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.
Bottle in water
The Growing Category of Water-Aged Spirits
Bryant Orozco
Bryant Orozco on Building an All-Mexican Spirits Program
Bar books
3 Bar Books Every Bartender Should Read to Brush Up On the Classics
Bar Talk
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
The Business of the Bar
Typewriter with spirits bottles
These Drinks Writers Started Their Own Spirits Brands
Drink with hand in glove
What It's Like to Open a New Bar During the Pandemic
Branchwater Farms, in Red Hook, New York, uses composting and cover crops to improve its soil quality.
Why Spirits and Wine Producers Are Turning to Regenerative Farming
"missing" bartenders
Bars Are Struggling to Find Hires. This Is How They’re Coping.
Stick People
Hortense Van Der Horst
How Hortense Van Der Horst Is Helping Reinvent Paris' Queer Drinking Scene
There Will Never Be Another Gary Regan
This Legendary Rum Maker Doesn’t Care if You Read This Story
Meet the Man Who Turned San Antonio into a Bona Fide Cocktail Town
Snap Shot
The backbar at 400 Rabbits
Seek the Holy Spirit(s) at This ‘Mezcal Church’
41 Gradus in Georgia
This Georgian Bar Is Going All In on the Country’s Native Spirit
The Renegade Solution to Not Using Cocktail Napkins or Coasters
3 Drinks That Explain Why Super Lyan Is a New Bar That Matters
How They Got It Right
The Motto at WhistlePig After the Death of Its Iconic Master Distiller: What Would Dave Do?
These 2 Columbus Distilleries Changed the Way Ohio Drinks
One Missouri Company Puts the Whiskey Before the Distillery. And It's Really Paying Off.
Don't Take Your Campari for Granted. This Denver Bar Has to Make Every Bottle from Scratch.
My Take
Illustration
What It's Like to Look for Work in Hospitality Right Now
Bar illustration
What It's Like to Be Behind the Stick Right Now
A Drink I Still Love: The Singapore Sling
Have We Seen the End of the 9-Ingredient Drink?
To Your Health
Family illustration
How Parents in the Bar Industry Can Find Balance Between Work and Family
Bartenders pouring drinks
How to Navigate Romantic Relationships When You're Both Behind the Stick
crafts photo composite
How Bartenders Are Channeling Their Creative Energy at Home
Fitness illustration
Free Online Classes for Staying Active When Not Behind the Stick