INSIDE THE GRAND BEVY: HOW JOSH ROSENTHAL IS REDEFINING LUXURY WEDDING COCKTAILS AND GUEST EXPERIENCES

When you’re producing once-in-a-lifetime experiences for the most discerning clients in the world, every detail matters—especially the first sip. In the world of luxury weddings and events, the bar is no longer just a service station tucked in the corner of the ballroom; it’s a stage, a storyteller, and an immersive experience in its own right. This is the ethos behind The Grand Bevy, a company I have long admired for its commitment to sensory storytelling and bespoke beverage experiences that rival the creativity and customization of couture fashion or floral design.

In this exclusive Q&A, I sit down with the visionary founder Josh Rosenthal, whose journey from actor to beverage impresario is as unexpected as it is inspiring. With over 14 years redefining what it means to drink well, Josh has taken the simple act of sipping a cocktail and turned it into a moment of magic. From bathtub martinis to horseback cocktail service in Parisian châteaux, The Grand Bevy delivers layered, multi-sensory activations that engage guests on every level—sight, scent, sound, taste, and emotion.

What I find most compelling is how deeply rooted Josh’s work is in the stories of the people he serves. Like me, he begins with the couple’s journey—how they met, what they love, where they dream—and translates that into moments that not only taste exquisite but evoke feeling. Whether he’s integrating technology through interactive SipMi portraits or building labyrinth-style garden bars, Josh has elevated beverage design into a new art form.

For couples, creatives, and planners alike, this conversation is a masterclass in what it means to lead with innovation and intention. I invite you to read on, take notes, and most of all—be inspired. Because when you raise your glass with The Grand Bevy, you’re not just drinking a cocktail. You’re drinking in the story of a lifetime.

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Josh, tell us about the moment The Grand Bevy was born. What inspired you to create a luxury beverage company, and how did your background as an actor shape your approach?

We began over 14 years ago at the very start of the elevated cocktail trend for events. I noticed that catering companies focus on food and would place little resource to their bars. I always say - Let food focus on food and drink focus on drink. We spend more time with a cocktail in hand than a fork at wedding, so we began by having catering companies outsource to us for beverages and made sure that our approach was a creative beverage service that focused only on beverage. We rapidly grew into the luxury wedding market.

What does The Grand Bevy do differently than a traditional bar or catering team? How do you approach the guest experience from the very first sip?

We design unique concepts for each and every wedding client. Be it bedtime bathtub cocktails through to cocktails delivered on horse back in chateau’s in Paris. We are always pushing to engage all the senses - sight, smell (very important - our bars are flush with smell), taste and feel (how does this service make you (the guest) feel - elevated, sophisticated, flirtatious, important, in love, etc. 

SipMi has become one of your signature services. Can you explain how it works, and what makes it such a powerful storytelling tool at events?

SIPMI was developed by TGB in 2016 and the aim was to integrate the guest experience. We setup a Step and Repeat, take an image of the guests and produce that image onto their beverages. Guests LOVE this. Its unique and highly interactive. We can promote the story of the event, or the wedding through images on cocktails. Be it signifiant moments in the couple’s life, or images directly taken from the wedding ceremony and the produced onto all the cocktails for tray passing at guest arrival - it allows for what I refer to as “underground” wedding stories to develop - where guests can talk and discover more about the couple and their overall romantic history together. We turn beverage into a visual medium.

When designing a custom cocktail program for a high-end wedding or gala, where do you begin? What are the key elements that go into crafting something truly unforgettable?

Great question. We begin with the designer and the overall theme, style, venue. We then discuss with the client their loves, their passion, how they met, what season. We always involve an element of entertainment. For example: a client loves her garden - we designed a Hidden lovers garden bar, that the guests have to find by finding the maitre’d FOH and gaining clues. The bar itself is a labyrinth style garden bar flush with lover’s potions, herbs and cocktail set in menageries. The idea is to create stories from the client and design.

You’ve produced beverage experiences at some of the most exclusive events in the world. Can you share a favorite memory or particularly dazzling event that stands out?

We have had the pleasure of working with incredible vendors and teams around the world. From Greece, Paris, Germany to across the USA. One of the most memorable was for Oprah and Jeff Bezos, at Oprah’s house. It was a casual afternoon evening set in her incredible garden (largest collection of Redwood trees outside of a national park) - her friends got up in front of everyone to perform, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Bill Whithers, Lady Gaga with Tony Bennett, Weird Al Yanckovich and many others who were guests kicking around. It was so impromptu that it was delightful.

Most resorts frown upon or outright refuse to allow outside food and beverages in.  Can you explain how you partner with resorts to provide Grand Bevy services if you cannot provide or handle the product?

98% of our business is on site at hotels, venues, casinos, etc. In fact we just took on a new partner in MGM Resorts (we are their beverage partner).  We work with all of Marriott International’s top brands - Ritz, St. Regis, JW, Marriott, etc and many others. The key for us is that we dont sell alcohol, we completely indemnify the hotel and we add services that they cannot do themselves. Clients want our level of service - however banquets will never be able to supply that as they typically dont attract the talent pool and its not their business. We work with the venues to both allow them to sell our services as an upgrade, and for us to integrate into their operation for a particular event. This for us has proven to be very successful. We have never had a property refuse us no matter where. We now have the fortune of 14 years of working, training, developing and launching some of the world’s leading hotels - so we always have a name to drop! Ha! The hotel will always sell the alcohol, we work within the alcohol package provided. For us, alcohol is only one ingredient of many that make a bar service.

How do you see the role of specialty beverage services evolving in the luxury market? What trends are you most excited about right now?

Entertainment. For us its about developing a richer and more integrated story into the event / wedding. Allowing beverage to become a integrated entertainment part. Beverage has the ability to do this given that at its core (the traditional bar setup) there is a direct relationship between the tender and the guest. We simply look to expand that into FOH further in as many ways as we can.

For couples or planners who are considering adding a specialty beverage experience to their event, what advice would you give to ensure it's done well?

Spend wisely. If your budget is limited, dont try and be everything, focus on an area and do it really well. 

Your team operates across the U.S. and internationally. What’s the secret to scaling such a high-touch, detail-driven service while maintaining consistency and excellence?

People and communication. We work in a creative people service business. So its very important that everyone, from the busser to the operation manager through to the creative, completely understand the vision and how to execute. Having people that have your back all the way through for us has been the key.

And finally, what’s next for The Grand Bevy?

Any innovations or upcoming launches you’re excited to share with us? Continuing to deliver creatively as well as working on some products that will allow us to deliver cocktails in markets we never thought were possible! If you are going to have a gin and tonic, then lets make it THE BEST you could could ever expect to have! Life is journey and we are not drinking, we are learning!xx

Wedding Planner Andrea Eppolito X The Grand Bevy. Image by AltF Photography.