When Chicago-based mixologist Tyler MacLellan stepped behind the bar at this year’s Jamaica Food & Drink Festival (JFDF), he quickly realised it would be unlike any shift he had worked before.

By the time Kuyah opened on the Kingston waterfront on March 5, the pace had become relentless as hundreds of patrons moved between chef stations and bars sampling cocktails alongside the festival’s reimagined Jamaican dishes.

“This is one of the craziest shifts I’ve ever done!” MacLellan said. “I’ve done guest shifts in the United States before, but this one is wild in the best way.”

Despite the intensity, the experience quickly became one of the highlights of his bartending career.

“I’m a sweaty mess,” he joked, “but I’m having a really good time.”

MacLellan travelled from Chicago to participate in the festival’s cocktail programme, bringing with him a mix of modern cocktail techniques and a deep appreciation for Caribbean rum.

The first glimpse of his approach came at Chef’s Table, the media preview event held Wednesday, the night before Kuyah. There, he introduced two signature cocktails built around Jamaican rum: the Starboard Light and the Fiyah Bird.

The Starboard Light paired Worthy Park Select rum with honey, lemon and passion fruit, producing a bright tropical cocktail designed to complement Caribbean flavours.

The Fiyah Bird leaned into modern cocktail technique. The drink blended Jamaican rum with lime and pineapple juice, along with a house-made strawberry cordial prepared in Chicago.

“We clarify the strawberry juice in a centrifuge to remove the solids,” MacLellan explained. “That leaves a clear juice that we then turn into a syrup.”

While the technique reflects the precision of contemporary cocktail bars, MacLellan said Jamaican rum remains the heart of the drink.

“Jamaican rum is the best ingredient,” he said.

For bartenders working in global cocktail cities like Chicago, Caribbean flavours have become increasingly influential. Tropical ingredients such as ginger, citrus and rum continue to shape cocktail programmes around the world.

“Tropical cocktails are a huge focus,” MacLellan said. “Those island flavours influence a lot of what we create.”

His visit to Jamaica marked the first time he experienced the country’s rum culture first-hand, deepening his connection to the spirits he frequently uses behind the bar.

“Being here and seeing the heritage behind Jamaican rum brings you closer to the brand,” he said. “When we create drinks, we think about the history behind the spirits.”

At Kuyah, however, theory quickly gave way to the reality of festival service. With hundreds of guests moving through the event, bartenders worked continuously to keep drinks flowing.

For MacLellan, the challenge was part of the excitement. “There’s nothing more fun than going through something like this with your team,” he said. It was his first time visiting Jamaica, but not, he hopes, his last.

“If they’ll have me back,” he said with a laugh, “I’ll come every year.”

The Starboard Light, a cocktail made with Worthy Park Select rum, honey, lemon and passion fruit, prepared during the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival. (Photos courtesy of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival)

Chicago-based mixologist Tyler MacLellan prepared the Fiyah Bird, a rum cocktail made with Worthy Park Estate rum, strawberry cordial, lime and pineapple, during the Chef’s Table preview of the Jamaica Food & Drink Festival on Wednesday, March 4. (Photo courtesy of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival)

Sygnus team members, Assistant Vice-President, Wealth Management and Client Strategy Nichole Lobban (right) and Senior Marketing Manager Renee Rickards enjoyed Worthy Park cocktails. (Photo courtesy of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival)

NCB Capital Markets Manager, Wealth Management Anneka Bynes savoured the Fiyah Bird, a rum cocktail featuring strawberry cordial, prepared by visiting Chicago mixologist Tyler MacLellan. (Photo courtesy of Jamaica Food and Drink Festival)

Worthy Park Estate Marketing Manager Tamika West was spotted at the Worthy Park Estate booth. (Photo by Tamika West)

Chicago-based mixologist Tyler MacLellan has just been named one of the United States top 100 Bartenders.https://talesofthecocktail.org/