Hang with Mo while she talks to bar folk about music & booze. (Sound quality depends on the bar!) Find our playlists here: https://open.spotify.com/user/shebmo And there's this too: https://www.facebook.com/MoHerms/
Kitty is the Beverage Babaylan of NYC's deliciously devilish hideaway, Paradise Lost. Years after getting their start in a classic New Jersey dive bar catering to college students and recent graduates, they took their love of crafting cocktails and respect for their Filipino heritage across the river to eventually be part of the opening team for this special spot. They also filled the playlists up…
JP Hunter remembered visiting tiki spots when he was a kid growing up in LA, and so when he retired from the construction biz in Texas, he figured the time had come for him to open one up there. His bar, 4 Kahunas in Arlington, TX, has become the third space he always dreamed of hosting people in. It's also a place where he can indulge in his deep love of exotica and oldies as it creates the…
Hayze Webster is both the bar manager and rum manager of the legendary old school tiki palace, Hala Kahiki Lounge, in River Grove, Illinois. From his start in sports bars by Wrigley Field to crafting in speakeasies like Untitled Supper Club Chicago, he always had a deep love of tiki drinks and enjoyed the art that surrounded the scene. As he taught himself the tropical stuff via Beachbum Berry's…
Baltimore native Nick Pikounis is the bar manager and beverage director of the tropical rum bar Pink Flamingo. It's surprising that someone who learned craft cocktails at a spot that wouldn't allow the use of citrus would now commandeer a place that revels in them - and he steered them right into a James Beard nomination. He also loves DJ culture, making some attempts in the electronic world after…
After years of working in hospitality within the Disneyland environment (hello Club 33!), Michael Cobb found himself opening up a little tiki bar smack in the middle of Santa Barbara's wine country. High Roller Tiki Lounge, located in Solvang, CA, is a tropical oasis in a small Danish village where you can catch rockabilly and surf bands booked by Michael, who also throws shows in Vegas and crafts…
Osman Cortave opened up Loma Bar in Providence, Rhode Island, with his bartender wife and twin brother. It was a dream they all shared and worked hard to make a reality, creating a inclusive space that serves up great cocktails and Latin vibes in an intimate setting. Their earnestness has earned them Tales of the Cocktail and James Beard notice, and the first cocktail Osman ever served was to bar…
Demi Natoli made her way to her current role as National Beverage Director at Nashville based Call Mom (which includes Dolly Parton inspired bar White Limozeen, The Spare Room Hollywood, The Mountaineering Club Seattle) after kicking things off back home in Miami at spots like Kreepy Tiki and even being recruited to serve at the legendary Lost Lake in Chicago. Her Miami time even saw her booking…
Mike Anders currently tends bar at the James Beard nominated spot the Elbow Room, established in 1970 in Vancouver, Washington. When he got into bartending, he was content to just pour shots and beers, but keep finding himself in places that experimented in creativity and he went along for the ride. Now crafting beautiful drinks is just second nature to him, so working in a cocktail dive bar is…
Minakshi Singh started bartending at events and parties and fell in love... but legally, she couldn't bartend in an actual bar. It was the '00s in India, and despite that obstacle, she forged a career in the spirits industry and opened several bars. Starting with Cocktails and Dreams Speakeasy, she followed with Sidecar (awarded as one of Asia's Best), The Brook, The Old House (in Nepal) and the…
Nathan Elliott can be found behind the bar at Scotch Lodge in Portland, Oregon, which just racked up James Beard semifinalist nomination but has been deeply appreciated by its community since opening in 2019 (Esquire magazine has already recognized it as one of their best bars as well). Nathan got into bartending the old fashioned way - trying to support his music habit. From his start playing in…