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We sat down with Mac Gregory, Director of Food & Beverage at The Phoenician
in Scottsdale, Arizona. Gregory has designed a luxury
collection of spirits for The Phoenician, a AAA Five Diamond resort set amid 250 acres
at the base of Camelback Mountain. He is also the contributor for this month’s Partida
Cocktail: the “Silvestre Suizo Sueco,” which translates from Spanish as “Wild Swiss
Swede,” a reference to the two main ingredients — wild grown Swiss Eidelvise and
Lingonberries.
The Phoenician Tell us about the resort. The Phoenician is Arizona’s premier luxury resort destination. It features a 27-hole USGA championship golf course, 12 lighted tennis courts, nine pools and a 165-foot waterslide. There are actually two Five Diamond experiences within The Phoenician -- a 583-room resort hotel and a 60-room “boutique resort within a resort,” The Canyon Suites, offering a more intimate, enhanced atmosphere. The Phoenician also boasts a $25 million art collection with complimentary self-guided audio tour. Guests who take the tour receive two free passes to the Phoenix Art Museum. There is great diversity in the cuisine and cocktails served in our 10 restaurants and lounges. With the expansion of our progressive beverage program, we are giving rise to a new cocktail culture here at The Phoenician. What makes the beverage program at the Phoenician unique? While each of our restaurants and bars serves as the “home” to a particular spirit, all outlets are intradependent. We hand-select everything in order to provide our guests with only the finest international offerings, which is why Partida is a luxury partner. At The Phoenician, we have instituted a “luxury call” on all products; we have no well. We focus on the brand of liquor and not the name of the cocktail. As a result, our menus list each spirit by country and price. Guests are able to select from the best labels in the world, and have them incorporated into any drink they wish. For example, a Piña Colada can range from $9 —$75, depending on the rum chosen. We also don’t duplicate any flavors, offering only one selection of any flavored spirit. Our philosophy is to provide our guests with a personal, interactive experience that no one else in the world can create. How do guests respond to Partida? Partida is very well received. It is one of the five labels carried resort-wide because of its caché and popularity with guests. Why do you like working with Partida? Partida is a trusted and recognized product. The fact that all four marks are presented in a clear bottle indicates a level of quality and luxury that is not easily duplicated. It’s a great package, but to me it’s very straightforward. When we talk to guests, we can line up each expression and show how each aging process produces a different color. When you try Partida, the proof is in the bottle. I have no doubt that Partida will exceed customer expectations. 
We heard the signature Partida cocktail is the
Silvestre Suizo Sueco. hat kind of
cocktail is it?
The Silvestre Suizo Sueco is made from wild Swiss Eidelvise and wild Swedish Lingongberry. They are made into a puree and blended with Partida Reposado, and then poured on the rocks with a sea salt rim, producing a lavender color. It has a sweet, yet tart taste and is very refreshing. We’ve been serving it all year, and guests love it. Although not too sweet, it is made for a discerning palate. It has the same impact as lemonade, but you can’t put your finger on it. It’s almost like a sweet and sour chardonnay blended with Partida. What is your philosophy behind the beverage program? I view it as the luxury version of a combination ice-cold coke and hot salty fries. It’s like taking this traditional pairing and incorporating it into a high-end setting. A hot, salty foie gras needs a great beverage. It’s amazing what you can do for the palette when you understand it. We know how to put food and drink together. Everything goes back to the simple process of marrying cuisine and wine/spirits, and using the best products, like Partida, to do so.
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