interesting," too! The first Cocktail Culture guest concoction ever
 sold at the bar was the very popular "Sweet Orange of Mine" by Mark Huff.
 The mix of muddled oranges with simple syrup, Jack Daniels and a little bit
 more simple syrup (for that extra sweetness) is a favorite at the bar. The
 "Lost in Desire" martini, created by guest Kelly Hurt, combines 3 whole
 lychees muddled with simple syrup, Grey Goose Vodka, more simple syrup and
 a splash of fresh lychee juice, shaken 20 times over ice and strained into
 a martini glass to perfection.
 
     The Renaissance Cocktail Culture Experience sets the brand apart by
 using fresh squeezed juices in all of its core cocktail recipes and
 focusing on not only what's in the glass, but the look and feel of the bar,
 generating excitement with handcrafted cocktails, and customizing the bar
 and lounge experience through the use of local cocktail signatures. The
 signature blocks are being rolled at Renaissance Hotels and Resorts around
 the world.
 
     For a complete list of signature summer cocktail recipes, please
 contact Jackie Berra at jackie.berra@marriott.com.
 
     Visit Renaissance's Facebook Page to roll the cocktail blocks and
 create a signature drink. And to check out some of the other cool things
 going on at Renaissance hotels this summer, click here for fun summer
 packages.
 
     Renaissance Hotels & Resorts is an upscale brand providing full-service
 accommodations with local flair to discriminating business and leisure
 travelers at more than 140 properties in 28 countries. The brand's presence
 is strong in the U.S. and worldwide, with approximately half of its
 properties in North America and half throughout Europe, South America, the
 Caribbean, the Middle East and Asia.
 
     Visit http://creativeservices.0catch.com/boilerplate/ for Marriott
 International, Inc.'s (NYSE:   MAR) company information.
 
 
 

SOURCE Marriott International

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