How Anyday’s Signature Cocktails Elevate Tapas—and Defines the Experience
The bar culture at Boca Raton’s tapas restaurant Anyday Boca intentionally leans into the ingredients and techniques that complement shared plates. Aperitif-driven components stimulate appetite. Bright, aromatic cocktails invite continued tasting. Infused syrups like Hibiscus Honey, Pineapple Earl Grey add depth without heaviness and center you in the tropical influences of Boca Raton. Every cocktail is created with the same mindset as the kitchen: thoughtful, seasonal, local, ingredient-forward. This is the work of Mac McConnell. Raised in an Irish-Italian family where eating together was always important, Mac’s youth was spiced with the aroma of Bay seasoning in Maryland crab boils and the way malt vinegar blended with the salty air on the oceanfront boardwalk.
Mac’s athletic mother encouraged competition and served as a social role model. His father’s career as a carpenter and building contractor taught him the value of making things with his hands, but his father was also a movie buff, injecting a theatrical perspective to Mac’s youth. Working in restaurants and bars in and around Boca Raton, Mac discovered something that suffuses his approach to building the Anyday beverage program. He learned that bartenders don’t just mix cocktails—they ask questions, read the table, gauge the mood, and create a cadence that drives the night’s energy.
Even a simple whiskey sour riff can become memorable when a touch of smoked rosemary curling over the tangy whiskey was added because it would suit the customer perfectly. “Having full control over a program, you really get to define the restaurants by the drinks you make to mesh the cuisine together,” Mac says.
Pairing Beverages With Tapas, Timing Is Everything
Tapas requires a unique cadence. The flow of small plates and complementary flavors stands apart from other dining experiences. Building a beverage program required a respect for that rhythm. Mac has to consider the kinds of drinks that keep people wanting to try more, while at the same time pairing with a variety of flavors and ingredients. But he must also consider the customer’s vibe. “I want to create something that’s very attractive to the eyes, and pleasing for the soul. The biggest thing is making it feel appealing,” Mac says. A Kiss of Raspberry, for instance. Mac builds a cocktail that riffs off an espresso martini, but shows Italian influence as well. Blending raspberry vodka, espresso liqueur, honey syrup, fresh espresso and dark chocolate bitters, Mac garnishes the drink with a sprinkle of raspberry dust he created by dehydrating fresh raspberries and blending them with castor sugar. I wanted to create a drink that’s tasted like eating a dark chocolate covered raspberry,” Mac says. “The drink looks like an espresso martini, but you get a lovely sweetness from the raspberry vodka and the dust on top creates a beautiful floral note with a tart component to help counteract the sweetness.”
A Wine List That Complements Tapas Flavors
Mac influences the wine list as well. From the start, Anyday Chef Ali focused on “natural” wines, those that are certified organic or sustainably produced. Many of those were initially French wines. Mac brought in more Mediterranean varietals from Spain and Italy, including his favorite. “Allegrini Pallazzo Della Torre, it’s from Verona, which is where Romeo and Juliet are from,” Mac says (note that theatrical reference). “It’s a beautiful red blend that showcases great Italian flavor and pairs well with almost anything on the menu.” He’s built out the menu in other ways, as well, as well, adding a class of drinks he calls “Dessert Cocktails,” aimed to serve towards the end of dinner. These showcase emerging trends and new ingredients. But firsts and foremost, the cocktails at Anyday echo the flavors in the food with the flavors of place. “Smokin Love,” brings mezcal, house made passionfruit syrup, cilantro, Tajín, and a clear ice rock together to create something that perfectly resonates tapas’ smoky, bright, and tangy flavor hits.
Tapas and Beverages Combine to Make Meals Feels Alive
Anyday’s beverage program succeeds because it understands the fundamental truth of tapas: it’s about the experience. Cocktails highlight the flavors of the menu without overshadowing them. The wine list celebrates heritage while inviting discovery. The bartenders treat every guest as part of that evening’s narrative. The result is a beverage program that doesn’t just fit tapas dining—it fulfills it. At Anyday Boca, the drinks don’t accompany the meal, they complete it. They make the night whole.
