Chef Byron Puck Reimagines Food-Beverage Pairing with Handshake Speakeasy Collaboration Byron Puck, president of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, is hosting an exclusive Beyond the Vine event at CUT Las Vegas on November 18 that pairs the steakhouse's culinary program with Handshake Speakeasy, the Mexico City cocktail bar ranked No. 6 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list. The one-night-only experience, part of The Venetian Resort's Culinary Crossroads series during Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix Race Week, will feature Puck and Handshake co-owner and lead mixologist Eric van Beek developing dishes and cocktails in tandem, with equal creative weight given to each. MUJEN Spirits, a Japanese shochu brand, is presenting partner.
The Concept: Food and Cocktails as Equal Partners Beyond the Vine reimagines traditional wine-pairing dinners by positioning cocktails and food as collaborative disciplines rather than wine as a supporting element. Puck developed the concept after recognizing shared principles between Michelin-starred kitchens and world-class bars—technique, ingredient selection, innovation, and precision applied with comparable rigor. "I've been following what Eric and the team at Handshake have been doing for a while, and I really admire how they approach cocktails. They're constantly pushing boundaries, but everything they create is so thoughtful and intentional," Puck said. "That's what makes this collaboration so exciting for me. Eric and I bring different perspectives to the table, but we share that curiosity and passion for creating something unexpected. I'm looking forward to bringing our ideas together at CUT and giving guests an experience that feels original and memorable."
Who Is Eric van Beek Van Beek, born and raised in Amsterdam, won the Bacardí Legacy Global Cocktail Competition in 2018.
He co-founded Handshake in Mexico City in 2021 alongside Marcos Di Battista and Rodrigo Urraca. Under his direction, Handshake ranked No. 1 on The World's 50 Best Bars list in 2024—the first bar in Mexico to achieve the designation—before landing No. 2 in 2025. At the 2024 Spirited Awards, van Beek was recognized for Best Bartender, Best Cocktail Menu, and Best Bar Team. "At Handshake, we're always looking at how technique, creativity and a little curiosity can transform the cocktail experience," van Beek said. "Beyond the Vine brings that same spirit of exploration to the table, and it's exciting to collaborate with Chef Byron Puck on an evening that brings food and cocktails together in a really considered way. MUJEN Shochu is a great addition to that conversation, offering another opportunity to explore new flavours and perspectives behind the bar."
Puck's Culinary Background Puck honed his perspective through roles in Michelin-starred kitchens and acclaimed restaurants including Alinea in Chicago, Le Bernardin in New York, El Celler de Can Roca in Spain, Guy Savoy in Paris, Baumanière in Provence, and Steirereck in Vienna.
Event Details The dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. on November 18 at CUT Las Vegas.
Reservations are available through DoorDash's reservation platform.
Why It Matters
As fine-dining operators continue experimenting with non-wine beverage programs to differentiate their offerings and capture growing cocktail-culture audiences, Beyond the Vine signals a high-profile validator for co-equal food-and-spirit pairing menus. The partnership between Puck's hospitality group and Handshake—a bar with genuine international standing rather than a celebrity mixologist hire—suggests that destination restaurants are investing in substantive cocktail collaborations rather than transactional appearances.
For more insights and trends in the food and beverage sector, check out more articles in The Food & Beverage Magazine family of publications.
Written by FBM Publications Editors
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is Beyond the Vine, and how does it differ from a traditional wine pairing dinner?
Beyond the Vine positions cocktails and food as equal creative partners rather than wine playing a supporting role. Byron Puck and Handshake's Eric van Beek developed dishes and cocktails in tandem with equal weight, applying the same rigor—technique, ingredient selection, innovation, precision—that defines Michelin-starred kitchens and world-class bars.
When and where is this event happening, and how do I get in?
The one-night-only experience runs November 18 at CUT Las Vegas, part of The Venetian Resort's Culinary Crossroads series during Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix Race Week. The article doesn't specify ticket price or availability—contact The Venetian directly for reservation details and pricing.
Why is Handshake Speakeasy significant enough to fly in for this collaboration?
Handshake ranked No. 6 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list, making it one of the globe's elite cocktail programs. Eric van Beek's bar is recognized for pushing boundaries while maintaining thoughtfulness and intentionality in every drink—the exact caliber Puck seeks for a genuine peer collaboration.
Who is the presenting partner, and what's their role in this event?
MUJEN Spirits, a Japanese shochu brand, is the presenting partner for Beyond the Vine. The partnership integrates shochu into the cocktail-and-food pairing strategy developed by van Beek and Puck.
What's Byron Puck's current role, and why does his perspective matter here?
Puck is president of Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, giving him authority over one of hospitality's most recognized fine-dining portfolios. His willingness to decenter wine and position cocktails as a co-equal discipline signals a major shift in how luxury steakhouses approach beverage strategy—expect this model to influence other high-end establishments.
