![]() ![]() But the year before that I had gone out to Aspen Food & Wine. When this came along I was like “hmmm, I don’t know if I’m one of those people that would jump over to the brand side” you know? I like running a bar too much. That’s what I always believed, and still do, to be my forte. I was presented with that idea and I loved hospitality and service and being on my feet and running a place. I was still in London at the time and they approached me and offered me a chance to move to New York to become a brand ambassador with them. Technically it was when William Grant and Sons approached me. So he was the first one to introduce me to doing things the right way in terms of “great spirits matter”, the differences between these types of gins, fresh ingredients, making syrups, using bitters and being creative.īA: So you had been working with bars and cocktails for ten years and then you made the switch to running seminars and focusing on education, what brought that on?ĬV: It was a couple of things. It was Jason Fendick in particular who was the bar person. Then in the following year, 2004, I won UK Bartender of The Year.īA: When you got into opening Apt 195 and started using fresh ingredients and what not, did you have a person or group of people that encouraged you to do that?ĬV: Yeah I did, the Gorgeous Group London. They are still around now, still doing great things. It started with those old kinds of drinks and getting them out fast.īA: In the mid-2000’s you started winning awards?ĬV: In 2003 we opened Apt 195, that was the craft cocktail bar in London that I ran and that’s when I started using fresh ingredients, proper craft mixology and doing things the right way. It was volume.I guess what we would now call Retro Cocktails, which makes me feel a bit old. Charlotte took the time to speak with us on the phone about her experiences, both learning and teaching, and the importance of taking advantage of opportunities as they arise.īartender Atlas: In what year did you start bartending?Ĭharlotte Voisey: My first bar shift was in 1996 at The Chicago Rib Shack it was part of a restaurant management training program with “My Kinda Town” restaurant groupīA: What style of bartending were you doing when you started?ĬV: Yeah surprised that it was very much Long Island Iced Teas, Frozen Margaritas, Manhattans on rocks. As a brand ambassador for William Grant and Sons she has spoken on many subjects ranging from the importance of garnish to how to preserve mint on a bar top. With 20 years of experience in the industry she has seen many trends come and go, but has always stressed the importance of education. In the world of Cocktail Bartending, there a few people as well known and as well respected as Charlotte Voisey.
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