For many bartenders, their introduction to the hospitality industry involves family members who were either in the industry themselves or who instilled strong values of compassion, care, and attentiveness that lends easily to providing excellent service. Not only did Ruben enter this industry with an open mind, grit, and tenacity, but also he excelled in it because of these same attributes. The extent of his excellence is made clear by the fact that he won the Michelin Star Exceptional Cocktails Award. However, before he was a Michelin Star recipient he was simply a man in the right place at the right time.
Ruben Rolon’s brother has been a bartender for a long time and inspired Ruben to enter the world of bartending. His brother competed in competitions like Bacardi Legacy, worked at the Regent Cocktail Club, and participated in bar programs.
One day, Ruben’s brother, Christian Rolon, offered him an opportunity to serve as his barback. At the time, Christian was running the bar program at Leynia at the Delano. He needed help and Ruben was just the person for the job. Then, after a few months Ruben decided to move on and become a bartender. He felt that even though he still had a lot to learn, he had a solid base of knowledge that his brother had taught him. The hospitality industry became all that Ruben knows, becoming the industry in which he works, lives, and breathes. Ruben followed in his brother’s footsteps and came to realize the fun, excitement, and thrill of being behind the bar by watching his brother and experiencing it all first hand.
His brother Christian taught him the fundamentals. He also learned how to play with flavors by watching Nico de Soto. Juan Carlos Sanatana, who is a close friend and former beverage director for L’atelier and Le Jardinier, showed Ruben the business side of bars and was always very supportive of his inventive cocktail ideas. Ruben expresses gratitude to these people who, without knowing, played a huge part in his career.
Ruben received quite an education, starting his hospitality journey as a barback at the Delano Hotel Restaurant—Leynia about five years ago. After leaving Delano, Ruben wanted to become a bartender. He always knew that he could learn the ropes and cut his teeth in any restaurant, hotel, or bar. He also wanted to find a place where he could learn and bartend at the same time. He ended up becoming a bartender at Novecento. He had friends there that supported his goal and made him realize that he knew what he was doing. He started bartending there and then shared his talents with the neighboring nightclub when it moved in next door. He proved to himself that not only could he bartend but he could also lead. After a few months, he ended up running the bar program at Novecento Brickell and Aventura. Beaker & Gray did a wonderful program for Novecento after the Suviche Hospitality Group took over the restaurant. Ruben was in charge of seeing that the program was successfully and efficiently executed. After leading the bar program, Ruben wanted to keep learning so he decided to take a job at St Roch Market 2018 (currently MIA Market) before making a switch to Alter Wynwood. Working at Alter Wynwood led him to the opportunity of working at Kaido by Brad Kilgore and Nico de Soto.
Now, Ruben works at Le Jardinier where he finds himself bringing his experience from working in restaurants into his everyday life. At grocery stores, he says “corner” because as someone who works in a restaurant, he says “corner” all the time. He also says “behind” at the gas station. He tries to explain why he does this to his wife but she does not get it. They will go to the grocery store and he will say something like that’s “86” as in “we don’t have it” and she does not know. It is funny to speak a language that not everyone understands.
As a bar manager, Ruben helps people understand the industry’s language. His favorite part of his job is to teach new people coming into either the industry or his establishments. His experience with them keeps him going. He thrives off challenges and training, teaching, and communicating with new people ensures that he will not easily run out of challenges. It’s also exciting to teach people who want to learn. It’s rewarding when those he teaches, especially the young bartenders, implement the lessons well and show their budding expertise. These moments give Ruben a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Ruben enjoys every part of the job. However, as a Bar Boss at l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon & Le Jardinier, Michelin Guide Florida Exceptional Cocktails Award Winner and an Illustrator, the creation aspect speaks to his interests and skills. There are challenges to being creative in any industry where bartenders might not have ingredients year around. Ruben likes the challenge of figuring out how to create new cocktails when bananas, pineapples, or other key components are not available. These challenges keep him figuring out new ways to meet his goals and do his job well. One of his strongest skills as a bartender is his ability to improvise. He keeps a notebook in which he solves problems, creates, and thinks through his ideas.
Having a melting pot of new ideas from people who strive to make the industry better is one way that Ruben believes that the Miami Cocktail Scene will continue to flourish and elevate. Ruben has made both a name and a home for himself in Miami. Although he arrived in South Florida at twelve years old, Ruben is a local at heart. It was always his father’s dream to live in Miami and now Ruben lives out that dream working, thriving, and building a life for himself in the Magic City. For more information about Ruben, his work, or his art, follow him on IG @rubencrafts.
