ORLANDO, Fla. — If you are looking to escape to a tropical oasis for some fresh seafood and refreshing drinks, look no further than Universal Orlando.

Strong Water Tavern, inside Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando, is putting a Caribbean twist on some classics.

Cooking with fire is in the blood for chef Carlos Castano. He grew up in Miami, and Caribbean flavors are at the heart of all his dishes.

“This is something I do at home all the time when I have friends and family over,” Castano said. 

He puts a twist on a simple shrimp cocktail, making a jerk version on the grill with shrimp that marinate overnight in Jamaican lager and a special spice mix.

“Scotch bonnet because you’ve got to have scotch bonnet, thyme,” Castano said. “We have allspice, soy sauce, allspice, onions and garlic.”

His primary goal as the chef at Strong Water is to expose guests to cuisine they might not be used to while showing off the beautiful produce grown in our own backyards.

“We try to highlight the ingredients, so, you know, over here we have a mango salsa, and all these items are found here in Florida at local farms,” Castano said. “It has onions, peppers, jalapeños, pineapple, mangos. This is all from here.” 

The salsa, paired with some cocktail sauce and yucca chips, makes for a beautiful dish. But like the name of the tavern suggests, cocktails are just as important as the bites.

Just ask Food and Beverage Manager Fernando Di Nardo, who slings rum from across the globe.

"When we started, we were pretty much one of the only rum bars here in Orlando,” Di Nardo said. 

His favorite drink? The Sea Shanty, inspired by his native Argentina and a perfect pairing for some jerk shrimp.

“This is actually a concoction made out of lemon, lime,” Di Nardo said. “It is a homemade lemonade mixed with Egyptian chamomile tea. It has also mint in it. We let it macerate for overnight, and then the next day, we just get the syrup.”

All that is needed is a few shakes to get it mixed up, then a couple of ounces of your preferred white rum, another shake for good measure — and it is ready to be poured into a tall glass. Once the garnish is added, it is time to take it over to the shrimp, where everything should be mixed.

“That really is the heart of Caribbean cuisine,” Castano said. “It is all a get-together. It is about warmth and family and respect.” 

"That is the perfect pairing," said Di Nardo, trying the offerings for himself. 

Castano agreed.

“It’s jerk baby,” he said. “We are not fooling around.”