Lynnette Marrero: Building a Legacy That Inspires | Speed Rack, Mentorship & The New Guard

It's not often you get to sit down with a true living legend. In this deeply personal and candid conversation, we welcome the one and only Lynnette Marrero to the Bar Talking Talking Bar podcast.

We moved past the résumé to connect with the woman behind the icon. Lynnette opens up about her journey as one of the original trailblazers (an OG) in the modern cocktail movement, sharing unfiltered thoughts on the new generation of bartenders shaping today's industry. We explore the impact of Speed Rack, the all-female speed-bartending competition she co-founded, and discuss the responsibility that comes with being a mentor to so many.

This isn't just an interview; it's a mentorship session from one of the industry's most important voices.

Here are Lynnette's Marrero accolades:
Partner & Beverage Director, Milly's Neighborhood Bar
Teacher @ Masterclass.com
Liquid Creative Director Aplós
Co-Founder Speed Rack
Partner & Chief Mixologist @ Delola
Award Winning Bartender @ 50 Best Bars,
Drinks International Bar World 100,
James Beard Awards
Tales of the Cocktail : Visionary 2025,
World's Best Mentor 2019
Bar  & Restaurant Expo  Industry Impact Award  2025

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Hi, I'm a turn and let's Nuri Robit. And this is Bar Talking Talking Bar. You're access to the heartbeat of New York City's bar and hospitality team.

SPEAKER_03 0:15

Hosted with Titan Everest Leaf. We sit down with bartenders, brands and ambassadors, hospitality pros and cocktail lovers.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

Whether it's the art of bartending, the hostle behind hospitals, or the wildest bartels, expect raw conversations and eat cocktails.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

Listen to the people for your favorite cocktails and keep the nylon alive.

SPEAKER_02 0:36

If you love bars, it's great. And the stories that bring them to life, follow us, share and subscribe to keep the conversations flowing.

SPEAKER_03 0:45

Podcast that you didn't know you need. New episodes weekly. Welcome back for another week of your favorite podcast.

SPEAKER_04 1:00

Bar Talking. Talking Bar. I'm Edgar Hernandez.

SPEAKER_02 1:03

And I'm Nuri Robles.

SPEAKER_04 1:04

And today, uh, like we always say, this uh podcast is dedicated to um bad ambassadors, cocktail lovers, bartenders, chefs, and everyone in between. Uh today we have uh the honor to have somebody who we actually look up to in the service industry, somebody who has been around for a little bit. But why don't you help me introduce our guests?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Of course, I'm so excited to uh announce their name because I'm uh I know you probably know what I'm doing. I'm always like shaking with these uh big names. Uh one, two, three.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

Linette Marrero. Okay, manita, welcome, welcome. Welcome to our podcast. Uh honestly, it's it is an honor for us to have you. Uh we've known each other for a while, you know, we've seen you around everywhere. This, you know, like we said earlier, you're an icon in the industry of hospitality, mixology, and you've been in the around for a for a while.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

I have been around for a while.

SPEAKER_04 2:05

In in a good way. And then also, you know, since we're celebrating uh Women's Month, uh, we want to celebrate achievements. And then we we want to start by knowing you more. Um, people who don't know, and if you don't know, now you have to know.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

Because we also said that uh, you know, many many people know you, but the audience, uh some people they don't know uh our guests. So please, if you help us introducing yourself, sure.

SPEAKER_00 2:31

Uh so my name is Lynette Marrero or Marrero, whatever you want to say. Um I am a New Yorkan, uh born and raised here in New York. Uh my family is from Puerto Rico. Um, I have been in this hospitality game uh since I started late in 2001 here in New York in the East Village, um, but really got my start in the cocktail scene in 2004 when I started working at the Flatiron Lounge with Julie Reiner. Um, prior to that, I had been working in, you know, places that were like wine bars and really getting a bit of a hospitality footing, um, meeting some incredible restaurateurs. Well, they were then at that time, they were just people who were still acting and doing bartending at the same time. Um, but I got kind of this like really big opportunity uh just to get immersed uh with a lot of people who are now really big. I was, you know, serving people like Wiley Dufresne and his father when they were building WD-50 back in the day, which now he has he's a very famous chef, but all these people I that I kind of encountered, so a lot of chance encounters. Uh and then when I started at the Flatiron Lounge in 04, I was just really intrigued. I had never been behind the bar at that time. I was just um a cocktail server and loved it. I loved being a cocktail server. I loved running around, I loved being with guests. Um, but there was something about the Flatiron Lounge that really brought me in. So at that time, you know, everyone was calling everything a martini. The martinis were everything from, you know, chocolate martini, half chocolate, half white chocolate, cadiva martini, a graham cracker martini. I know it was actually a martini, but I think there was teeny calls between the teeny system. Exactly. And um, but across town uh was the Flatiron Lounge when my friend Amber, who was the bartender who started teaching me a bit at a place uh across town uh that was called Sabar, which is kind of across where Deer Irving is. Um I was there for a long time. And she started training me. It was like, I think you're gonna be good behind the bar. And after training on Thursdays, we would go across town to this new bar that had opened. And I remember walking into like the beauty of the Flatiron Lounge, very art deco. Um, and behind the bar were there were these three women who ended up being Julie Reiner, her wife Susan Fedroff, and another partner of theirs, Michelle Connolly. And I was like, wow, I'm like, this place is run one by all women, which I had an awesome like there mostly it's a bar where I was, it was mostly run by women. But I found that this place had all these beautiful, vibrant cocktails, but they were naturally colored with fruit juices. Julie came from Hawaii and she brought all the tropical, beautiful um colors and the drinks were so balanced. I was like, these aren't crazy sweet. They're so I applied for a job about a year. It took a year or so. I kind of was like back and forth doing things. And I came back in the summer of 2004 and I got a job there. And I found like I just loved it. Like at that time, I was working with people like Phil Ward, who was working there, uh, Toby Maloney was working there, uh, a woman in Katie Stipe who created the Siesta. She was working, she created it at the Flatiron Lounge. Uh so these are the people that I was meeting and getting involved with. Uh, and then they kind of all you know supported my moving into the bar.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

And um, well, before your career as a cocktail goites, or like Sarburg, as we call it, uh what did you do before?

SPEAKER_00 6:01

How do you uh start like well, I was doing I I came to New York back to New York. So my parents, I guess I were Brooklyn natives, uh, we moved away. I came back for college, uh, went to Columbia University, and I was doing theater. So I was doing theater, musical theater, and loved it, loved everything about it. I never wanted to be the cliche server actor. I would thought the worst thing in the world was being in this industry and everyone's saying, Well, what do you really do? And everyone's saying, Oh, well, I'm an actor. And I was like, that is the worst. So I truly did not want to come into this industry, and I I stayed away from it for as long as I could. And then after 9-11, I was like, Well, I'm never gonna work in an office again. So let's go ahead and figure out uh this industry. And I did, and I I fell into it and I and I fell in love with the community, the people. Um, there were so many stories to be told and crazy characters, people you can't even like imagine thinking. I know it's it's self-living around. And that's the funny part. It's like I I still have people who I met as regulars in my very first job who, you know, I'm like, how did I meet these people? But that's what it was like, and that's how you got, you know, the to build back. Um and I think that's why I fell in love with this industry because it is about human connection, it's about people. And I was doing acting, which is also about human connection and people. So it made sense.

SPEAKER_04 7:24

So in a way, we also put an act uh every day, you know, because we have to stay happy and make everyone feel comfortable when they come and not sit at the bar and have a drink. But that is so cool.

SPEAKER_00 7:34

Yeah, you build an experience, you know, that's what I loved about it, right? You we build worlds. And I think because of a place like the Flatiron Lounge where there was such a very specific style, I really just loved it. I was like, okay, we're here to create this experience where bringing back these classic drinks that people have not ordered in years, and you know, maybe they had a couple of them at Milk and Honey at the time, which there were very few places still doing classics. Um, and I felt that that was something that was really great, was that you kind of sold the story and you got to learn. And so I learned all my foundations in Flatiron. You know, at that time, people like Charlotte Voicey and Simon Ford were had just moved to the States and were selling, you know, gin to us. And that time you're like, well, everyone was drinking vodka. And so we're like, well, let's just tell them it's infused vodka, it's just juniper infused. Yeah, just infused. And so we were doing a lot of this kind of really working hard to bring people to our side. And, you know, at that time, working in places that were craft, you know, we always joked about, well, if you're willing to work harder and make less money, you've got a job in craft cocktails. Uh, because you could definitely make a ton of money working anywhere else.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Uh, I guess uh you're also a part of that uh generation that they do meet uh Sasha, which is uh one of the, you know, Sasha Petroski.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

I mean, I I would say like he was one of the most influential um people in this industry and really was somebody who prioritized um equality. So everyone in the bar, which I still love this model, uh, were servers and bartenders. There was no, this is your job, this is my job, um, you know, a purist in a lot of ways, but that purism was important at a time when everyone had, you know, wanted all these things. He's like, here's what we do. And if you can really concentrate and focus on what you do, and if you look at, you know, how much that has, you know, reverberated throughout the industry and how many people are, you know, derivative of the Sasha school, and then how they've taken it and changed it to fit modern times and advanced it. I think that's a perfect example when you look at, you know, attaboy and how uh Sam and Michael you know carried on a legacy and but also transformed it and brought it into a new generation. But Sasha was incredibly prolific and and had uh great ideas.

SPEAKER_04 9:51

I think it's important that you mention that because you know, back in the day, I think we were saying that when you read a book, you only still have three ingredient cocktail or four. And I feel like sometimes you only need those all the ingredients. Uh probably adjusted to the measurements according to the ingredients. Right. But I think simple things are classic and there's the base of everything. Nowadays, uh, we mentioned that we have uh several ingredients on a cocktail. Yeah. But it's also for, you know, a new era, I guess. This came out in 2020 when everybody was coming out with drinks and TikTok and whatnot. Which I think is great, you know. But is it it's for a different audience, right? Too.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Well, I think there's a well, we have to remember, and this is a big part of Speed Rock, the organization um that I've co-founded with my partner, Ivy Mix. We still believe in classic cocktails because they're like the mother sauces for chefs, right? You can't create a 20-ingredient drink if you've never made a four-ingredient drink.

SPEAKER_05 10:45

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

Right? You don't because there's pulling levers and it's all about that balance. We are we work in a medium that is more restrictive, you know, in a lot of ways, because I always say like that's why talking to um pastry chefs are better because they understand temperature uh and balance of sweet and acid, like they get it more. Um, so working with them, but we're still very limited uh with what we can do, right? Yes, you can make, you know, use a lot of culinary techniques and make a jelly or this or that, but that's not the bulk of what we do, right? That's a small part. Um and I think that having that foundation is is extremely important. And I think that that's the part that I feel like any of us who have were through that training are the stewards of that of that classic, you know, we don't have school, right? We have bar five day and they do a great job of teaching tastings and and and get some foundation, but you have to be doing this everywhere, right? Everyone needs to be training on the classics. So that's why programs like Speed Rock and we love, you know, we pull out esoteric really wild, they're like, where is that drink from? Like, don't worry, and now we add modern classics to it, but it was still about that foundation. Um, you know, one of the most important books I read. And even if you read it now, it'll be like, this seems a little out of date, but it's not. Um, Gaz Regan or Gary Regan's um cocktail book um is probably one of the most important the joy of mixology, because not only was he a great storyteller and kind of reminds you of that hospitality is about talking to people and neighborhoods and and all these things, but he has like a chart in the book that just tells you very simply the difference between a sour and a Davy. And so you start looking at that, you're like, okay, well, those are three or four ingredients. I swap out, okay, if I'm gonna not just have you know a citrus and a and a syrup and a spirit, but now having uh a spirit with uh citrus and a liqueur, you know, how am I balancing that, right? I'm taking that and I have to now split how much sugar contents in that liqueur, does it still need some fat uh or some body? Does it still need a quarter simple? Um I think all that critical thinking is really important.

SPEAKER_04 12:50

Yeah, and I think it's important also that you mention uh I feel like a lot of cocktails, uh you mentioned the daisy and the margarita. I'm gonna put it in there also. Everyone like the one cocktail, it's sold all over the world. I think um the margarita is the number one.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

We're all making daisies all the time. Without even knowing, but then you're like, do you add do you add a little agave? Do you add this? Some people have forgotten that there's even an orange liqueur in margaritas. Everyone's just making Tommy. So I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait. That's not for everyone's palate.

SPEAKER_04 13:18

Exactly. Or if somebody wants uh, you know, um simple syrup. You know, there's so many options.

SPEAKER_00 13:24

But it depends on the bar, the program, uh, and what they're which orange liqueurs they're using, you know, uh and balancing and tasting that.

SPEAKER_04 13:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Um, and you know, it's almost like the more tools we have, the more we have to critically think. And you know, I like making my own orange blends. We're using like three different orange liqueurs because I like what Punch was bringing, I like what this one's bringing, or whatever. So you when you put them all together, I find they're greater.

SPEAKER_04 13:47

Yeah. Um it's a different body, different.

SPEAKER_00 13:49

It's a different body, and that then makes you know our margarita at um Millie's in bed style my my new bar, and then a baby. But we then we have our own flavor palette for um that. And also, even on that menu, when it comes to margaritas, I specifically wrote the Tommy so people would know that that's a style, and then a classic margarita.

SPEAKER_05 14:09

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 14:10

Um do you think your background also helps you to be you have your palate uh more um trained?

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Well, as you know, uh coming from Latino households, we are experienced our palate, we get to eat. There's no like, I'm just gonna make you pasta with butter on it. Plain, there's like you're eating what we made. And if you're not gonna eat it, well, you're not eating. So, you know, so frito, all those things that you're having as a kid and and all those, I I do think that that helped to make sure that I understood what flavor was and balance uh from a young age. Um, I I personally love cooking. It is one of my favorite things to do. I pride myself in being a very, very, very good cook. Um, I would never want to do it for a living because then I would hate it. But um, I think so understanding how to flavor build um and understanding like um just subtle differences, right? Pulling different level levers in uh food, and then you can apply that to cocktails. So, like, right, adding a little bit of heat, not a ton of heat, and and looking at that. I think a lot of people can over you can overpower palettes and you have to really be thoughtful. Um, and after I did cocktail bars uh after Flaton, I started working in restaurant bars. So I started Freeman's uh while I was working at the Flat Arn Lounge, I started working brunch at Freeman's. Uh Toby Maloney was doing some shifts there. He's like, I think you should come over here and do some brunch shifts. Um, and then I start worked there for a long time and loved, ended up falling in love with restaurants. I was like, restaurants, this is where I've been meaning to bartend. One, I get to like leave at you know latest one o'clock. Uh-huh. That's better for my lifestyle. But also, I love the pace of it. I love kind of that idea of like taking people through, you know, their first drink, then maybe we were pairing wine with the main course, then this or that. And there was just a journey.

SPEAKER_05 15:56

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Um, and I also just like the timing of it. And as you know, Freeman still is an extremely fast-paced, busy, high-volume restaurant bar. And it's been for a long time. 21 old. 21 years old. 21 years old. And and that's I think that taught me so much about where I wanted to be in hospitality. Um, from there, I ended up opening um and consulting on a restaurant called Elatarium with a chef uh named Octar Nawab, who is still in New York. He does now. Um, he has some really great um Mexican restaurants. Uh, but at the time we were doing this beautiful program all centered around cardamom and Indian ingredients. There was a higher end um Mexican uh Indian restaurant. And I brought Brian Miller uh at the time, who was he was head bartender moving over to Death and Company. And I was like, hey, it's my first consulting. I would love for you to do this project with me. I like working with people. And we built out a actually a tropical antique program. Okay. You know, and he was like, I love rum and you know, with the flavors of the food, right? You're thinking spice-driven, um, multi, you know, so much flavor that something like a tropical program makes sense with that. So we did that and it was great. We had an amazing program, and that was my first time doing one for a restaurant. And I just loved kind of learning a little bit more of how the chefs thought about, you know, sourcing, building, costing, extracting flavors. Um, and so I kind of started going into more restaurant bars from there because I just really liked that part of it. And I thought it made me made me better.

SPEAKER_04 17:32

It is a different dynamic. Um, because when I started working, also I started in restaurants and then I moved into nightclubs. It's a different life, right? Right. Living lifestyle too. Oh tall. So like you say, you know, working in restaurants is a it's a tall different, you know, environment.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

And and nightlife too, when we're thinking about it, like people are about to go dance, right? So you can't be overwhelming them with like an intense drink. Everything is more refreshing. It's you lot with a lot of sparkling water and club soda because that's the nature of it, right? And it's also speed. So you can't bartend the same way. So it's kind of interesting thinking about your space, what the needs are, what the guest is doing within a space, and then how you're building drinks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Especially like you say the timing, because you cannot, you're not taking like five minutes or like um two seconds when you have a line of like nine people, right? Uh and you were telling your story like super easy, but I believe you face a lot of challenges being a woman, being in, you know, in this industry.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

I there is. You know, I think the the easy part for me was I came in at the right time. So, like I said earlier, I think there was a sense of no one had training, right? So it was really hard for them to be like, you don't know how to make cocktails, you can't be here. It's like no one really knew how to make cocktails. Or like, let's open this book, right? So people, you know, obviously Julie had uh repertoire and she knew Audrey Saunders, but the rest of us were all just learning, you know, and we're learning on the job.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

Can I just I want to add this? Uh we since you mentioned that that nobody was uh training it because also we, I mean, you guys uh were coming from the era where like everything was like mixed, prepared with like artificial ingredients, and then you start like, okay, let's do this, then switching a fresh juice versus a, you know, versus lime.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

You're you're thinking very differently, or even just a package pasteurized juice. Everything was relearning. And, you know, we're looking through these old books and we're like, we don't have these ingredients, right? Like think of things that had like Amer Pican and like now we have all this Amari, right? But back then, Italy was like, we're not spending the time to ship this to New York or to the US because no one's using it. Why would we give our good stuff? But then as we started asking for things like more like Fournettes and things to come in because we needed them for the cocktails, it started to be, you know, more distributed, things like chartreuse, all that stuff, because we were all sudden more asking for it. And I think that's an interesting thing. So we were all learning. So I think that kind of made it a little bit more where you could have opportunity. You know, Stephen, the people who were my biggest uh champions were Toby Maloney and Phil Ward, because I worked on the floor with them. I was the server on Monday and Tuesday, and they were the only bartender, and we would get our butts handed to but I would go back in a service bar and make like my flight of the day. I'm like, I got you. I know you're busy, and I'd I'd make my little stuff. And they were, they would advocate for me. They're like, we think Lynette should train and start becoming a bartender because she has initiative and is interested. And and I think that was an opportunity at that time. But when I did kind of leave, you know, same thing, right? Freeman's was like, it was it was like referral only. So if your friends were working there and they got you in, you're like, sweet, I got in. We all covered each other's shifts. We're like, we know this is a great place. We're gonna make sure if anyone needs off, we got you. I'm like, I'll cover two weeks while Toby opens, you know, the violet hour in Chicago. I'm like, don't worry about it. We're all gonna make sure we cover his shifts and fraternity too.

SPEAKER_04 20:54

So these are very small. Because these days still when it gets very very small because people don't leave around or mobile round for one reason, right?

SPEAKER_00 21:00

Right, it's a great place. Um but then I would say kind of I think the big shift would be around that 2008, 2009 time, um, when I was starting to branch out and being like, okay, I decided this was gonna be my full career. Um, not, you know, doing acting anymore. And I was only doing a few different projects here and there. Um, and so I was like, okay, well, where is this taking me? What am I doing? And that became a little more of a challenge. So after I left the um the bar, El Atari, the restaurant, I was like, what am I doing now? I already gave up like my whole shifts, everything at Freeman's. I'm like, I can't go back to my safety net. And I had to figure out what the next step was. And one night I was at um Death and Company, like hanging out with Brian, and Jim Meehan came in from PDT and he was like, Hey, what are you up to now? I'm like, I don't know. I'm like, I don't know if I want to work another, you know, if I want to work in another place, what I'm doing. And he's like, Well, Sakapa Rum is looking for a brand ambassador and you just did a big rum program. Would you be interested? I was like, Yeah, I'll take the interview. So I took the interview and took the role. And it was for basically I worked on three different rums for Diageo at the time, Pampero, Orinoco, and Zakaba. And Zakaba was relaunching in, so it was a whole new uh kind of thing. My first uh like real presentation of the rums was to Leo Robachek. I left Madison Park to tell me what's scary for your first like, hey, check out my portfolio. He was great. He actually took all of it into the program because he he's from Venezuela, so he knew um Pompero and he was like, Oh yeah, great, great portfolio. Um, but what that taught me was I had been in a very insulated group, right? So my friends were all past Flatiron, then Pagu, because they all went there, and Death and Company. So I had a bubble I was in. And that bubble was, you know, yes, some women bartenders, but predominantly male bartenders. And I was like, okay, that's interesting. And then I get my account list for Zakapa. And now I'm going to new bars. I'm going to new places. I'm like, I've never been to this spot. Let me go there. Because, you know, we all know you go drink at your friend's bars. You should try to branch out, but I was guilty of the same. And I remember like one of the moments that kind of really impacted me was going to a bar called Louis 649 in the East Village. And there was this woman behind the bar, and she's working on her cocktail to submit to Tales of the Cocktail. She's like, I'm working on my special drink and I taste. I'm like, oh, this is really good. This woman's really talented. That ended up being Erin Reese. And I was like, why don't I know these people? I was like, this woman is clearly really good at what she does. Why don't I know her? And that's a problem for, you know, that I don't know her. And so I started seeing more and more. I remember going to uh a bar called Distilled uh downtown, and Michaela Piccolo was behind the bar. And I'm like, there are all these amazing women behind these bars, you know. And I just again only knew the women within my circle. So I decided I went to Tales of the Cocktail that year. I was working with St. Germain and had been doing like special events for them. And uh met Kirsten Eymon, Kitty, and uh Misty Calcavin. And they had written a cocktail book for the LUPEC chapter of Boston, which is Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails.

SPEAKER_05 24:12

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Exactly. And what I realized is when they had their book, I was like, this is great. You know, pictures, like all these amazing uh femme bartenders on the cover, and they had cocktails, and they're like, this is cool. Then I talked to them, and they're like, Yeah, we do all these charity events in our city, and we raise money doing cocktail events for on, you know, our charities. They like one time did like a sailors kind of like, you know, maritime event, and they raised like$15,000 for a local woman's shelter. I was like, okay, this is really smart and it's very impactful, and this is something I can do to bring the women that I have no other reason to work with them because they're working in all these different bars. Let's do this together. So we started the Lupec chapter here in New York. People like Megan Dorman were a part of it, Erin, Reese, uh, Yel van Groff, and I would bring all these people in and we was do events taking over very male-dominated spaces. We took over Jeff and Company, we took over the downstairs in Macau. They gave it to us every month, and we did an event there. And so we just started to create our own, you know, for lack of a better word, sorority of femme bartenders to be able to aka aka one showcase what we do outside of our bars and kind of get out of the service bar. And that's um kind of like led down this path. And then how uh Spade Rack was worried about Spade Rack was born uh when uh one night uh Phil Ward had asked me if I could cover as a server. I lived really close to my OL. And he was like, Can you cover? I have I need I need a server on Saturday. I'm like, yeah, no problem, I'm gonna do this anymore, but super fun, I'll jump in. And Ivy was working there, and um, you know, I was like, Hey, hi, I'm Lynette. She's like, whatever. She's like, you take these three seats, I'm gonna take everything else. I'm like, okay. And so we we joked much, and like all of a sudden, like, she's trying to run around the whole floor, and I'm like, just busting and running her drinks. I'm like, got your drinks, brought them here, did that. She's like, oh, great, awesome. So we went out after, and she was serving at my well and was like, I really want to get into craft bartending. Like she had bartended before, you know, in Guatemala and had done that, but she really wanted to get more opportunity in the craft side. And um, so I was like, well, join this you know, group, join LUPEC, come here, do this. Like, we do lots of events and things like that. Um, and then one year we did, I can't remember what I think it was probably 2010. We were doing um, there was this event called the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, which was a big event in New York that took over the New York Public Library. Um, but they also did uh seminars at the Astor Center. And Don Lee and John Darrigan, Don Lee, wonderful human, he was running uh, him and John Daragon and the team were running the CAP program at Tails. So he was brought the same idea to this festival was that bartenders would go and learn how to batch, make all the drinks, you know, do the stuff for the seminars. Uh so he asked if the LUPAC chapters were going to do it. So at that point, I had already gone back to Tales and met other women who were starting chapters in different places. I met Ala Huerta, she had started one in Houston. I met uh Lauren Moat, who started one in Canada up in Vancouver. And I so I had like now pockets of different chapters. Um, and so they came to New York, whoever wanted to come was doing the batching and everything. I'm just like all the women are down in the basement. So already know. That was part efficiency adds best. And um Ivy was upstairs with our friend Rachel Shaw from San Francisco, and they were just out having a break, and there was this whole like video series called Shaker Faces at the time, and like they were like, Oh, hey, can you guys come do this thing? And and they're like, Oh, us? Oh, okay, cool. And it was they're like, Yeah, we can't find any women. And I'm like, Well, all the women are downstairs. So Ivy and Rachel did it, and they're like, Okay, well, maybe there's something more. Like, they only asked us because we were the women, you know, and they needed women, and they're like, But maybe there's something else. So, like then uh she and Rachel were joking about it. They're like, Oh yeah, we'll just do this event where it's just, you know, doesn't matter. You don't see their face, just here shaking. They're like, yeah. You know, and so she thought about it. And um, I ran into her at the like one day in a bar in Williamsburg, uh Super Bowl Sunday, and we're there, and she's like, Hey, you know, I was just thinking, like, what if we did some sort of competition? I don't know what kind of competition, and we can, you know, really showcase the women bartenders and we can do a charity, let's do breast cancer. And I was like, okay, well, let's talk about this more. Um, and then we kind of went back and I was like, all right, well, I love food shows. We have to kind of gamify and make it, you know, a competition, but also we want to showcase what these women are doing, which is half of them are working service bar and like crushing it while startender is up at the front, you know, and we're like, and that and when I talk about that startender time and like when you talk about challenges, it was that when that kind of Twitter thing came up, the Twitter bartender, you know, there was a lot of attention because the meme that was going around was that bartenders have must curly mustaches and arm guards, and it was very specific. And yeah, exactly. But tattoos came along with the guard arm guarders, but it was very classic. Actually, I'll be honest, it was very old school white European male. Um and so we didn't fit in that box, right? We didn't fit there. We're like, sure, I can wear the vest and the arm guards. I don't look as good in them, but whatever. And so I think there was like women were just kind of overshadowed, and we really that's why we were doing those events to really show the power and who these uh, you know, really to find ways to, you know, get attention and media for the women who are in the industry. And then speed rack was another way. We're like, if we can put this platform where you're watching these bartenders cranking at crushing drinks, and so physical and like mentally, they're like timing and it's so much that they're under pressure and they're they're handling it with such grace and with intensity. And that's that was kind of what we did. And we we did it randomly. We found I reached out to everyone I knew. I was like, hey, I need some money, we're gonna do this, we're gonna do this event. And we did one event uh at the Astros Center and then went on tour, and then here we are, nearly 15 years later.

SPEAKER_04 30:16

Yes. And I mean we've been uh we've attended a few uh to say in New York and New Orleans.

SPEAKER_05 30:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:22

And they are nerve-wracking. Being that on stage, we are just, you know, lapping and and and and then you know, screaming our lungs out. But it's so cool because you know, you see uh, you know, the intensity that we go through every single day. We wouldn't say it. It's just like this particular day is everyone's watching.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

Yeah, it's very athletic. It's and to that point, you're like everyone's watching everything, you're on like, you know, a portable bar, you're you know, working with bar backs you never work with, and it's just showing that one, just even anyone who assigned uh applies even. They're you're putting yourself out there and saying, I want to build community. And and it is. It's a big community. They do a you know a prelim round earlier in the day before everyone gets there, before we have the top eight that's on stage, and it's usually like 25 women, but they all are end up practicing together. We'll see them online. We just did uh Denver on uh February, which was our we launched February um at Denver, and then we have Chicago and then New York. But at our first event in Denver, it was really great because you know, we had watched them, they were training before they even knew the date of their competition, like January 1st, everyone start, and they really had just a team mentality. And so, regardless of who made it in top eight, everyone was supporting each other. That's really incredible.

SPEAKER_04 31:37

That's what I've seen, because everyone who has been in the same competition, they always get uh together. And then when I talk about all the friends that I have close by, and they're like, Oh, my girls, my girls. And I'm like, Well, who how do you know her? She's like, Oh, the competition. Oh amazing. That's great. Like when you see somebody competing, it you are you are competing for the same goal, right? Right. Might not win, but the the sisterhood, the brotherhood, that the the that connection that you build with the other person, it's so Yeah, and it's nice to have other people to talk about, you know, where you're going.

SPEAKER_00 32:06

And we've seen years and years of this now. You know, maybe then they're up for a job and they're like, what should I ask for? What should I do? How do I feel? And that's built this safety net of support. And I think that's really important in our industry is that communion connection. You know, we give it so much every day in hospitality, but we have to remember that we need that for ourselves too, and it needs to be uh in place because we're just constantly one, if you're only ever hanging out with people working your own bar, you're not gonna get a diversity of opinions and styles and you're not gonna grow, right? Yeah, like you become very insular and you're like, we just do our way. Um but I love seeing that that SpeedRec is a vehicle for that.

SPEAKER_04 32:41

Yeah, and and you know, I'm I'm happy that you mentioned that because sometimes we live in one place and we have to explore, we have to go out, we have to drink all the drinks. We have to, if even if I'm creating a drink, if somebody tells me or tells a partner, hey, you know, what if we add this or change that? It's a you know constructive feedback, and then you know, you can make something different for somebody else. Exactly. Um I feel like that's what because when you ask uh what's your favorite martini? You know, one question we always get, like, um I'm as a partner, I think my favorite martini is my because I like that particularly. But what do you like? You know, in that I mean so many things. I mean, it's so nice to have you here and tell this to the audience and you know, show where you've been coming from and what you have been doing. Speak rag is one of the things that we look up to, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

And then just it's been here forever. And I know now, now globally, uh, you know, we're gonna do Mexico again, we've been doing Puerto Rico for the last four years, uh, we uh just did Australia again, we're rebooting a lot of the international competitions, and I kind of find like it's always like a certain time, right? You could feel like this time in the industry because there's a lot of new people in the industry. Oh, yeah. And SpeedRec is a vehicle that helps bring them together, right? Helps build community. And that's that's the best part because it's like, you know, it doesn't, if we don't have competitors entering, there's no competition. But they're being encouraged by like people who are like, I did this thing, you know, when I first started, you should do this thing, and then that's what builds it up.

SPEAKER_02 34:08

And I think speed rec also helps uh break in also that uh machismo in in in bars because they see how much uh women we support each other. And now I remember before like bartenders will be like, oh, I don't want to go there or whatever. They don't have that fraternity. And I feel like later on, uh many bartenders, like male bartenders, they now they support each other as well. They are like this uh cool group of like sharing their own recipes, telling others like, oh, maybe you should add this and that. So I feel like the community in this industry has changed in many ways.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

And it's grown in a in a way that I think that's very important. And to your point, like you know, speed rack ends up being, you know, bartender Christmas, or because everyone's there. And it's like, you know, we have like bar managers reaching out and be like, hey, my bartender's in a do you have the specs up? So this year we put the specs online. So like there's people who are you know, it ends up being everyone, not just the the femme bartenders competing. It's it's their their whole bar is with them, and that brings more people and you know, everyone who volunteers are is mixed, everyone coming in from the community support. And that's what's great about it because it doesn't feel like it's not just like a it's a community builder in so many more ways. Um we just happen to focus on the femme bartenders on stage, but you see everyone working together, which is great.

SPEAKER_04 35:27

No, and we have seen people, you know, also the uh the uh why do we call it the judges. You know, we have seen the judges also, the judges who feel they're also changing and growing.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

You know, this year, I know you had her on here. Natasha Bermudez is gonna judge main stages here. She's a and we just see her as such a leader and someone who's like she actually judged prelums last year in New Orleans and just watching how she was really thinking about the drinks. We're like, all right, this is great because you're up here now, or or you're just in that next level, right? And these women look up to you and what you can teach them about what you've learned and how you've brought it. And that's that's the beauty of like seeing that process happen. So it's like she's just closer to them and and she can be there and give them that um yeah, uh correction and feedback.

SPEAKER_04 36:13

The first time I saw uh speedrock, actually, I would have turned back a little bit, it was because Erin. Oh yeah, Erin. Somehow, yeah. Somehow I was looking at on some stuff on on Instagram or YouTube, and I came across it and I was like, wait, what is what is this? And I didn't know anything about speed rack, honestly. And I knew it. And then when she started working at uh Bansaw for me, I was like, but I never wanted to ask her, also. And I one day I came, you know, I built a courage per se and say, Have you been at Speed Rack? And she was like, Yes, I was a champion.

SPEAKER_00 36:41

She crushed it. Oh, yeah, she crushed it. Erin was always what I like, but that's the thing, even like the first year Yale Van Grof won. Aaron came back with a vengeance the next year. She's like, I'm gonna win.

SPEAKER_05 36:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

Um, even if you ever look at uh Yale Van Groff now does a ton of events, she's based in LA, but uh you know, you'll see Red Tails. Yale's an incredibly beautiful bartender watch. She has a big dance background, she has a fantastic palette, and then Erin's always been one of them the best drink makers. So you really just kind of saw that come through. Um, and then you see obviously, you know, people who you know, she's mentored like Natasha, who we've got to both mentor, big like blossom and grow. And that's that's that's that's what you want to see. We need to be a bigger mentorship is really important in this industry, and and you know, I think as you kind of keep growing in this industry, you have to remember that you have to always look back and remember what what it was like for you at the time, what were the things you would have liked to have, like how do you um what kind of resources and things can you provide um for everyone?

SPEAKER_04 37:45

Well, I guess also like um people when they want to learn from somebody, just reach out and ask, right? Because uh it doesn't hurt to ask. Just like I said, build the courage, you know, because sometimes you're like, oh, I don't want to talk to them. Because you you you're afraid you're gonna be rejected for somehow. But I feel like if you don't ask, you don't know, right? Right. Just ask, and if you cannot tag along with that person because the person is busy, tag tag along with somebody else and see what you can learn. Five minutes, ask questions. Right. I don't know, send an email.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

I think people are a lot more gracious and generous with their time than you would think. So like I've been told that I'm intimidated. I'm like, me?

SPEAKER_05 38:20

No way.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

Like, I'm not intimidated, but that's the per you know, I don't see that perception of myself. Um, so I'm like, just ask me a question, it's fine. And you know, like I said, uh we opened Millie's neighborhood bar in June in Bedsty. And, you know, during the interview process, I just wanted to meet newer bartenders, you know. Actually, it ended being the whole uh staff that I hired, I didn't know before, which was great. I was like, I didn't know them. They hadn't, they weren't like I did speed rack or anything. It was just a brand new people. And I just wanted to like get a feeling for a team of people who won in a neighborhood bar were going to be interested in actually having conversations with the guest who were open to, you know, especially starting a new bar. It's so complicated. You're waiting on all stuff. And I was like, we're gonna focus on classics here. We're gonna be music driven. We wanna make sure that our guests are coming back a couple times a week because we're in a neighborhood that tons of hospitality lives there. Um, it's a very community-driven space. Um, you know, we have regulars, and it's different from working at a place that's, you know, in midtown or a place that is a specialty place, right? Where you're going, where that's a different thing. You're seeing more guests, like more guests who are new all the time versus seeing guests who come back week after week. And that's a different interaction and that's a different building. Um and I loved building regulars. That was my favorite part of bartending.

SPEAKER_02 39:41

No, and I guess uh that's a good thing to mention because also I feel like uh within the community and the industry, uh, there is a lot of like uh bartenders, like different bartenders, right? The the ones that they want to create cocktails, the ones they they want to really work in a bar and not focusing in competitions and not being, you know, doing uh like brand ambassadors. And I feel like when you have that type of bartenders, they really enjoyed uh uh building community, building regulars, and uh also if they are not part of like you know big names and everything, then you can work with them as you know, molding the way you want to to treat us.

SPEAKER_00 40:18

Yeah, and I think I think it's good if you're a young bartender out there, I would say try to find both experiences, right? So, for example, one of my bartenders, um, Claudia Balanta, she moved from Puerto Rico, she moved from La Factoria, and she uh splits her time between Millie's and PDT. Like, what are two completely different places in what's great, right? Like so she's got the you know place where she can focus in and work on this very specific scene, probably not yes, you see some regulars, but not in the same way.

SPEAKER_05 40:45

Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_00 40:46

It's gonna be a lot of people, it's their first time, they're so excited, they're going to this legendary place. And then she also gets like Saturday night when she's like wearing like this weekend at Valentine's, she's like wearing little heart glasses and is like having a glass and made a drink, and we were batching it on Friday. I was like, All right, what do you want to make? G as well. Yeah, G's there. So the people who I I when I was interviewing the the bartenders there, I was like, you want to spend a couple of days with us and do your thing in a different way. And I think that's a good balance of having that, building that skill set because if you're not comfortable, I would say, you know, one of the other skill sets now as bartenders that everyone needs to have that was always useful is when we go back to like, you know, having the skill sets I have, having worked in theater, all that. I'm very immediately comfortable. But not everyone is, right? We live behind a lot of screens. And, you know, having those opportunities where you have to like build this interaction with a guest over and over again is great practice um for just kind of like, you know, understanding people's boundaries, context clues, all these different things. Um, but also that feeling of like, oh, I made a drink for this guest and they loved it, or they like the way I make my old pal, or they like this. Um and there's something really beautiful about that relationship with a guest.

SPEAKER_04 41:59

Yeah, I always say that in you know, building the relationship with the guest uh builds your regulars, but it's just the the the human connection, you know. Like if somebody's celebrating a birthday, if it's the first time there, you just make them feel like it's uh not just the birthday, it's just like everyone's birthday in the same table. So everybody's like connected, you know, it's it's a circle there. We call it the bubble, right? Right. So you don't break the bubble, you just stay there, you make them feel happy. And of course, this communication with this team, because you know, this is not the bartender. Maybe the runner drops from food or the bats will clear the table. So I think it's a team effort. Yeah. Because sometimes we always say the bartender, but it's you know, the kitchen. What if the kitchen is like a really nice dessert for them? You know, it's a really nice.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

It starts from the first interaction at the door. You know, um my uh partner Ron at Millie's, he's like the warmest face. You walk in, Ron, Ron was there doing build-out, and you meet him, you're like, hey, and he's just warm, very warm, and and that's the first tone, right? Um, is that you're gonna have to go in and be comfortable. You get and I and I love that part, and it's nice seeing like coming to being a in a space now. I think if I had opened something 10 or 15 years ago, I wouldn't have been ready in the same way where there's a lot of like calmness to opening. Like, I don't have anything to prove except for make this the best experience. And we opened very under the radar, like we opened June 5th, right before BCB, and no one knew about it. I was just like, we're just gonna open and chill and like let people just figure it out. Because I wanted the neighborhood to let us know what they wanted from us. Not, you know, I could have stacked that bar with a bunch of things that I like, but if our guests are not drinking like high-end whiskey, and I'm like, I've got the antique collection, they're like, yeah, not really our thing. That's a waste of time. That's not servicing the community that's there. So a lot of it was discovery, learning what they like, and building that repeat guests and what that means. And I think that's a very different place in my time and my career now that I could come to it from that uh where you pull your ego out of it and you kind of go forward in a very different way.

unknown 44:00

Way.

SPEAKER_02 44:01

Talking about your experience, when do you decide to be, you know, working with Atlos or working with Jao?

SPEAKER_00 44:09

How? Okay, so I kind of to go back a little bit. I would say I was probably one of the first like of the portfolio bartenders, right? Where you like after I kind of after I left Rumens, after I left Delatara, and then I did, you know, Zacapa, I didn't like brand ambassador full time, but I so I was still consulting on a few places with my friend Jim Kearns, um, who opened Happiest Hour and all those places. Um and I was like, all right, this isn't for me. I want to go back into the bar side, but I didn't know where I wanted to go, right? And I was like, this is very tricky. Now I'm not a brand ambassador because I didn't, I just felt like that for me. I loved the education part of it. I loved it, but I didn't like the the fact that like I felt like I was selling all the time. Like, this doesn't work for me. I just want to build these relationships and educate. And I left with a beautiful relationship. I still do work for Zakapa on that trade building and that education because I love Lorena Vasquez, amazing female master distiller, badass. Um but um I was like, I don't know. So there was a lot of things that I would, you know, consult on this place. Like so Jim and I opened this space and never officially opened that we called Woodson and Ford that was below like corner bar. It was it was this place and it was fascinating. We did open dry house on 17th Street. That's a um and I'm when we opened that like 2011, 2012. Aaron worked there and Reese worked there with us. Um so I just had all these like little portfolios of places, and then I was also doing brand work still uh part-time. So I had like lots of different jobs, and I think the struggle I had at that point was I wasn't in one place. So when media attention or things were happening, they're like, but where do you where do you bartend? And I'm like, well, I don't. I'm everywhere, I'm doing this or that, I have a program here or there. Like and that was really hard for people to like that with we you had to be a personality with a space, it wasn't the same. And you know, and sometimes that was really difficult to make yourself stand out. So, you know, I speed rack became the thing that people were able to attach me to and that we knew me from. And I and I talked about this at in my Tales of the Cocktail visionary speech. I felt like it really swallowed my individuality in a lot of ways. It's like I became every woman instead of me. I'm me, you know, and that was just a phase I had to go through. But on the outside of it, I you know, I started being like, okay, well, what are the things that I want to do then that are gonna kind of take me back? So I had an opportunity. Um, I was called to consult on the original Llama Inn. Um and 2015, I met Chef Eric Ramirez, and I was like, we just saw eye to eye on so much flavor, and he was really good at like giving me great feedback. And so I ended up being the beverage director for that group for six and a half years. I opened that, opened Lana San, got to, you know, put Natasha in charge and let her take over when I left. And I found that what was so great about that was that I found a home and I found a way to kind of like go through this, you know, people like it really just defined who I was. It's like, okay, I like one, making cocktails in restaurants. Two, I'm actually working now with in a space that is championing Latin American spirits and bringing to the front things like pisco, which are so like, you know, I'm like, okay, we're gonna make the masses love this. Um we're gonna do it in this way of taking everything I know. What do you do? Take classic cocktails, switch it out. You know, all of a sudden El Chapo is really just a vesper with repasado and pisco, and it's delicious, and everyone should make it because guess what? People love it. We're like boom, boom, boom. And and it made me just kind of fall back in love with the industry and gave gave me a place to talk about um, you know, what I was doing. And then I when I left there, my, you know, a lot of things happened. Like 2019, I got back. I was still kind of struggling before we opened Lama San. And I was like, I still felt this identity crisis. And I was on this trip, and we all had to walk into the desert and talk to ourselves. I'm like, this is crazy. And um, I, you know, just talking to myself, like, okay, we'll figure it out. And before we left the trip, we all had to talk about our intentions. I'm like, yeah, I'm gonna figure out where where I'm what I'm doing, where I'm going, like outside of this restaurant. It's like at the same time, I didn't want that to only be the one thing that identified me, you know, that's kind of a this broad personality. And I got home and I took my LinkedIn and there was this message from Masterclass, which is an online educational tool, masterclass.com. And I was like, what's this? I don't know this. And there was a recruiter there, and she's like, hi, I would love to come visit you, come check out your restaurant in New York. When's this work? I'm like, okay. And then that ended up being the class that I ended up doing as ride, Ryan Chetty, and which is crazy. I'm like, oh Natasha. I'm like, isn't that funny that you know you're working with Ryan?

SPEAKER_04 48:57

Yeah, with Lisa.

SPEAKER_00 48:58

Exactly. And masterclass changed my opportunities, right? So now all of a sudden I am on a, you know, and then the pandemic happens, and then we watched we launched it March 5th, 2020. So our faces were all over. If you thought about a cocktail, you got, you know, you got a targeted ad. Yeah. Yes. Um, but that opened up my world to more people, and it opened up my world to um a broader community um of guests. And that that was very helpful. And then that's where, you know, I got more opportunities uh to meet people like Jennifer Lopez. And, you know, because she was there, the people working with her were like, we're looking for the right person, and then connected us, and that was like this amazing. Um, Apple's also launched in what December 2020. So in that, this this one fall, fall 2019 was my year. Um, I was introduced by the former TALES executive director, Caroline uh Rosen, now neighbors, uh, and she was like, My friend, is doing this thing, want to talk to them, like, yeah. And we spoke and I was like, listen, I'm like, you know, NA is not my space, but I understand what I don't like currently, the selections I have, and I know what I want where I'd like to see it go. Um, our first mark that we launched was our calm, which has um hemp spirit. So with that, I was like, also I'm not really familiar, but I let me see where I can go. I'm like, let's go green, let's bring all these notes. And so that launched December 2020. We're direct to consumer, and now we are working with all of the industry and have had a banner, you know, last two years of growing and you know, being in more spaces and hotels and and really building with the trade. Uh, and so that's really great. So all these little things just kind of popped up. Um, I would say my number one advice is to I know it's really hard, wake up early, check your emails, check your LinkedIn, check your messages, your DMs, because if you don't dedicate that time to yourself, I know you can wake and be like, I'm so tired, I just worked my shift. Take the time just to respond. Uh responding and following through are I think 90% of my success is just responding and following through.

SPEAKER_05 51:01

Yeah, that is true.

SPEAKER_02 51:02

I think it's a very good advice, actually, that um I I reach out to you. And uh, you know, we just started this podcast last year and uh in August. And um we were like uh very lucky to work in this industry for a long time and also knowing a lot of people. I was a little like skeptical to reach out because I was like, I would always just say no, right? But uh obviously um I mean I that's that's the proof, right?

SPEAKER_04 51:29

It doesn't hurt to ask. Just asking me though.

SPEAKER_00 51:32

Yeah, of course, let's find the time.

SPEAKER_04 51:33

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

It may not be right now, but it'll be at some point and we'll figure it out. And I think, you know, just that feeling, you know, try just be a little, it's okay to be a little afraid. It's okay to be a little intimidated. I feel like those are the things that you do in life. Take a shot. Yeah. Believe in yourself, ask.

SPEAKER_02 51:50

Yeah, and it's it's it's funny because uh on my personal experience, like uh working at 11 Madison Park, it was kind of like we were to um we bought tickets to go to uh uh one event and then I I read that they were opening Clemente and I was like, you know what, I'm gonna apply.

SPEAKER_04 52:08

But then open call, yes.

SPEAKER_02 52:10

Yeah, an open call. And then uh that day we have the event, uh, and I was like, should I go to the event and then just not go into the interview? I was like, you know what, just go. And if I miss the other event, it's better if I can try working at EMP and it worked out. And I feel like those things that uh sometimes we are afraid, working in the industry, like you said, it also gives you that sensation of like, you know, is not really bad to ask.

SPEAKER_00 52:38

No, and and I think, you know, what is the beauty of our industry? And I think the one thing is like humanity will always be a part of it. You know, no matter, you know, we're moving into AI, we're moving to all these spaces. But even, you know, I'll look at social media and what it was able to do for us, which was to broaden our connections globally and really like to see how we were able to just spread our ideas faster, right? And and more broadly. And that I think it's a beautiful thing, right? The way you can have that, you know, you go down tails and all of a sudden you're meeting all these people that you're like, oh yeah, hey, we only DM before. Nice to see her. I commented, and you're able to now have that experience. And I think we're really lucky for that. Um, you know, I love that we, you know, even like BCB is coming up in June this year. And I also last year, it was crazy how many people came in for it.

SPEAKER_04 53:26

I was like, So many people came in.

SPEAKER_00 53:27

It was so I mean, we had went to some really good parties. And I was like, this is amazing how vibrant it was. And like we just saw our city light up, but there were so many people, and you walked around and you had physical uh interaction, you were able to meet people, and I think that's always gonna be part of this industry for it to sustain itself because no matter what we handle, we we deal with humanity and we are gonna have to be in those situations. But I love when we as a community get to get together, and we're so lucky that we have these benchmark events where we can.

SPEAKER_02 53:56

And you know, like talking about humanity, I know that I asked you before how how you balance your uh you know, your personal life with this because you are always busy, you're doing many stuff, and I know also you were friends with like we mentioned, right? Like uh Megan with Erin. Yeah. How you manage that so you people can understand that you're not only this working woman.

SPEAKER_00 54:17

Uh well, I think I mean a part of it was I came into this industry with a partner uh who didn't work in our industry. So I always had to be thoughtful of like, which is why when I went to restaurant bars, I'm like, this is better. I can get up when he gets up at eight and like see him for an hour. If I need to take a nap later, I will, but at least like I'm having you know six hours of sleep and I can be present, right? Um, you know, I think it's important to have your hobbies outside. Uh I I should do more of my hobbies outside, but I do like to get out in nature and hike. I think when I found um physical, like the joy of exercise became the next part of my like, I'm like, oh, I could keep doing all this all day because I didn't realize your stamina, right? Like I spent so much time worrying about like, I gotta forget all this stuff. And when you're an entrepreneur, and we're all entrepreneurs, right? So we work in our bar, like if you're a worker at that bar, even if you're working four days a week and you're full time, that's really one part of what you're doing, right? If you if you're interested in growing to the other thing. So you might be like, do we working on cocktails for a competition the next day? So you're a portfolio person, you're making all these things, but you have to remember to like find that time for yourself. Um, and one of the biggest things for me was was physical activity and staying sharp. And it's, you know, because we are a physical job, everything we do, you have to be conscious of that. And I've loved seeing the industry grow more. Um, but like I would be like, I don't have time, I don't have time, I have to get all these other things done. And and actually I kind of watched Ivy. Ivy was really good at like being like, ah, I'm gonna I'm on a run for the next hour. And you're like, I was like, What do you mean you're on a run for the next hour? How have you done? And then I was like, oh, actually that's really good. You should go on a run or do whatever makes you happy. You know, I'm not I'm not a runner. I'm like, definitely not my style. But it was about finding that moment. So I think carving out time for yourself, what that means being with your friends, um, or you know, going to a museum or doing something outside of the everyday, I think is super important. It's it's how we grow as you know human beings.

SPEAKER_04 56:18

Um you get distracted up out there, you know. Like you love the industry, whatever we do, but we also have to like see that it, you know, there's 360 views about us, it's just not a 180, right?

SPEAKER_00 56:29

Right. And I think if you, you know, and maybe you even find the the the different things in this industry that, you know, if you're and I get it, when you're young and hungry, and uh because I would say I spent 90% of my time on this industry. So I was like, all right, here, here, here, but the 10% I made to that 10% counted. Um be present.

SPEAKER_02 56:50

Be present. That's amazing. Um so there is like cliche questions, right? But especially you that you do you remember the first cotton that you created?

SPEAKER_00 57:00

Or oh, the first cotton I created probably was the Cusco Fizz, and it was at Freeman's, and I made it for Rob Cooper, who came in with a bottle of Saint Germain, and uh he was like, Oh, you want to try this? And I was like, Okay, so what would you do with it? I'm like, I don't know, I went to like the walk and I got some grapes and I muddled some grapes, did lime, Saint Germain. Uh we had pisco capels, it was chillan pisco, and I put that all together and was like, Oh, this is really tasty. And like that was probably one of the first drinks I made, but it was really funny because it was like, oh, I didn't realize this is what you're interested in.

SPEAKER_05 57:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 57:33

You have a favorite cut though. Um, that I made or that's not like you go and enjoy like discourse. I mean, I love martini variations, those are always my favorite. Um just because I think there's so much like I love savory martinis. So, you know, that's my my world. Like, I think Megan Dorman's Gibson is delicious and crushable. And I'm like, yes, this is so good and so simple, right? So there are things that can be impactful that are simple. Um, I would say if there was a menu that I did that I was most proud of, is I had a rooftop menu at Llama Inn one year. And it was the first time I actually ever did a menu by myself completely by myself. Everyone was too busy. Um, we had just hired uh John Ware was um the new head bartender at Llama Inn. The rooftub was opening. Everyone was too busy. I'm like, I got this menu. And I did that whole menu on my own, and it was all based on, you know, the different terroirs of Peru, the highlands, uh, the Salva, the jungle, and then the coast. And I did drinks in that, and it was so much fun because I got A, I love a concept. So like it put it gave me a framework to work in. And I think some of those drinks in that menu were some of the most interesting cocktails I've ever made. And because I did it by myself for the first time, I was like, oh, because normally if there's I'm working with a head bartender or I let you know, someone else. We all work together. I'm like, yeah, well, it started as this, you know, and now it's both of our drink, you know, as opposed to like something that was like, I own this from beginning to end.

SPEAKER_04 59:00

Yeah. Well yeah, no, I I was lucky, I was lucky enough to be there a few times. Uh not only to have the food, I went upstairs uh for a different event, but I knew I would I've been there and I know what it was. And it's like the food was great, the drinks were amazing. Uh I actually got to hang out with the Erin and Erin John. Actually, that was interesting. We were there having uh lunch or dinner, I can't remember. And then we went to um somewhere else. But yeah, uh Ken.

SPEAKER_00 59:25

Yeah, and that's like now it's funny because I can't, you know, now I'm very focused on this like more classics, because I I do think there is a time of coming back to simplicity.

SPEAKER_05 59:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:36

Right. So like where I've gone, I went very high. Like I still want I still bring some of those techniques. I still think bringing in, if you bring culinary ingredients into cocktails, and for me in a very streamlined way, then it's great. You know, like I still am using Sous V because I think Sous V is a very useful tool, especially if you're an account or a bar that doesn't have a lot of space, doesn't take your team long to do it. They start it, they prep it, an hour half everything's ready, right? So they start it when they get in. And if and that's what I kind of had to learn by, you know, oh, like we don't have a lot of space. I don't have a lot of storage. So people are gonna prep every day and make it happen. And I think sometimes it's very daunting to think about building a program and all these elements you need. I think sometimes going back to a little more simplicity and just thinking about the subtle things you can do that can make a big impact versus having to like like don't make 20 housemate ingredients. It's just like you're, you know, it's just not gonna make sense. And if that drink isn't, you know, now I have more of a sense. If that drink isn't the big seller, you're wasting a lot of labor and everyone's time to produce these things that aren't moving. And so I try to uh encourage everyone to think a little more strategically.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:41

Yeah, and I I think we mentioned this before that about the cost because also, you know, bringing all these. I mean, I I've seen like a lot of like videos on Instagram, right? Like uh there's like in other countries that they have the big space and also the big money to bring all these expensive machines to, you know, do whatever they want.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:01

Run the app and all that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:03

But uh at the same time, we know that New York City is already expensive. And uh, you know, it's funny that we work in this hospitality industry and we want to bring community, we want to bring regulars, but at the same time, uh not everybody is rich, right? To to, you know, you go you go and it's uh like Edgar and I sometimes we go and having two drinks plus an appetizer, it's already like a hundred dollars with it, right? Uh and you know, like we said, bringing a lot of ingredients or expensive ingredients that you have to put in the cost. I feel like you also kind of giving that advice of like, you know, we just want money instead of like creating things for just a name for the restaurant, but also to bring regulars.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:46

And that's where I think kind of a balance, right? You can have if there's a drink in the menu that's high cost, I encourage you to balance your menu. Try to find ones that are where you're doing less, that you can be more because that's more communal, right? And that's more um it makes you more you're not just exclusive for one person or one uh an economic set. You're saying we also have drinks that everyone can have.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:09

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:09

Um and I think that that is really important to what these third spaces can be. You know, if you're just a space that's going to be destination and special event, that's one thing. But if you really are, if your model for your business is to have more people coming more often, I would rethink a lot of that because it is true. It's the cost, it's this and that. But going back to some like old school techniques, you're like, oh, these make sense. You can make shrubs, you can do all the stuff. Like right now, like it is lemon and lime and citrus season. Like if you have the time, buy a lot of that stuff now, you know, use like the that stuff, make uh, you know, cordials, make all the stuff while it's affordable and then put on a later menu on you can stock up some stuff um and be strategic about how you use it. Um, some of the best techniques I I learned this year. Um, I was lucky enough to pop up at GoCon uh in Hong Kong in October, and they have this really great young bartender is the head bartender. And like some of this stuff was just using a freezer. Like they were like these drinks were super awesome, clarified, really cool. And some of the things like, oh yes, just juice it and put it in the freezer, and then it's gonna be clarified real easy. I was like, oh, well, like that was easier than like how much, you know, temperature, time, agar, what am I doing? I was like, very cool. I'm just gonna use freezer more.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:28

Wow, that's efficiency, right? But also you have to do it over and over again to find out like your own recipe, right? Because uh I feel like uh the like us, uh especially in in Freeman's, like if we have something that is clarified, it's gonna go fast. Like, you know, the I remember I made a camera over it. Like that means five gallows, right? Yeah. In a week it was gone. Oh, so imagine like you have to build your uh program according to the place.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:53

Yeah, know your scale, you know, you know what's what's moving. Um planning is a lot too. And I I know a lot of operators when you first start opening, especially in New York, you're on a temporary license. That means everything you're paying a COD for like three months. And you're like, uh, okay. What am I doing? You know, you have to like be really strategic about how you're ordering uh and things like that. So I think that there's so much to learn, and then that sometimes leads to being creative with less. You're like, okay, well, what are the other things? And it leads to sustainability too, right? Sustainability is an incredible way to um be cost effective, save the environment, you know, produce less waste, um, and really thinking about how you can kind of use more things uh to be to make great drinks. And I think that resonates with folks.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:37

Aaron Powell No, and I think um it's important that you mentioned that because a lot of us use lemon and lime and just toss the shells. Uh you can reuse the shells for tiki cocktails and limes, or you can reuse the lemons to create cordials, like you said, right? And then reuse it in a different cocktail in the future.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:51

Aaron Powell Yep. And or you know, there's so many different things you can make. Super lime if you're doing draft drinks. There's just so much more way to be sustainable. Um and I and I think right now too, when margins are much really much smaller uh in our industry, that anything you can think of that's a little bit, you know, creatively sustainable will go back into your program. You know, if I can have, you know, if the team can make drinks that I'm like, great, let's make that drink over and over again. That's very cool. You know, like when we're making our zest when we trim them, let's save those trimmings, let's make, you know, a cordial with orange and lemon and whatever, and or an oleo and use it later on um in something. So I think there's just a lot of different ways. And I'm like, great, now you can take that and make it into something fun and we'll special it.

SPEAKER_04 1:05:33

Yeah, exactly. Reuse.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:35

Um I just want to ask this because obviously we we were talking about meal is since the beginning, but uh how do you decide it to open a restaurant? Like, you know, you were bartending how many years, you're doing a lot of projects, and opening a restaurant uh with a bar is is very challenging.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:51

It it is, and it's it's funny because it was all by accident. So most again, like everything in my life, everything's kind of like a a moment in time that was like, oh, this thing just happened. I was really fortunate that a friend of mine from high school was an investor. And he was like, hey, we're opening this space, and we really need someone with your skill set. He's like, so my friend's Anthony Ramos. We're opening this place. It's named after his mom. Nilly is invested. I'm like, oh, what are you quote woman? Okay, cool. I'm in. I'll I'll do this. And then I got to meet, you know, Ron and Anthony and everyone. And what they wanted for this space was something that felt, you know, they all they're all from the community. They grew up there. So, like, how do you open a space that is this really nice, you know, like you will come in and walk in, it's elevated, it's beautiful. We prioritize music and sound because that means a lot to everyone involved, but there's still warmth and approachable. So you can actually, it's kind of funny, you can actually have this thing of like, you know, some people told me they're like, Yeah, we looked in the window, we're like, oh, it's gonna be one of those like crazy expensive cocktail lines. Then we open them, they're like, oh, this place is actually really comfortable and amazing, even though it like it looks good. You can look good and still be for everybody. Um, so that was kind of one of those opportunities. I was like, all right, well, this, you know, at this point in my career, I have a good understanding of like how I can get things done. So I knew that it would be a lot of in the beginning, getting a lot of helping, get a lot of systems set up, helping to like right, figure out and identify what the program's gonna be. Uh, and then now it's like I'm at the point, and that's why I took it slow. I want to take it slow. And now you move, I feel I've got a great team, and now I can start empowering them to do more and to take on some responsibility. So now we're at like that phase two. And I think don't be afraid to open something and not know everything it's gonna be, right? Have the core things. So, what do we know? We wanted to be community, have a sense of like music. Um, and then when I came out, I was like, I think we need to be classic cocktail forward because I think that is what neighborhood bars need to start. And then you figure out where you push the boundaries with the guests that come in or you know, let the team make the special drinks. Um, and that that for me was I think just because I had so much experience, it there was a a comfortability in that. It's like I don't need to know everything, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:03

No, and and I think that's really good, because what you're saying is like that's this is what I always say. Know the neighborhood because you know, if you're gonna go and put like a spicy bottle.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:13

Like, what if we decide we were just gonna be like only a clarified bar or whatever on that corner, it wouldn't work. You know, like I I could have been like, I'm super into all of this, but if I don't have a clientele that's super into all this, what are we doing it for?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:26

Yeah, because for example, I feel like I've been uh Millis and I love it because it's a it's a small space, but also it looks big in terms of like, you know, it has the setup, uh the ambience is like you feel comfortable, you feel cosy, and the music is not too loud, so you can talk to even if you go by yourself, it also helps that you can talk to someone else. Right and you meet your neighbors and everything. Uh, but that means uh hospitality first. Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:53

And that's and that's a big part of it, you know, just even talking to, you know, everyone involved, that was that was important for them, right? Like, why do they want to get into hospitality? It's be to be community-centered, community focused. And I think that that's that's really great.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:08

And you feel that when you walk in, and that that starts from the top down, you know, like and I feel like uh the same with uh people who want to open a restaurant and they don't have experience with hospitality. Sometimes they forget that, oh, I just went at a restaurant and make money, right? And they don't want to invest, obviously, like in a consultant or the team. Uh and eventually they realize that, you know, we shouldn't put these expensive speakers and now we're like super loud and people they don't want to be here. So I guess that's a very like uh good advice that you mentioned that someone who brings someone that has experience, not because they're gonna charge more or something, but it's because it's gonna create you um more uh, you know, a space for for everyone, not just for the Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:52

And when I came in, I was like, listen, at this point in my career, I want to partner with you because I believe in this being a a more long-term thing, uh, versus a consulting. Because I thought I was like, this is gonna take time, it's gonna be something that we build. And if I just come in as a traditional consultant, that's not gonna be it. So let's make this something more. And I it's been incredible, you know. Like I don't live next to the bar, but I whenever I can spend time there, I do. And there are a lot for events and I communicate with my team and like just even a lot of when you know I was doing um llama, like I had a relationship with my team, Natasha. So I I Ori was pretty good at this, like how to how to like pull strings from far away. You just need to make sure you have one person who you can trust and be like, hey, I need you to go check in the walk-in or whatever. But like you build your team, and once your team understands that too, it's like I I encourage them all to communicate. This is something that's really big on the program. Um, you know, I'm like, please use the tools, please talk to each other, right? You're all here, usually like most of them are two, maybe three days a week. And I'm like, so when someone's coming in, do the courtesy of the next person, make sure that they understand what's what's going on when they walk in. You know, and then you do the same for them. Okay. Let them know, hey, you need to make three more quarts of grenadine today. Cool, thank you. And then everyone comes in set up, and I and I I'm trying to encourage that system because I think that's uh really important. And I've seen it slack in the industry lately, and like people aren't aren't verbalizing or communicating as much. And I'm like, this is I'm forcing you all to communicate because I know you all need to talk to each other, but I'm using it also so you talk to me. And then that way we can do that.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:24

Yeah, everyone's connected and everyone has the same information. Yeah. I feel like that's important because if you're far away and then this five bartenders and the fire bartenders three of the three three and three, you need to know what's next, what's empty, what's missing.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:36

Yeah, or we have specials and we did this. Like you don't want to be surprised. I think they're, you know, I look at a lot of the systems, and I'm sure Aaron did it at Banza Bar, there was always like a collection of, right? You could access everything. So if a guest came in and had a drink with you on Monday, then Thursday come in, they're like, Oh my goodness, Edgar made me this amazing cocktail, blah, blah, and you're like, uh, I don't know what that was. Give your team a heads up. You know, give each other a heads up. Be like, hey, I made this for a guest and they loved it. Here's the spec.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:02

Exactly. That's that's that's a really you know, that's a really good point. Because a lot of us uh well, a lot of get well, but excuse me. A lot of uh regulars go back for that one bartender for one reason, because they love the drinks. Somedays it's a classic cocktail, but they just like that, right? Right. And if you don't have that communication, you tell them, hey, this is what I normally do. I just uh do like a splash of simple for them. Right. And they're like, oh, so he likes a splash of simple. This is the most important.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:28

And then then you know, right? So if Edgar told me, and then this person comes in Thursday, and I was like, oh, okay, and then I knew. And that's so hospitable. So I think building those kind of internal communications are really important for the team, right? Now, as a team, you've managed to make that person's experience exponentially better. And now they're like, oh, I can come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, it doesn't matter. Everyone's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:50

Exactly. Everyone's amazing. And I'm I'm not gonna be tired of expressing this, but uh I always said that if you work in hospitality, even if you think like you're gonna move on later and just come for the paycheck, you have to show also hospitality to your coworkers.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:06

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:06

Uh it's it's helpful, it creates also that uh, you know, community of like, what about if I ask her to cover me today? And because I've been like a very bad co-worker, they're not gonna do it for you, right? But uh it's it's good to have that sense of like hospitality doesn't mean um you have to be there 24 hours for seven, right? Hospitality means it's like just like you're at home, right? You wanna leave the you know your dishes in the sink or something for your mom or for your brother, but it's like the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:37

Well, but they had to watch the no no no, clean up after yourselves, be courteous because you don't want to come in and have the same thing. But I do think that uh building teams, you know, I think when we look at all these things, you know, um there the team mentality is really important. I think when, you know, we're looking at all these things, best bar teams, this and that. Um, I think you can feel it when you walk in spaces. You just see how everyone's working together, how everyone's communicating. Um, you could tell by people's demeanor. You know, we're all very good at obviously looking at people and you can tell when there's tension or when everyone's just like working together and flowing. And I think that's really important to um figure out ways of communicating. Everyone's gonna sure. Are we gonna disagree sometimes? Absolutely. But it's how we do that with respect um and with like the right way is really to me the most important.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:24

Yeah. And I always I always say I shake it off, you know, because sometimes you you're not having a good moment, but just like, hey, it's not about me. It's like it's about everyone, you know. Like I have to make you feel comfortable. So I have to get things done the right way, you know. Because I always say if you lose control, you start breaking glasses, uh, something goes wrong with you, forget you. Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:41

Or you try to take the shortcut. Taking the shortcut never works. It's like the shortcut just disrupts everything. Unlike you just put your head up, say, I'll be right with you, complete the process, go next. And you're always gonna be more better than like trying to like freak out and divert. Um it just doesn't seem to work.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:58

I know we I always say it's it's a 360 or 180 and clockwise, you know, like you always go here or there, however you choose, you know. But you you cannot take care of 20 people at a time. You have to take care of like three, two, one, like that, right? Has to be in the siblings. Because if you start taking care of 20 people, you're gonna order the game ever living, and it's gonna go crazy.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:19

Yeah, and that's and that's not you know fair to you or them, right? But if you're like and really talk to your team, like, please get them water, please get them this, pass the menus, let them know I'll be right there, or you have the time to be like, I'll be right with you. They're gonna grab you water, you know, and just you build, like at least people just get acknowledged. I think that's always the hardest. And sometimes you have you're trying to keep your head down, you're like, Okay, I will be right with you. I'm just finishing this round. And if you communicate people, they'll understand. It's hard when you're just like ignoring everybody. I'm like that's one of the things. I'm like, heads up, you know, build, just address people, you'll get to them in a minute.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:52

Exactly. Do you remember like a very bad situation for you? Like something that you hear, oh my God.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:58

Uh you know something.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:01

There I at this point I think I've suppressed most of the, but you know, there's always that time and you're just weeded and being in the weeds just sucks. You know, you just feel like you're not gonna get out of it. And I think that most of what I've like why I'm like, okay, breathe, talk to people, breathe, talk to people, is because I might I remember that feeling of being like, am I ever gonna get through this round? I'm ever gonna get through this night. And I think I used to put more pressure on myself, but if I actually just, you know, say hey, I'll be with you, everyone's like, okay. You know, it's it's more like they actually get are just you're just irritating people by not looking at them as opposed to like beer with you. Wait one second. Like, yeah, you know, we've all done it where you forgot around. You said hi to somebody, you said got that, and you're like, forgot their drinks up to me. But it's like ah, you have the we're just human, you're like, I'm so sorry, I forgot you're around. Here's a little like tiny, tiny shit on me or something.

SPEAKER_04 1:16:54

Well, it's like slash especially if you work three, four doubles in a row. You know, because if you work doubles, you're tired, your brain is not sharp.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:04

I think doubles are really hard in our industry. Um in general, like you know, some people are like, Oh, it's a server, I don't mind. I'm like, I think it's hard on everyone. You're you're on your feet for that long.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:14

Um, you know, like a true double, maybe like a shift and a half, maybe is fine. But I think that they're, you know, I think you have to really think about people's you know mentality. And, you know, I think sometimes really intercepting those people, and you're like, I know you're asking me for three doubles because you think that's easier for you, but I don't think that's going to be better for your life. So let's let's reevaluate or really reassess.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:36

Taking care of your staff is really important because I I know for bartenders, you know, shaking all day all night, eventually your arms, your elbows, your grist are like exactly obviously hurt.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:49

Yeah, exactly. So um with Aplos, uh Jen Collins, who was on here, uh she ran a really great class with Robbie Nelson, who has been in this industry for a long time and worked at brands, and he now has like a healthy bartender. Uh and he just had some simple tips. It's like really it's about how you stretch, staying hydrated, right? Hydration is one of the most important things for repetitive injury in your joints, and just being conscious of that um is really important because it's gonna take a toll and you wanna be able to do it for a long time. And and if this is what you love as a career, it's gonna it's gonna be a lot of hours.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:22

But a lot of hours, a lot of shaking.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:26

Uh Linia, do you have uh anything next for you besides all your programs, all your projects?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:32

Something you that we um you know, I I I feel like this year is a year of kind of discovery. You know, I'm very much figuring out like what my next path is gonna be. I don't know what it is, and that's okay. I think younger me would have been more terrified of that. But I have so many things that are like going in a great direction, you know, Applass, Millis, this and that, speed rex killing it. And I'm just like kind of sitting and accepting in that. Um, you know, I'm excited about the next weight. Like for me, this is like part two of Millie's. I'm really excited for this because I feel like now we're starting to talk about it more and I'm and I'm really starting to like help the team identify who they want to be in the space. So that's exciting. But for me personally, I'm not sure. I mean, last year was a big year, you know, a tail, I won the Tales Visionary this year, and that made me just think a lot about things. And I'm like, I don't know, we'll see what the next future, what the pathway is, where I'm gonna be, what I'm gonna do. Um, but I never stop. So No.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:28

And that's a good thing. You know, we've seen you and I and a lot, like so many girls that I've known personally look up to you a lot and actually want to thank you for being here, for being part of, you know, the podcast and sharing your story. I know people who's watching and uh uh either, you know, listening, you know, uh on their favorite platforms. Uh they can relate. And they like, you know, they know that you know you start from one, you know, zero from zero.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:55

And then you move your way up.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:57

It's all about, I mean, I think what I've always been good at is um going deep into whatever it is, right? Like I'm a very much a you know, all in kind of human. And that's really important, maybe sometimes crazy. Um, but I I jump into projects and and things that I'm passionate about. Um I also I would say what I built during the pandemic was a really strong uh friend group, our what we call the Coven. It's our Coven group, but it's you know, it's a lot of women who I respect in this industry who we communicate every day. Every day. Megan Durman, uh Kelly Thorne, Ala Huerta, a woman who used to be in the industry for many, many years in DC, uh Angie Featherston and Caroline neighbors and uh Nandini Khan from D from Chicago, we just all have this group and we can talk about anything. And we and I think having that space, like I think having a space, because we're not in the same, like some of us are in the same city, but we're not all doing the same things. So I think it's nice to always have people to bounce things off of um that just have different perspectives, right? So that's I think really important. So, you know, if you're a bartender, you do a pop-up in another city, get to know somebody and maybe keep communication with them. Um, because you're gonna have a different perspective of the industry, where you're going. And I think that diversity of mindsets um is really important.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:18

And since you're a visionary. What is your vision of uh previous New York to New York now?

SPEAKER_00 1:21:24

I mean, I think we're at New York is like we go through this phases, right? Every, every so often. Like New York is is one of those places that reinvents itself over and over. Um, I know that it's a hard city and you know it's can be very expensive. I but I've seen more bartenders moving here. It's kind of crazy. I'm like, wow. So many people are like redoing it, and I and I admire that spirit because it is New York. You make it there, you make it anywhere. And I'm seeing all these people like choosing to come here and choosing to go through it. And we have a really strong community, so you can figure it out. You can find the your your people, you'll find your space. And I think like this place will challenge you. And you may not be here forever, but really soak it in, really learn what you learn from here, which I think is, you know, hard work. Um, does sh does really pay off. There are lots of opportunities if you're accountable and you show up and you, you know, if you really, if you just do the work, you you can't there's so much opportunity. You can just see how people grow and like when they're dependent, dependable, um, you get more opportunity. You know, I think you've had growth in this industry where you're like, you were there and you were prepared, you know, and then they're like, we're putting you in. And that's, you know, you never know when the next opportunity. I think that's the most exciting part of New York because that New York is always full of surprises. Um, I think we're in this point of like, you know, things are are of always evolving, right? So we have really incredible bars. I think we're at a point where, you know, New York is really leading the scene again. Um, there's so many different types of places, different types of bars that are doing really cool things. So I love seeing that. And I love seeing them, you know, like I see different New York bars popping up all over, and I love seeing that we have that. Um, but also I think that we're also gonna be growing back into these neighborhood spaces as well, because we are always the front lines of everything, you know, hospitality. Um, there's just so many people who live here. There's so many different ways we can share what we do, and it's gonna change in whatever environment you're in. And that's exciting.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:25

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:26

Yeah, that's amazing. And also, like, you know, last uh my uh question would be like, How do you feel seeing uh Benito in the Super Bowl?

SPEAKER_04 1:23:38

We had to ask, we had to ask.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:40

Ah my goodness, I so much, so much pride. Um it's to see. I mean, I would say a lot of the lessons, right? I think when he said, like, you know, I've always believed I'm here because I always believe in myself, and you can too, is is our story, right? That is like who our people are, that's who we are as a community. It's like we don't know what we're gonna do, but we know if we fight and we work hard and we believe in ourselves, we will do it, right? You don't know what's gonna happen. And I think there's just so much pride in that, and like how much you see um Puerto Rico has, you know, goes through so much struggle, but look at them, you know, Identivad won it the Chase Brew award last year, you know, Nikki Foss is up this year for, you know, uh best personality, our uh cocktail uh personality, and that's amazing. So I just love seeing the pride. Um, but it's a huge stage and to do it without compromise. I think that's the most important um thing. And it's and it's hard. Like, right, our identity as Puerto Ricans is, and I think when you really list to his music, he talks about it, you know, there's like, I have the reverse. I'm like, no, no, no, I was spending summer 4th of July in Puerto Rico, you're spending it here, you know, and there's like this these different ways of uh how we grew up. But there is something about I think intrinsic hospitality and entertainment that comes from the island, and it was just incredible to see that on stage for everyone to like be like, what is this? Or it's amazing, or I don't know what he's saying, but I'm moving to the music and the rhythm of the dance because people love going to Puerto Rico. Oh yeah, we love it.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:10

We can leave there, that would be the better spot.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:12

No kidding. But that's the that's the the beauty and the pride because I think you know, growing up as a New Eurekan, it's like we have a very, you know, the diaspora, we have our own culture too, right? New Eureka's very different. And like I remember, you know, going to my cousin's house and all this stuff, but so many things translate. You know, you're like, oh yeah, the kid falling asleep on the chairs. I'm like, that's like all of us at someone's quinting era, like sitting there. And I think those stories are relatable. Um, but there's also a joy in the resistance. And there's uh, you know, just even like I said, seeing, you know, I'm seeing some bartenders and they're moving here. Yeah. Oh, I got the pleasure of of like sitting at their bar in Puerto Rico. Now they're working here. Um, and I like seeing that exchange, but I also love seeing that some people have moved back, like our good friend Um Natasha Sophia. She moved back to the, you know, and that's a beautiful thing when you see someone come with such strength, and you know, she's a someone, why am I through the speed rack world? She was like writing us from Puerto Rico, really years ago. Then she moved to New York and then she did it. And to watch her ascend in this very in this really like this strength and resilience, that's what we bring. And I just seeing that on uh national stage was pretty great.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:19

No, and I wouldn't say this, uh, we're Mexicans, obviously, we love the Latino community, obviously. Um, but in my case, for example, and I think Edgar is the same. We grew up dancing salsa in Mexico City.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:32

And um my shoulders, when she says salsa, my my shoulders move by themselves.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:38

One of my dreams when I was a kid, it was like I wanna I wanna visit Puerto Rico. And the first time we went, it was like at the period of time that the pandemic was ending. But also I had the opportunity to meet uh before uh Roberto Verde, Delicia. I I had an event that we worked together with um Manolo from uh Cafe Colmado. They used to have this um project called Cosa Nuestra. And then eventually when I went there, uh I was like like crying because it was my dream. But at the same time, uh politically saying it's like some people they don't understand the struggle of uh Puerto Rico being part of the estates. And I don't want to be political, but I just want to say that I feel very honored to meet a lot of Puerto Ricans and seeing, for example, Natasha Sofia being a brand ambassador from Mijenta, Magave, and then going to the stage with this white dress and then showing the Puerto Rican uh flag. It was kind of like uh that feeling of like also being an immigrant here. It's like, you know, we are here and we support each other, and I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:45

Yes, and that's the the beauty of it. Like I think what's so impactful is that we're now having conversations. Like, I think what would surprise me more is that people who didn't know that Puerto Rico was part of the US okay, well, this is shocking to me because you didn't use a passport when you went there. On vacation. But you know, uh, but just see it, I think what's interesting too is that um no matter what Puerto Rican culture, because of our relationship, it's a deep fabric uh in certain communities around the US. And and it's, you know, we've been around, like like we've talked about Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, all these people have been like mainstream for a very long time. And now we're just seeing it in the next gener next iteration, right? Where, you know, they probably literally felt like they had to always try to be like they worked hard to like fight against all the stereotypes and have to be this or have to be that. And that's a lot of what you go through, like growing up here. Um, you know, I got a lot because you know, I'm very fair, and people would be like, oh, but you're Puerto Rican, you don't look Puerto Rican. I'm like, what does Puerto Rican look like look like? I'm like, we are very diverse people. Like a lot of people went to our island, okay, just saying, and like the Spanish, this, Dutch, I'm like, you know, everyone looks different. Um and that was very hard growing up. Um, and you know, my parents faced a lot of those challenges when they came here. My mother in particular, like, talked a lot about like what it was like being here and and being like you had to try to pick where you fit, but we were our own community. Um and I so I take a lot of those struggles and a lot of those the things that I learned is that you build community, community always be there. You can unapologetically be who you are. No one can tell you what it means to be what you are. You have to like bring it to yourself, and yeah, and that's just everyone's difference of how we are. And I think what I love is that our community is so it is so loving, right? Like I even just now even look at like there's the Puerto Rican community and there's the whole Latin American community, which has really bonded together. And I love seeing like that growth of that community, um, and how we all work together and help each other and are really like showing that there is power in in that um and owning who we are. Because everyone loves our food, everyone loves our culture, everyone loves our music.

SPEAKER_04 1:29:57

Yeah, exactly. That's why I always say, you know, stay rude, chin up high, and you know, feel proud. Just like you know, I'm proud of who I am, my culture, my roots, my food, my my my drinks, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:10

We were the best parties at BCB last year. I know we had a blast of the Delonio, like, oh, the Dominicans, they got a party. Yeah, that was a movie. I was like, wow, okay, it's a great food.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:21

We didn't we missed that at La Factoria when we went like not last year, previous year. We missed that party because we had to come back. And we saw Natasha because Natasha was gonna be there. I was like, oh man, we're BC.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:31

Yeah, it was so much fun. I was rocking that t-shirt uh in JFK. Um I was in the the club the club lounge, and like the manager came up, he's like, What's that? I'm like, Oh, is it a Dominican party at BCB? And he was like, That's our saying. And he was so excited that I was wearing this De lo mío shirt, like as I'm traveling, and that's and that's really great, right? We we we can present who we are, and then that that starts communication.

SPEAKER_04 1:30:58

Yo, amazing.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:59

And yeah, and I love that part of like um not just like now because I'm Mexican, I'm just gonna root from Agabis or my tacos, but like I also feel like the community, uh Latino community is also supporting each other. Right instead of like, you know, sometimes it's like columns are better or getting it. Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:18

I and I and I think there used to be a lot more. I think we all have realized that there's uh strength in community. Like the other day, like I made sure uh Rodrigo from Handshake was here, and I was like, I'm gonna make it there no matter what. And I got to see him, give him a hug, and I was like, that's what community is. So it was like I was intentional, I was like, no matter what I'm gonna make it there.

SPEAKER_04 1:31:38

Yeah, no, it is true, you know. And we are all, especially here in New York, we are so diverse, you know. Like I grew up having most of my friends were Dominican. Yeah. And Puerto Rican, uh, Colombian, Ecuadorian. And then I started hanging, I started hanging out with more Mexicans as you know, I age a little bit. Yeah. Because I was like, and even music, right? I w I was listening to like hip hop and and punk, heavy metal. That was my upcoming. And then when uh Nuri and I started hanging out more, it was like the rancheras and all this stuff. I'm like, because that that's you know yeah, it I feel like, you know, we have a sense of diversity so so good here in New York and so multicultural. Right. That you know, you can just go anywhere and try different food, different drinks, meet new people.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:23

And we're seeing how we're influencing all beverage too. Like there's an influence there, and I think that's incredible. And it's you know, going beyond to your point, going beyond just traditional agave from Mexico, but seeing agave from other places, seeing other spirits, and and really just kind of what those say about because our cultures all have their national spirit, which I think is kind of great.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:47

Uh well, it was a pleasure having this this amazing conversation, this community that we are still uh growing. Um Thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:56

Well, thank you for having me. I I love I love getting time with you all uh like this. I love seeing you in your places, and um, I think having more of these kind of open conversations are are really great. So Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:08

It's all okay. Thank you. Is there is there any any words we would like to tell to the audience?

SPEAKER_00 1:33:12

All right. Um I'm just saying, you know what? Uh I would just say, really in this industry, find the path that makes sense for you. So if you're gonna decide that you like more you're better at social media and like that, go to your bar manager, be like, hey, I would like to learn to do more social for the bar and do these things. I've seen that like uh Trev uh over, you know, like there's lots of people who are doing those things. You can be two things at once. You don't have to just be um, you know, one part of this. So try to encourage all the things that you love and find the way to do it. Maybe you're the music person, you're like, I'd love to curate playlists or just find the way you fit within your space that makes you feel um that there's a motivation for growth.

SPEAKER_04 1:33:54

Yeah, yeah. That's a really good idea.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:56

And um for uh whoever it is now watching YouTube, can you say your uh social handle so people can find you?

SPEAKER_00 1:34:02

So I'm at drinks at six on Instagram, uh drinks dr-in k s a t the number six. Uh you can find that. No, I got rid of uh TikTok, so you can't find me there anymore. But just go Instagram and then you'll find me uh Lynnette Murer on Facebook or Lynnette Marure Mixology.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:19

And also you can visit Millie's in Brooklyn. Uh it's an amazing place. It's amazing. Uh, you know, know your investment. Um and don't forget your tip your pretenders.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:30

Uh please follow us on in Instagram, uh, uh subscribe on YouTube, and uh if you want to watch if you want to watch more episodes like this, go to our website w bar talking talking bar nyc.com.com. Boom.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:45

Um and also if you want to support our uh podcast, we have uh buy me a coffee uh application and uh you can you know select all up. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:34:54

Click the link.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:56

Uh thank you so much for watching again. Uh please don't forget to subscribe, share, and comment. And thank you, Edgar again. And obviously, thank you, Nick. So much good. Thank you. All right, see you. Hope you enjoy it. Bye bye.