Reimagining the Art of Mixology with Head Mixologist Lucas Winkler

Mixologist with the “secret sauce” Lucas Winkler was born and raised in Poland. Entering adulthood, he pursued an education in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Rhodes University in Greece.

During his early years of bartending, he mastered both classic and modern cocktails, allowing him to develop a wide range of skills. With that skillset, he went on to complete numerous internships at the prestigious Park Hotel in Athens, Sofitel Rhodes Hotel, and Kolibia Palace. Adding practical experience to his already-sturdy foundation of knowledge completed Lucas as a mixologist, bringing his expertise to a whole new level.

Fast-forward to 2019, he relocated to the United States and joined W South Beach as a bartender, and eventually became the in-house mixologist. Today as the Head Mixologist, Winkler oversees the Living Room Bar’s cocktail program.

W South Beach is the most iconic W Hotel in the world, located in the heart of Miami’s South Beach. It’s a favorite amongst celebrities, world-travelers, and locals. Onsite there are two bars and two restaurants. Craft cocktails are served in the Living Room Bar, which is in the main lounge. Then there’s Irma’s, an outdoor bar named after the 2017 hurricane. It’s an ideal spot for guests to enjoy refreshing drinks in the Miami sunshine.

As for the restaurants, W South Beach has RWSB (Restaurant W South Beach), a hidden gem for Tuscan cuisine, and Mr. Chow, authentic Chinese cuisine.

For his beverage program at Living Room Bar, Lucas focuses on a Miami-flavored theme. The selections consist of tropical fruits like pineapple, mangos, passionfruit, and coconut as the favorite.

Coming up with cocktail ideas is a natural occurrence for Winkler. “I am always finding inspiration for cocktails in my daily life and during my travels. I take that inspiration, do some research, and try it out. It’s through the experimentation, new techniques and mixing different ingredients together that the art comes to life in a glass.”

Currently, his favorite spirit is tequila reposado and favorite ingredient is coconut cream. Both of which are profoundly versatile and provide a ton of flavor, body, and texture.

As a bartender, Lucas finds the most joy in putting smiles on his guests’ faces. To assure that is always the case, he makes sure to bring his “secret sauce” to every shift behind the bar. Its not an ingredient, but instead a metaphor of service broken into two parts; “anticipating the guest’s needs and adapting to the environment of the people and bar.”

To all bartenders striving towards greatness in their craft, he advises them to stay creative, stay curious, try new ideas, recipes, and techniques. And most importantly, don’t fear failure.