Welcome to the Library by the Sea at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, a place where novel cocktails mingle with the sea breeze, where narratives unfold not just across pages, but within the very glasses clutched in the hands of eager travelers.
Helmed by mixologist Jim Wrigley, the resort’s beverage manager, here, creativity is the currency, and every cocktail is a story waiting to be sipped. Whether you fancy yourself a Hemingway hero or a Shakespearean romantic, you’ll find a drinkable narrative to suit your tale.
Library by the Sea is a bright and vibrant space with views that stretch out to the horizon. Suspended above, Miss Ola—a restored catboat—watches over the room, a nod to the Caymanian fishermen who have used these vessels for centuries. The bar itself is crafted from the beams of the welcome area at the old Georgetown Airport.
“You won’t find any creaky old armchairs or candlelit aisles of dusty leather-bound books in Library by the Sea,” said StevenAndre, Kimpton Seafire’s GM, in a press release statement. “Library by the Sea is a beautiful indoor/outdoor space with spectacular views of palm trees and the Caribbean Sea—the perfect visual accompaniment to the inventive cocktails that Jim Wrigley and his team have dreamed up.”
The menu is a collection of narrative-driven drinkable stories, inspired by works of literature, music, art and film. Each beverage is concocted using a variety of innovative libation gadgets and methods, including rotary evaporators, refrigerated centrifuges, sous vides, 3D printers and a Thermomix that allows the resort’s mixologists to devise exclusive distillations and infusions of spirits, liqueurs, cordials, syrups and purées. The cocktails incorporate esoteric local ingredients (such as spirits and liqueurs made in-house from local tropical fruits and botanicals from the sea) with a focus on sustainability, as well as elements produced in-house in a purpose-built beverage laboratory. Drinks also showcase components from the resort’s curated library of scarce and vintage spirits, liqueurs, amari and fortified wines including sea mineral vermouth, butter cream spiced foam, clarified strawberry jam,Lady Grey milk punch with scones from spent tea, jam from centrifuged strawberries and others.
Adding to the delightful vibe are the whimsical names for the cocktails—From Cayman With Love, Murder in the Afternoon and Hemingway Special, each with a tale to tell…but you’ll have to head to Grand Cayman for the full story.
For more information, visit seafireresortandspa.com.
