Oak & Stone rocks new cocktail menu in Sarasota

Anthony Liakakos, the general manager at Oak & Stone in Sarasota, knows his restaurant has built a reputation for its food menu and its "beer wall," which allows patrons to pour their own choice of more than 50 craft beers.

He wanted to let people know Oak & Stone specializes in cocktails, too.

On Wednesday night, Oak & Stone held an event to announce its new "Liquid Library" bar menu, which includes seven craft cocktails ($9 apiece) developed by Bar Manager Christian Seymour.

The new menu also includes an extensive list of bourbons available (flights of four are $25), the wine list and instructions on how to use the beer wall (Beer Wall 101).

"We're a year into this," Liakakos said. "We want to be known for more than beer and pizza. We wanted to incorporate craft cocktails. We wanted to set ourselves apart."

For that job, Liakakos recruited Seymour, a veteran of almost 20 years in the bar business.

Seymour said he set out to "put a little twist on some old classics.

"He's the man," Liakakos said of Seymour. "What sets him apart is that he is hands-on. He is the face of the bar and he speaks to our guests who give him input. He thinks outside the box."

Seymour talked about tasting a "bramble," a drink featuring gin, lemon juice and blackberry. He added bourbon to the mix in coming up with his "Foghorn Leghorn."

"When I was introduced to a bramble, I felt kind of cheated because it was so weak," Seymour said. "I wanted to pump up the volume."

Oak & Stone will be showcasing its "Liquid Library" menu on Saturday as its offers coverage of the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor junior middleweight boxing match with no cover charge. The main boxing card is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.