Behind the Bar

These are the profiles, interviews, stories and useful tips about life behind and away from the stick, including industry professionals and trend-setting bars.
Maison Premiere interior bar
Maison Premiere Offers One of the Best Absinthe Collections In the United States
Wolf & Crane Japanese Whisky Collection
Wolf & Crane’s Japanese Whisky Collection Is the Largest in the U.S.
Chris Cabrera wearing T-shirt, necklace, and an earring in outdoor backdrop
LGBTQ+ Ambassador Chris Cabrera On How the Bar Industry Can Show Up for the Community
Row of tofu Martinis at Phocific Standard Time on bar mat, being garnished with ginger and eye dropper of syrup
This Vietnamese Cocktail Bar Comes from Seattle’s First Family of Phở
Kevin Diedrich sitting on bar stool inside Pacific Cocktail Haven
Pacific Cocktail Haven's Kevin Diedrich on the Launch of AAPI Cocktail Week
Man pouring mezcal next to a Filipino-style still
The Philippine Influence in Mexican Mezcal Distilling
Illustration of hand pushing a Martini glass forward, on an orange sunsplash background
The Anatomy of an Exceptional Martini
The bar at Church in Baltimore, which features a pipe organ sculpture on the ceiling
3 Drinks That Embody Church’s Spirit of Community
Interior of Refuge in Houston, Texas, showing leather couches and replica Floridita neon sign
3 Drinks That Show How Refuge Breathes New Life Into Classic Cocktails
Three people sipping non-alcoholic drinks inside Awake in Denver, Colorado, in front of neon sign that reads "Together, we wake up."
The Hard Business of Non-Alcoholic Bars
Interior of Library By The Sea, showing four people sitting at brightly lit bar with wood accents and reading tables
3 Drinks That Show Library by the Sea’s New Standard for Grand Cayman Cocktails
Illustration of temperance-theme tarot cards with non-alcoholic cocktails and bottles depicted
The Evolving World of Low- and No-Alcohol Drinks
Illustration of calendar with pages being torn off featuring non-alcoholic cocktails for Dry January
Have We Reached the End of Dry January as We Know It?
Illustration of hands pouring Kahlua into an Espresso Martini glass
Lady Kahlúa: The Woman Behind Kahlúa’s All-Female Management Team in the 1960s
Illustration of group of bartenders drinking shots, with one being thrown away
Can Being Sober Make a Bartender Better?
Bryant Orozco
Bryant Orozco on Building an All-Mexican Spirits Program
Garrett Oliver
Brooklyn Brewery’s Garrett Oliver on the Importance of Inviting Everyone to the Table
Victoria Butler
Uncle Nearest’s Victoria Butler on Her Ascent to Master Blender
Ashlie Randolph
Beer Pro Ashlie Randolph on Overcoming Stereotypes in the Craft Beer Industry
Fawn Weaver
Uncle Nearest Founder Fawn Weaver on Removing Barriers to a More Diverse Distilling Scene
Jackie Summers
Spirits Educator Jackie Summers on Addressing the Hospitality Industry’s Diversity Problem
Jomaree Pinkard
Jomaree Pinkard on Building a Brand While Advocating for Diversity
Ntsiki Biyela
Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa's First Black Female Winemaker, Talks Wines and Progress
How to Run a 4AM Bar
This Is the Right Way to Do Music in a Bar
Inside the Revolutionary Tiki Book That’s Built for the Modern Age
This Is How You Build the Bar with the Largest Tequila and Mezcal Collection in the United States
Pro Bartenders Share Their Picks for Top Bar Aprons
Why Is Bar Legend Simon Ford Going All In on Gin?
Where Does One of Asia's Best Bartenders Find Her Cocktail Inspiration? Ask Her Mom.
Yup, It’s Our Fault Too: How We Beverage Journalists Can Do More and Better to Implement Social Justice in the Bar Industry
Bartending in Machismo Culture: Mexico City's Fátima León Breaks It Down
Simple Drinks Are Most Definitely Not Overrated
A Bartending Competition Winner Reflects on the Industry
Two Legends Talk About Finding Success While Dealing with Gender-Related Challenges
What Happens When a Bar Has 1,000 Bottles
There’s a Right and Wrong Way to Serve Draft Cocktails
Bourbon Distiller Jim Rutledge Talks Life After Four Roses
Naren Young on How to Create a Strong Bar Team
How a Very Tiny Bar Can Have Really Large Ambitions
Bob Peters of The Punch Room on How to Keep It Local
Employees Only’s Igor Hadzismajlovic on How to Expand Your Bar
She’s the One Who Catches It All on Video
Willy Shine Knows How to Serve 90,000 People a Great Cocktail
Chad Arnholt on Building a Greener Bar
Meet the Bad Girl of Bourbon
This Bartender's Exit Strategy: Open a Rum Distillery
These Sisters Know the Power of Cocktail Time
Bartenders Only: Dale DeGroff on the Art of Hospitality
Alex Day on How to Manage Multiple Bars at Once
David Wondrich Thinks Cocktail Books Need a Makeover
Become a Financially Savvy Bartender
Antonio Lai on Drinking with Your Eyes
The Owner of Rob Roy on How Bartenders Can Truly Find Work-Life Balance
How to Run a Stirred-Only Drink Program
Derek Brown’s Essential Tips for Opening Your Own Bar
Really Good Tiki: Martin Cate on What Makes a Great Tiki Bar
This Is How You Build a Great Modern Dive Bar
Yes You Can Create a Great Drink Program with No Citrus At All
This Is What It’s Like to Have 12,000 Bottles in Your Home Bar