Rhyon-Kristopher Kadeem-Jackson Miller got his full name from different family members, but I met him as Rhyon Miller. Miller, 30, was born in Kingston and grew up in Spanish Town. A graduate of Meadowbrook High School, Miller is intuitive and describes himself as being self-taught. “My curiosity is bigger than my palate, it’s about going beyond my capacity. I have always gone the extra mile for anything I like,” he says. When you do what you love you will never work a day in your life.

“From the get-go I was always into alcohol. I would do private events for friends, and small bartending gigs.”

Miller discovered that he had a knack for it and his first official job was at Uncorked at the Sovereign North. That was where I first met him, some years ago. He joined the team at Uncorked with the intention to learn about liquor. There he met #WineLady Debra Taylor and “that’s how I took an interest in wine”. He adds, “It was the entire culture of wine and something I’d never done before. I always like to do something different and out of the ordinary.”

He was drawn to the world of wine because it was vastly different to the liquor world he had come to know. “I heard about the WSET certification while at Uncorked and was successful in gaining Level 1 certification,” he reveals.

Miller is fascinated by mixology and wants to continue to design signature drinks. “Bartending is a bonus. I like finding and combining new flavours, all while discovering something that has never been done before. After leaving Uncorked in April of this year, Miller continued to do bartending and waitering for small, private, and intimate events. “Things were challenging” he shared. Indeed, staff cuts, no-movement days, and lockdowns contributed to him being unemployed for four months. “I kept going because I wanted to learn more about bartending and mixology. I learn better on the job — what I like to call ‘life school’ and find this is the best way to bring your imagination and cocktails to life and to the people,” he added.

A friend of Miller’s knew the owners of Chez Maria and told them about him. At the time Chez Maria was not hiring but “’Miss Nancy’ [Hado] decided to give me a chance because of these cocktails. I told her I had something special to give to the world and she gave me the opportunity to prove it”. September 30 marked his first day at Chez Maria. “I have created four of my best wine cocktail recipes from a portfolio of 20 and growing,” he proudly informs.

The Pink Panther: This drink combines Banrock Moscato, Woodbridge Pinot Grigio, Gordon’s Gin, Vodka, triple sec, simple syrup, Grenadine, Blue Curacao and a certain savoir faire. “My cocktails don’t usually include juice — I use wine instead. Wine quality is key to maintain the taste profile. This combo is something that I learnt from my wine training. My combinations are guided by the notes present in the wine. It gives me a sense of what I can put with it. It can be a dry or sweet cocktail depending on the measurements for the wine. You must be precise with your portions. If you put too much of one thing it may kill the drink.” Combine and shake all the ingredients and pour over ice. Garnish with a cherry and a fresh mint sprig. Taste profile: Floral and fruity. Not sweet and not tart. Like a bite into a rose apple.

“Pinot Grigio is the biggest ingredient in this cocktail. Playing up the fruity notes of green apple in the Pinot Grigio. The floral notes come from the Moscato and Blue Curacao. The cocktail starts out pink then goes purple, and it goes down smooth like the Pink Panther. My customers enjoy seeing the cocktail going from cloudy pink to clear purple in colour.”

Red Trip Cocktail: Red rum meets red wine in this next concoction. This cocktail uses a combination of two rums, Appleton Signature and Kingston 62 gold rum or Plantation Xaymaca. Next, Nottage Hill Merlot, a touch of Woodbridge Pinot Noir, and a little triple sec is added. This one is for the fellas and is shaken not stirred, poured over ice into a glass beer mug, then garnished with fresh-cut pineapple and a lime wedge. Taste profile: Rum-forward, fruity cocktail and it tastes even better when you eat the pineapple while imbibing. It enhances the flavour sensation and picks up on the notes of pineapple present in Plantation Xaymaca rum. This drink is called the Red Trip because it takes you places, and the main ingredients are red …red rum and red wine.

Pro Tip: Ice is a bartender’s best friend in that it gauges how concentrated or not concentrated the liquor is.

The Amaretto Surprise: An Amaretto Sour with Nottage Hill Chardonnay. Miller has remixed the original sour and used chardonnay instead. “I removed the lime juice and gave the customer the option of adding it after.” This cocktail combines Nottage Hill Chardonnay, Amaretto, and simple syrup. Shake all the ingredients and serve in a martini glass garnished with a lime twist. Lime wedges are served on the side. For this remix Miller adds just a touch of lime juice. “This drink must be shaken more than the rest of them because amaretto is a powerful thing.” Taste profile: Tangy and tasty.

The Strawberry Monster: Miller is a fan of remixing cocktails and has reimagined the strawberry daiquiri by combining it with Nottage Hill chardonnay. This one is more on the sangria side. It is first blended, then strained, shaken, and then served. Real strawberries meet simple syrup, lime juice, J Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum, Nottage Hill chardonnay and Jose Cuervo tequila. Taste profile: Sweet strawberry – it’s like eating strawberry-flavoured candy! If you are a sweet cocktail lover this one is for you!

For adventurous drinkers, if you would like to use premium spirits you can! It is charged by the shot. Get creative at Chez Maria and benefit from the range of wine and spirits available. These cocktails are creepers, so buyer, beware. Miller’s aim is to build signature drinks for clients. Miller sees himself as a wine cocktail consultant/master mixologist. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next.

Let’s lift your spirits! Find and follow me on Instagram @raihndrops