In April, the Biltmore Fuerte was named the Official Drink of Santa Barbara, as the mixology team from the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore won the second annual cocktail competition sponsored by Visit Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Independent. The drink — which combines Cutler’s bourbon, strawberry purée, lemon juice, and Thomas Fire honey, garnished with a sprig of fresh lavender from the hotel chef’s garden — was created by Ty Lounge bartender Sam Graham. A surprisingly light and refreshing drink, and not bourbon heavy, the Fuerte has been sold more than 500 times since winning the contest and is being exceptionally well received.
“Fuerte is the Spanish word for ‘strong,’ and with the #Montecito[Strong] and #805Strong hashtags going around, that was our inspiration for the name,” said Graham, whose drink complies with the rule of including a landmark in the title. “We celebrated our 90th year last year and have been a landmark in the community for a very long time.”
When the Thomas Fire closed the resort, Graham spent her downtime researching seasonal produce and learned about Nick Wigle of Super Bee Rescue in Carpinteria. Together, they found a source of honey made by bees rescued from the fire, and Graham believes that special ingredient tipped the contest in their favor.
