Alongside its cozy suites and accommodating amenities, Hyatt Hotels has enhanced the food and beverage experience with a new training program and upgraded offerings. These efforts have earned Hyatt a 2024 BevX Award for Best Multi-Concept Hospitality Beverage Program.

The Shaken and Stirred Program in particular aims to “elevate the Hyatt experience by offering an inclusive, sustainable and quality-driven beverage selection that resonates with our values and meets diverse guest expectations,” says Antonio Carranza, corporate director of beverage for Hyatt Hotels. 

The program focuses on six beverage pillars:

• Ambiance and vibe — for creating a welcoming and dynamic atmosphere that enhances the guest experience;
• Ice standards — to ensure the highest quality of ice plays a vital role in cocktail presentation and taste;
• Glassware — selecting and maintaining appropriate glassware for different beverages to enhance visual appeal and functionality;
• Menus—presentation and content, designing engaging and informative menus that showcase Hyatt’s beverage offerings effectively.
• Techniques and equipment — to use the best techniques and equipment to deliver exceptional beverages consistently; and
• Garnish program — for implementing a creative and high-quality garnish program to add the perfect finishing touch to Hyatt’s drinks.

Each hotel receives a 75-page guidebook that details the Shaken and Stirred Program and the six beverage pillars. For each of the six pillars, the guidebook provides objectives with clear goals to achieve; what to look for — key indicators and standards to maintain; available resources to support implementation; and to-dos, which are monthly assignments to ensure consistent progress. 

For example, the garnish program section includes detailed information on such topics as how to dehydrate fruit, creating ribbon skewers to properly store and muddle mint. The glassware section specifies the different types of cocktail glasses and when to use what.

Each hotel has appointed a beverage champion to lead this initiative and who also works closely with Hyatt’s beverage team and other departments to tackle one group of “to-dos” for each pillar each month over the next six months. The program’s success depends on a collaborative team effort, however.

Products that align with the brand

One of the main challenges Hyatt experienced was “sourcing high-quality, diverse and sustainable products that aligned with our brand values while maintaining competitive pricing,” says Carranza. “Inspired by our ‘Change Starts Here’ initiative, we committed to working with minority-owned and women-led brands and emphasizing sustainable and wellness-focused options across all properties.” 

Educating and aligning Hyatt’s suppliers and distribution teams across multiple locations was also difficult, but necessary to ensure consistency. 

“Additionally, implementing our diversity specification key and health-conscious offerings across various regions required coordination and adaptability to maintain Hyatt’s standards and flexibility for our individual properties,” Carranza says.

The success of its Shaken and Stirred Program has allowed Hyatt to put more of a focus on expanding the program with additional “local, sustainable and diverse partnerships,” Carranza says. And with the increased interest in better-for-you beverages, Hyatt plans to incorporate even more functional beverages and wellness-focused items to meet evolving guest preferences. 

“Moving forward, we’re also planning enhanced training for our teams, ensuring they have a deep understanding of the unique qualities in our selections, enabling them to showcase our offerings to guests better and create exceptional experiences,” says Carranza.