She will describe it as the best job she’s ever had – crediting her boss and co-workers for making her job enjoyable – but whatever the case, Cherie White of Taste Tapas & Wine Bar is a joyful bartender to be around.
“I love being a bartender,” she said. “I work for a beautiful family. I come to work with a song in my heart – you just don’t find that in a big commercial place.”
White said Taste owners Mike and Bev Parker and their daughter, Kasey Harrison, have created a family atmosphere at the tapas restaurant and bar, and it’s one that invites tourists and locals alike to sit back and relax for a while.
“We try to support our own local community as much as we can,” White said. “We feature local artists up on the wall, and we have regular local musicians that play both here and at K.C.’s Sandbar. That’s another amazing thing about us!”
The family owns a trio of bars in the downtown Fort Walton Beach area, and White said that makes it so everyone can find their niche.
“We are a full bar at Taste. We could be considered a scotch and bourbon bar,” she said. “If you come in here and want a cosmopolitan, I’ll make it with Grand Mariner, so it’s an upgrade. But with our two sister bars – K.C.’s Sandbar and Tapworks – I can make any drink. I may just have to go to our other bar. I can go over there and place an order and deliver it here.”
As for her signature sip, White chose the Moscatotini, the perfect combination of wine and cocktail. A simple, yet fresh wine-inspired cocktail, the Moscatotini involves New Amsterdam Red Berry Vodka, fresh lemon and moscato shaken together and served in a chilled martini glass with fresh berries for garnish.
“We offer so many amazing wines here – from New Zealand, Australia, Ethiopia, of course Italy, and we have a new German ice wine that is to die for,” White said. “For the Moscatotini, we use Corvo Moscato from Italy, so it makes a good spring drink.”
As for herself, after 15 years of bartending, White said she prides herself in finding her customers the perfect drink. If someone comes to her unsure of what to order, White said she has the perfect fix.
“I ask them if they like red or white, sweet, bold or dry and if they prefer a brand,” she said. “At our bar, you are allowed three samples, so after three samples, I guarantee I’ll know what you want. I feel like I save the world one drink at a time.”
Taste Tapas & Wine Bar is at 196 Miracle Strip Parkway South East in downtown Fort Walton Beach. Taste is open Tuesday-Thursday 3-10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m.-midnight, Saturday 9 a.m.-midnight and Sunday 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Wine-tasting events are held on the first Thursday of every month 6-8 p.m. by reservation only. For more information, visit www.tastefwb.com or call 850-226-7417.