- Sauvage, a new jungle pub, has opened in Winter Haven, Florida, serving eco-spirits and Polynesian-inspired food.
- Sauvage is the first bar in Polk County to serve eco-spirits, which are small-batch liquors made from ethically sourced ingredients and packaged sustainably.
- The pub’s menu features a mix of island and Asian flavors, with dishes like Auntie’s wings and the Shaka burger.
A new Winter Haven “jungle pub” is inviting residents to take a sip on the wild side.
Wellie Liao and her partner, Stephen Vallette, have opened Sauvage, serving up small batch eco-spirits with an eclectic blend of Polynesian-inspired food. Located at 254 W. Central Ave., it’s easy to find, thanks to a bold mural of a lion and a zebra sharing cocktails in suits.
The pub’s name, Sauvage, was chosen for its dual meaning, Liao said. It’s the French word for savage, but it also is used in winemaking to indicate a wine made through spontaneous fermentation with natural or indigenous yeast.
“It’s our inspiration of being able to be free and wild in our choice of spirits and our food program,” she said.
Liao owns Obscure Wine Company, a wine bar in downtown Winter Haven that opened in 2022. Since then, she said she realized customers familiar with her former food truck, Happy Endings, missed her unique blend of food featuring Hawaiian flavors mingled with her own Taiwanese heritage and Asian street food.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“I really wanted to do a full concept and mingle the two,” she said.
Liao met Vallette on a trip to Spain. Vallette has experience in the restaurant industry having worked for Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises in Destin before more recently opening two locations with the No Reservations Restaurant Group. The two joined together to open Sauvage.
“This is a dream come true for both of us,” Liao said.
Sauvage is the first bar in Polk County to serve up eco-spirits, Liao said, or super small-batch liquors made from ethically sourced fruit or grains and stored in sustainably made packaging.
“From every aspect from production to delivery, it’s complete transparency where everything comes from and who has had their hands on it,” she said. “That’s not always the case for all spirits.”
The couple said they’ve made a point of learning the story behind each wine and spirit purchased for the pub. They have avoided those with artificial flavors, colorings or added chemicals, saying they can distort the taste of a final cocktail.
Drinks on the cocktail menu incorporate a variety of tropical fruit. The “In true Haven fashion,” for instance, is a twist on an Old Fashioned featuring brown butter-washed Doc Swinson bourbon, Florida oranges, Amarena cherry, nut bitters and millionaire bacon at $16.
There’s also a vast selection of wines, beers and sake. Sauvage even boasts a selection of frozen tiki drinks served up in tiki bars, pulling from the Polynesian influences.
There are no waiters or waitresses coming around to take food orders. At a jungle pub, customers are expected to order from the bar. Liao said it was inspired by the Japanese pub Tori Tori in Orlando. She understands it might take some getting used to.
“It’s a foreign concept to go to the bar to ask for food, but we are so comfortable with it when it comes to drinks,” she said.
Food will be served as it’s ready, offering Sauvage customers more control over their dining experience, Liao said.
Hakucho:A new Japanese-inspired ‘swan’ coming to Downtown Lakeland this spring
Sauvage’s menu is an eclectic mix of island-meets-Asia with a playfulness in name titles. Appetizers are replaced with “Share me, or not.” Signature dishes include Auntie’s wings, slow roasted wings that are then flash-fried with a unique island sauce, the secret of which Liao isn’t sharing. There are rice bowls, tacos and burgers, including the Shaka burger, a twist on the American classic cheeseburger made with prime rib and homemade sauces.
Liao said none of the pub’s food is fried in seed oils, for those who are health conscious. Rather, it cooks its fries in beef tallow.
“It makes everything taste better and satiates your appetite,” she said.
Sauvage celebrated its grand opening on Jan. 29, the Lunar New Year. As it finds its footing, Liao said she plans to launch a sustainable coffee hour featuring the pub’s eco-spirits, as well as other special events. A live DJ plays music on Thursday to Saturday nights and Sunday brunch.
发表回复