Bartender Sam Reyes + Mariposa Taqueria Launch Cocktail Pop Up El Jardín

Audrey Hepburn once had a quote about gardens, where she stated: “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

Sam Reyes is thinking about and believing in cocktail culture for tomorrow and a lot of tomorrows that will follow.

At a recent installment of El Jardín, Reyes teamed up with local, longtime bartender, and his friend, Dorian Dorsey (you can find him at Rebellion Kitchen). Dorsey was previously a bartender at Mariposa when it was called Mezon!

Ever since Reyes (Mariposa Taqueria’s co-owner/bartender) captured a statewide award in 2023, specifically, a Connecticut Restaurant Association CRAZIES win for Bartender of the Year, he’s taken that W and he’s run with it.  

First, by bringing together bartending talent, both up and comers and veterans to show off their mixing skills, in fun, structured cocktail competitions. He’s also hosted a variety of cocktail classes for the general public, complete with education on the featured spirit, bartending techniques, guided tastings, and the part where you make a (hopefully) tasty drink.

This one took place on Mariposa’s patio, transformed into a mini beach/cabana oasis. The protocol to get in was: enter the restaurant, put your name on the list, and wait for a seat at one of the communal picnic tables. On this day, the restaurant was open for regular service, too, where past events were dedicated to the El Jardín alter ego.

Danbury Vice - no cloyingly sweet store bought mix here. This version was their spin on a Miami Vice layered in reverse from the original. The D-Vice is piña colada using pineapple, coconut, lime, pandan, rum, cachaça, topped with a strawberry foam float.

Now he’s taking it a step further with El Jardín, translated from Spanish to English means “The Garden,” a cocktail pop up reminiscent of a speakeasy or a more laid-back cocktail experience.

“I started it in 2024, the day before Thanksgiving, which is the biggest drinking day of the year,” Reyes says. “Everywhere is usually packed and a party atmosphere. I wanted to create an experience that was more relaxed and intimate, and an opportunity for you to catch up and create memories with friends or family you may not have seen for a while, hence, the name for the speakeasy, El Jardín, a garden that’s hidden away, if you know, you know; you bring close family and friends to that kind of spot.”

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Held at Mariposa, El Jardín’s cocktails are very different from what’s served at the restaurant’s bar, but they stick to the same standards; quality spirits, quality over quantity, fresh squeezed juices, infusions, and so on.

What you might see at El Jardín, though, is a little more in terms of science, presentation, and funky creativity. Think along the lines of milk clarified drinks, carbonations, molecular gastronomy (one ingredient from a past event was cucumber falernum pearls), and ingredients you might not otherwise come across on a regular basis, all inspired by Reyes’ travels to cocktail bars near and far.

To boot, when the pop up happens, Mariposa’s décor is changed up completely, into a garden, of course, and there’s a small menu of bites that are different from the restaurant’s usual Latin American street food. For example, a recent tiki themed version of El Jardín featured tropical inspired grub like coconut shrimp, Hawaiian mac salad, and a foot long hot dog with crushed pineapples, crumbled potato chips, and a secret “fancy sauce.”

Mai tai…if you dare.

“My goal is to share the experiences I’ve had in my travels with how fun cocktail bars can be,” he says. “That excitement of everyone getting different drinks and trying them all and learning about different cultures and themes. I’d like to continue to build a cocktail culture in the area.”

So far, and as of press time, El Jardín has appeared a handful of times and that will continue.

“Expect a variety of different, fun experiences that are focused on quality, not quantity,” Reyes says. “Our goal isn’t to serve the most amount of people, but to deliver top notch hospitality, food, and beverage to each guest who decides to spend their time with us.”

While you cannot call or book a spot on OpenTable for the next El Jardín pop up, whenever that may be—and wherever, based on a rumor that it could go on the road, too—your best bet is to stalk their Instagram @eljardinct. They’ll tease the next one, tease you some more, then they’ll make a post with instructions on how you can gain entry.

Cheers! Until the next one!