The Conrad Special: The Punta Mita Pool Bar Put My Name on a Drink

Some resorts hand you a welcome drink. St. Regis Punta Mita handed me my own drink.

This was our 13th anniversary trip, and Melissa and I were full pool slugs on it. Almost no meal photos, no property tour, no content plan. Just the pool, the sun, and absolutely no agenda. At some point the pool bartender walked over with a glass and said, “Here, Mr. Conrad, I made you the Conrad Special.”

He had invented it for me. And here is the part that still gets me: for the rest of the stay, every bar, restaurant, and pool we walked up to asked the same question. “Mr. Conrad, would you like your special drink?” They had passed it along. My drink, on file, resort-wide. That is service on a level I have never seen anywhere else.

The Conrad Special
The Conrad Special
Hibiscus margarita with Tajín at the St. Regis Punta Mita pool
Where it started — a hibiscus margarita with Tajín
The pool bar
The pool bar
Pool days at the St. Regis Punta Mita
Pool days at the St. Regis Punta Mita

The Conrad Special

  • 2 oz Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • 1 oz lemon or lime juice
  • 3 oz mineral water
  • 10 mint leaves, finely chopped

Blend all the ingredients, then strain. Serve over ice.

It drinks exactly like a Punta Mita pool day should: bright citrus up front, the mint keeping it fresh, the mineral water stretching it out so it stays light, and a smooth cristalino tequila underneath doing the quiet work. It is dangerously easy to say yes to a second one. And a third. They kept asking, after all.

The real thing: the frosted bottle of Maestro Dobel Diamante at the pool bar
The real thing: the frosted bottle of Maestro Dobel Diamante at the pool bar

The Tequila Tasting

A stay like this deserves a proper tasting, and the bottles did not disappoint.

Maestro Dobel Añejo
Maestro Dobel Añejo
José Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo
José Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo
Fortaleza Blanco
Fortaleza Blanco
Reserva de la Familia, up close
Reserva de la Familia, up close
Espresso martini made with Maestro Dobel Diamante tequila at the St. Regis Punta Mita
The nightcap — an espresso martini made with the Dobel Diamante

The Resort

The grounds at the St. Regis Punta Mita
The grounds at the St. Regis Punta Mita
The reflecting pools run straight to the sea
The reflecting pools run straight to the sea
Dinner on the sand at dusk
Dinner on the sand at dusk
One of the only food photos we took all week
One of the only food photos we took all week
Sushi night at the resort
Sushi night at the resort
The beach at Punta Mita
The beach at Punta Mita
Our kind of itinerary: loungers, palms, and nowhere to be
Our kind of itinerary: loungers, palms, and nowhere to be
Sunset over the resort
Sunset over the resort

Why This One Stuck With Me

I have had great cocktails in a lot of places. What I have almost never had is a place decide that my drink was worth remembering, naming, and sharing across the whole property without me asking for any of it. The recipe is simple on purpose. The gesture is the story.

If you make it at home, use the good tequila. The bartender did.

Anniversary trip mode
Anniversary trip mode
The resort marked our 13th anniversary with this — a gold heart and a handwritten note
The resort marked our 13th anniversary with this — a gold heart and a handwritten note

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 / 5

Highlights

  • A cocktail invented tableside (poolside) and named after the guest
  • Every bar and restaurant on property knew the drink for the rest of the stay
  • Cristalino tequila, mint, and citrus: built for hot afternoons by the water

Good to know

  • Punta Mita is in Nayarit, about 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta’s airport
  • The recipe multiplies well for a pitcher, just add the mineral water glass by glass so it stays lively

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