Keion Anderson — RyeCentral Lab Mixologist
Keion Anderson
St. Augustine, Florida
Ten years behind the stick and the man behind Marquee Mixology — building bar programs for weddings, corporate events and private parties across northeast Florida.
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Keion's Approach Behind the Stick
Ten years behind the stick have left Keion with one operating principle: no two gatherings are alike, so no two bars should be either. Running Marquee Mixology out of St. Augustine, he builds each event around the occasion rather than around a fixed menu — weddings, corporate functions, private parties and milestone celebrations all get a different shape.
His toolkit covers the working techniques you'd expect at a real bar — shaken, stirred, built, smoked and batched — and the thing he's most particular about is restraint. Curated menus, flexible bar packages, and drinks that reach the guest the way he intended them. "We don't just serve at your event," as he puts it. "We help shape the moments people will remember."
How Keion Found Rye
Keion's first rye was a Jack Daniel's, and it opened a door rather than closing one. "I've never looked back at my exploration of new styles and flavors," he says — a decade of working outward from that first bottle, one pour at a time.
The moment that stuck came at a distillery. "I just remember the visit I had," he says of touring Maker's Mark. "The taste straight from the barrel will always be a highlight to me." That's the register he still chases behind the stick: Sazerac Rye is the bottle in his rotation — Kentucky, 90 proof, soft and sweet enough to drink for its own sake, sturdy enough to build an Old Fashioned on.
Keion's Signature: The Strawberry Smoked Old Fashioned
A smoked Old Fashioned with a strawberry lift — aroma first, sip second
Ingredients
- 3 oz rye
- 10 dashes bitters
- Splash of strawberry purée
- Smoked wood chips (apple or cherry work best)
Method (Keion's words)
"Mix ingredients into glass and stir. Then smoke your wood chips and enjoy the aroma before taking your first sip."
RyeCentral Lab Tested
Cocktails from Keion’s Wheelhouse
Lab-tested builds that match how Keion works — the two recipes his signature sits between, and the classic he starts everyone on. Click any to read the full guide on the Cocktail Station.
Smoked Old Fashioned
Strawberry Old Fashioned
Rye Old Fashioned
Free membership · Support Keion
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Free membership unlocks My Rye Profile for personalized recommendations, free home whiskey tasting events, and a $10 welcome coupon for barware, glassware, clothing & home goods. Your join also counts toward Keion unlocking his signature cocktail page in the Cocktail Station — 50 signups needed.
Help Keion hit 50
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Every signup through Keion’s link counts toward unlocking his signature cocktail page in the Cocktail Station. They get the $10 welcome reward, Keion gets the credit.
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Get in Touch with Keion
Booking, collaboration, or want to talk shop? Drop Keion a note, say hi over on Instagram, or head straight to Marquee Mixology.
Email lands in Keion's inbox directly. Allow a day or two for a reply.
In Keion's Words
Q. What does a good cocktail mean?
A good cocktail is one that isn't being drowned or watered down by ice. Yes, ice is crucial and very important, but it shouldn't overpower or be the main focus of a cocktail that was made.
Q. Why do you do what you do?
For me, this is a passion. Having the opportunity and ability to be creative and see clients' faces light up when they try things we've come up with for their event just brings me joy.
Q. Where do we find you when you're not behind the bar?
I'm a very big family man, so when I'm not crafting cocktails and coming up with new ideas or trying to run and grow my business, you'll more than likely find me spending time laughing and being a goofball with my family and friends.
Community Reviews
Worked with Keion? Tell us how it went.
Booked Keion or Marquee Mixology for an event, been to a bar he was running, or built his Strawberry Smoked Old Fashioned at home? Leave a rating and review — verified RyeCentral Lab entries are tagged.
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What Keion Brings Behind the Stick
- Ten years behind the stick, running Marquee Mixology out of St. Augustine
- Every event built around the occasion, not around a fixed menu
- Techniques in regular rotation — shaken, stirred, built, smoked and batched
- Dilution discipline — ice serves the drink, it doesn't run it
- Sazerac Rye in steady rotation, for stirred work and Old Fashioneds alike
- The Old Fashioned as the classic he starts everyone on
Keion's Mission Behind the Bar
Keion's mission is the simplest one in mixology and also the hardest to do consistently: build the bar around the occasion, not the other way round. That means listening before pouring, holding the line on the small stuff — dilution, aroma, the order things reach the guest — and treating every drink like someone will remember it. Because at the events he works, someone usually does.
Here's to your and Keion's next Rye discovery! 🍾
Explore the rye reviews and cocktail builds Keion's pulling from
Browse All Rye Whiskey ReviewsProfile draft compiled from Keion's application · RyeCentral Lab Mixologists Program