By Emily King
FUN, flirty, vibrant, and delicious. Those words describe Sabrosa, an Afro-Latin-Caribbean-inspired pop-up event at Bar Julian on top of Thompson Savannah this Thursday.
Part goodbye to summer and part kick-off to Hispanic Heritage Month, the dance is being hosted in partnership with the hotel by Savannah's favorite DJ, Maggie Hayes, AKA Miss Paradise, and Jomar Santos, cocktail extraordinaire.
We spoke with the inspiring couple and Danielle Mitchell, the general manager of Bar Julian at Thompson Savannah, to get all the dirty little details about the event.
Thompson Savannah is a boutique hotel located directly along the Savannah River in the Eastern Wharf that recently celebrated its third anniversary. As the proud home of Savannah's highest rooftop bar views, Bar Julian is a favorite among locals.
"Our dazzling rooftop gem is named after the patron saint of hospitality and offers Mediterranean-inspired fare with a modern twist," said Mitchell.
Though not born in Savannah, Miss Paradise considers herself a native, "My family moved here when I was entering kindergarten, so I feel like I can claim it. My folks are still here, and family is spread out across the South."
She's been in the music game for twelve years now, though she had an eight-year hiatus following the heist of her equipment when she lived in Philadelphia.
"So, that was part of the arc of focusing on my visual art," laughs Hayes, "and now I feel very blessed that I can do both my visual art and DJing in full force."
Her partner in all things life, business, and crime moved to Savannah from his native Puerto Rico six years ago.
"The first time I came to Savannah was 10 years ago, and I loved the city's vibe. It’s been a great opportunity for me to grow and make an investment in my life," Santos said.
Santos had made quite the name for himself around town through his work in hospitality. He's a frequent and friendly face among the local bars, always sporting a big smile and a killer cocktail.
"I love the cocktail world and anything related to growth and interconnection. I participate in all these different bar programs nationwide to bring cool experiences. I love to bring the party to the people."
Miss Paradise perked up at his last statement, stating that it is, in fact, their motto: bringing the party to the people.
Santos first came up with the idea for event production in the form of pop-up bars due to a drive to find balance in a crazy industry.
"It's important to take care of yourself, be aware, and stay spirited."
Self-titled the cocktail mercenary, he spends time in different establishments around town, like Hotel Bardo, guiding them in new projects and encouraging them to get excited about the art of mixology.
The idea to bring Sabrosa to life started with Mitchell's background.
"I bring a blend of New York influence and my heritage as a Nuyorican (a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent). My work with the Hispanic community, raising awareness and celebrating our culture, inspired me to create an event for Thompson Savannah. Bar Julian and Thompson Savannah have a strong history of supporting multicultural initiatives. We've always prioritized working with non-profits and local vendors to build meaningful connections within our community. The vision was clear, and I needed the right team to bring it to life."
Enter Hayes and Santos.
"I've been the resident DJ at The Thompson for the last three summers," explained Hayes. "Some people from there made it to events he hosted and loved the vibe. They had some great drinks, and wanted to bring it to Bar Julian."
Her sound plays a big part in that vibe.
"When I first started DJing, there were only certain spaces where I could play the music I wanted. Getting into the downtown scene and playing, there was a lot of pressure to play to the common denominator, which was more of the Top 40, radio-friendly things that people know and like to sing along with."
While there isn't anything wrong with that, it's just not Miss Paradises’ style.
"That's one of the things that I love about the hotels. They're interested in music I want to play, and I can take it to a new level. Savannah is a place where we have a lot of visitors. It's so important to welcome people; sound is a good way to do that. I feel like other kinds of sounds, and the people I meet are surprised sometimes. They're hearing this song that they know is from Jamaica or Nigeria. Maybe it's their heritage, or maybe they're from there and visiting. It's so exciting to have that sort of connection to a new place. You create a moment for people."
Santos and Hayes make a killer team, focusing on welcoming the local community at the same time as they're building their own.
"We want to create a safe environment where everyone can enjoy themselves. We're hosting them at these hotels, but we want the locals and the community to feel welcome and celebrated in these spaces because that's why people are drawn to Savannah,” says Santos.
Hayes added that places like Thompson Savannah and other hotels around town have made strides toward that practice, but there's always more that can be done.
When asked why he chose to use pop-up bars, or activations as he calls them, to foster community growth, Santos said:
"So, people get tired. But a pop-up brings fresh air. It brings ideas to life and provides a great opportunity to share a flavor, taste, and memory with others. To open the doors for them. It encourages their own creativity, and it's a great space where you create openness to different backgrounds, cultures, and colors that all weld together."
It doesn't hurt that his creativity shines particularly brightly this way, too.
"All the details that go into it, he is very artisanal in the production of cocktails,” proudly notes Hayes. “You can't get them anywhere else. He makes all his syrups, juices, mixtures, and cordials. Everything is taken to a new level of creativity."
I joked about him being a chemist as well, getting an enthusiastic nod from her, "You should see him in the kitchen! He wants to build a lab in the house."
Intrigued, I asked more questions about Santos' process.
"I always try to go back to the question of what the concept behind it [a cocktail] is. Can I truly create a masterpiece? I'm a part of everything; this is my art."
He's such an expert that he doesn't even use measurements anymore. It's all instinct and taste.
"I start by writing out the ingredients, ideas, and colors of the cocktail. If I want it to be a bright green chartreuse color, I start listing the drinks and mixes that will get me there. I think about the idea or the concept of the party and the flavors that will make them shine. I bring everything together and then do the actual pour amount to balance it."
Right away, he knows if something is off.
"You know if you have too much alcohol in there or if it needs to be dry or sweeter. You have to bring other elements into action, like modifiers, liquors, syrups, cordials, and things that will balance your cocktail."
Instinctual as it is for him with cocktails, it's the same for Miss Paradise and her music.
"I have had a lot of hours playing DJ at this point, close to 10,000 hours. When it comes to planning a set, I don't usually have a border that I'm trying to stay in. I pull from a bank of music I've been building my entire life to see what will fit the night's vibe."
From there, it's all about paying attention, "Then I try to feel out the crowd, staying sharp on what people are dancing to. I like to take people on a little dance journey. I have a few songs that I temperature-check people with to see who knows what in the crowd and if they're feeling it. Then I can basically – I imagine it literally like a road trip – like we'll take this exit and go on a little journey, and then we'll get back to the highway."
Like Santos with an off mixture, Miss Paradise knows if she's played the wrong song.
"You've got to be quick, and you'll know immediately if it's the wrong song. I feel like I've been blessed to have played in so many different places in Savannah that now I can do that. I used to take it personally if I saw someone leaving while playing. Now, I play a game in my head. What song could I play to get them to stay? If I see anyone wilting, I try to bring them back to life."
Planning Sabrosa was a big undertaking. They needed a team.
"We've had multiple meetings with many people to throw this party. We want everybody to know what's happening and be happy and excited when many people are dancing. Being proactive about the vision and being able to communicate that vision, whether through words or press releases or communicating with each other about the drinks and the music and how we want everything to fit into the concepts, is important."
Hayes says, "Communication is key, and of course, we want to connect with people we haven't yet met who would love to be a part of something like this. So, connecting to the media is a big part of that."
Aside from communication, inspiration is key to creating an exciting event.
"At the first few meetings, we're talking about the mission. Then you're landing on the title for the event and why that title. From there, creating visions from mood boards," adds Santos.
"I started building the idea for the cocktails based on the mood board. We want to ensure the vision, and we also started to get partnerships. For this one, we landed with a partnership with Bacardi. The bar manager, Thomas (Tom) Villani, mentioned they had a "good thing" with them and offered to ask if they'd be involved."
Hayes nodded, adding that they are extremely grateful for the people working alongside them.
Mitchell echoed Santos and Hayes, saying: "Time, dedication, and an amazing team goes into planning an event like this. A vision can be vivid in your mind, but it takes a strong, creative team to bring it to life. I knew I wanted to collaborate with them [Hayes and Santos] as they were already making waves with their Latin Caribbean-inspired pop-ups in town. They bring heart and soul to our atmosphere, and I wanted to build upon that. Our beverage director (Villani) also embraced our vision and secured a partnership with Bacardi for the event. With the support of our incredible marketing team, the rest is history."
Sabrosa, though an end to summer, is also the kick-off to Hispanic Heritage Month, a big time for Thompson Savannah,"Bar Julian designed programming around the celebration without us, so when we were trying to pick a date and concept and learned about it, it just made sense to join forces."
Monthly, the rooftop bar also hosts the Savannah Salsa Group.
Before parting, we discussed the dynamic duo's mission with events like Sabrosa.
"We live in a world that's become so oriented towards being online and disconnected. I want to encourage people. It's an opportunity to connect in real life, which we don't get on the Internet. It's a space for people to express themselves and feel safe. That's one of the main ideas I always have present. I love the community we've built of people who come and dance because they're so welcoming, and many make friends at the events. You can bring all your friends and make friends there. That's why I first became a DJ," smiles Hayes.
"We want to emphasize that everyone is welcome. This is a space for everyone. There's no cover. We wanted to ensure everyone could come if they were over 21. Come and enjoy safely. Plus, it's easy to remember when it's happening," laughs Santos.
"It's on September 12th– 9/12. Savannah's area code is 9-1-2!"
Stop by Bar Julian from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. this Thursday to taste six original cocktails, including a high-proof rum blend limoncello, a twisted old-fashioned, a classic daiquiri, and more. You won't miss this last chance to soak up the summer sun.
Stay up to date with all things Bar Julian and the wonder team of Maggie and Jomar on Instagram: Bar Julian (@barjuliansavannah), Maggie Hayes (@ilovemissparadise), Jomar Santos (@Jomix.santos).