R.I. bartenders have big plans and drinkable resolutions for 2024 – The Boston Globe

Leishla Maldonado has been in the industry for about a decade, working in the best bars in Providence like Courtland Club and The Eddy. She helped open Dolores, and worked as a consultant for other local businesses to help them establish solid zero-proof offerings.

“I think bars should be about hospitality, no matter what your drink of choice is,” said Maldonado, who has been sober for the last few years.

Maldonado has big plans for 2024, which she asked me to keep under wraps (for now). It’s a project that’s been “years in the making,” she said, and it has to do with low-proof and nonalcoholic creations. Stay tuned.

Jesse Hedberg, co-owner and beverage director, Pizza Marvin

Jesse Hedberg, the co-owner and beverage director of Pizza Marvin, had a big year in 2023. Business partner and chef Robert Andreozzi was a James Beard semi-finalist for the Best Chef: Northeast award, and they’ve hosted a slew of pop-ups and fundraising dinners.

Hedberg said it’s only the beginning. The pair are planning to open another concept that focuses on his bar skills and serves “some serious food.”

Hedberg said they were not yet ready to unveil the name, location, or other details of this new spot, but it will have a lot of the same elements that made people fall in love with Pizza Marvin: modern, fun, and casual. It will also push the limits on techniques, like low-ABV and non-alcoholic options, and clarification (a process where you remove unwanted impurities to improve the appearance, flavor, and texture of a drink. Here’s a beginner’s guide to clarified milk I recommend.)

“I’ll be honest, when zero-proof was becoming the new ‘trend’ years ago, I was pretty anti. A lot of places have some flavored syrups and they say ‘here’s a mocktail’… like a lavender lemonade,” said Hedberg. “That’s a cop out.”

“But beverages are not just about booze anymore. It’s not about just getting drunk,” said Hedberg. “I’m always on the hunt for the next new flavors… And it’s not just a combination of flavors — mixing these liquors with those bitters, and so on. I’m more interested in discovering herbs or ingredients that haven’t been showcased too much in beverages here before, and displaying them as they should be.”

Elisa Wybraniec, wine director, The Coast Guard House, Narragansett

Elisa Wybraniec is steering the ship at The Coast Guard House when it comes to everything to do with wine, and she’s already carrying out the bulk of her resolutions for 2024 by hitting the ground running on wine-focused events. The restaurant will be launching its dinner series with pastry chef Jamie Welsh starting Jan. 18. Each event will feature five different desserts running the spectrum of chocolate, from white to bittersweet (for $65 per person).

For four Sundays, starting every other beginning Jan. 21, Wybraniec is also hosting a “wine boot camp” series that focuses on Italy, a different region each time. “We will be covering Franciacorta, Trentino Alto-Adige, Bolgheri, Barolo/Barbaresco,” she said. (It’s $55 per session or $175 for all four sessions.)

Anna Gallo, manager, Red Door, Providence

Red Door broke out in downtown Providence’s restaurant scene in late 2021 as the cool place to check out a local rock band, enjoy a late-night smash burger, and sip on creative cocktails. In 2024, bartender and manager Anna Gallo said she plans on collaborating with more local kitchens and nonprofits for some upcoming events. As for the Red Door’s cocktail program, Gallo said she’s eyeing cocktails that take customers out of their comfort zones.

“Whether it’s a weird absinthe wash drink that you never knew you’d love or a savory fat wash, it’s always been our vision to create something that would change your perspective,” said Gallo. “It’s why we’re all here.”

Chris and Nelly Saraiva, owners, Brands of Portugal, East Providence

Chris and Nelly Saraiva, the owners of wine import business Brands of Portugal, are sticking to their original goal: to make sure people are drinking “more authentic Portugal.”

“As everyone is becoming more and more health conscious we’re looking to showcase our small producer wines that are made with minimal intervention and low sugar with sustainability in mind,” Nelly Saraiva told me.

They’re also showcasing Per Se Aperitivo, which made its US debut in little Rhody in late 2023. “Think orange, cinnamon, [and] allspice, meets light, elegant and just a hint of bitters,” she said. It’ll make “a fantastic low-proof cocktail on the rocks.” They recommend keeping an eye out for it on some rooftop and beach bars in 2024.

This story first appeared in Globe Rhode Island’s Food & Dining newsletter, a free weekly email about Rhode Island’s restaurant industry that also contains information about local events, Q&As with chefs, dining guides, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail each Thursday, you can sign up here.

Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.