EST. 2008 TRADITIONAL COCKTAIL CO.

Beverage programs,
built from the bar up.

Based out of Miami · Consulting since 2008

The practice of Thomas Merolla — 25+ years building, opening and elevating the bars behind Miami's most talked-about rooms. Programs, openings, events & brand work.

About the Founder

Thomas Merolla

For more than 25 years, Thomas Merolla has been behind and beyond the bar in South Florida's most competitive hospitality market — from the Rose Bar at Delano to the rooms that define a Miami night out.

A Providence native — the son of two musicians and grandson of a 1950s bar owner — he came to Miami as a teenager and came up through its best rooms: the Mondrian's Sunset Lounge, the W South Beach, and B Bar at The Betsy, which the New Times named "Best Hotel Lounge in Miami." He most recently directed beverage at Blackbird Ordinary, and has represented Zacapa and Botran rum as a brand ambassador.

"My favorite part of consulting is the creative part — taking the base of a business and growing it into a great mixology bar."— Thomas Merolla, Miami New Times
25+
Years in hospitality
2008
Traditional Cocktail Co. est.
VP
USBG Miami Chapter
BAR
5-Day Graduate · 2014
1999–2009Delano South BeachRose Bar Lead
2009–2011W South BeachBar Manager
2008–Traditional Cocktail Co.Founder
2013–2026Blackbird OrdinaryBeverage Director
Services

From concept to last call.

Full-service beverage consulting for new openings, established rooms, hotels and spirits brands. Tap any service for the detail.

Selected Work

Rooms we've helped open & elevate.

A selection of venues, hotels and concepts. Tap any name to see the work.

"Best Hotel Lounge in Miami"
B Bar, The Betsy — Miami New Times
"Best Place to Get a Cocktail"
Mondrian Sunset Lounge — Miami New Times
Culinary-Style Cocktail Menu
Solea at the W — Miami Beach
Selected clients & venues
Press & Media

Where the work shows up.

Featured across Miami and national press. Tap any outlet to read the coverage.

On Air

A repeat guest on NBC Live, demonstrating cocktail programs and craft technique for South Florida audiences.

In the Trade

Voted in as Vice President of the USBG Miami Chapter — the national non-profit of beverage professionals.

Industry Night

Ran Night Nurse — a weekly cocktail-and-music industry night at B Bar, The Betsy Hotel — for two years.

Start a Conversation

Tell us about the room.

New opening, a program that needs a reset, an event, or a brand activation worth doing right — let's talk about what the bar should be.

BasedDavie, Florida
MarketMiami & South Florida · Nationwide