Bartending is an art and a skill. A good bartender knows how to craft a good drink, but there’s more to the job than that: It’s about making people feel comfortable.
I learned that early in my career when I was tending my first bar at Applebee’s. I’ve gone on to work at more elevated places — One Flew South being the cream of the crop, but great bartenders deliver great hospitality no matter what type of bar they tend or the drinks they serve.
Atlanta is becoming a destination location for so many creatives, including those in the food and beverage scene. These four local bartenders exemplify the energy and ingenuity in our industry today. Grab a seat with them and experience the craft they pour into a glass.
Ryan Fleisher
Ryan Fleisher
Navarro Carr
Bar manager, Southern National
I had not been served a truly well-crafted cocktail in Atlanta until 2010, when Navarro Carr, now 49, stirred me a boozy rum drink at the iconic Sound Table. Credit goes to the late great Ria Pell of Ria’s Bluebird for introducing me to Navarro as she and I enjoyed our customary cocktails after our shifts ended.
I remember how Navarro engaged me when he took my order, allowing me to lean in and relax. He brings that same energy in his current role at Southern National in Atlanta’s Summerhill neighborhood.
With his soft-spoken voice, you can easily connect with his eyes, smile, hand gestures and impeccable style. “Who wears a cardigan to bartend?” I asked Navarro recently. “A cool dude like me,” he replied.
His approach to cocktails emphasizes quality and simple ingredients, with rum being a favorite spirit to spotlight.
“I just like to give the guests what they requested and make it balanced and attractive to drink,” Navarro said.
Southern National. 72 Georgia Ave., Atlanta. 404-907-4245, southernational.com.
Ryan Fleisher
Ryan Fleisher
Tyler Reddick
Bar manager, Indaco
Tyler Reddick, 32, has been shaking and stirring at Atlanta bars for more than 10 years. He’s an encyclopedia for classic pre- and post-Prohibition cocktails and makes fun ‘70s and ‘80s drinks, too. You don’t have a clue what you want to drink? He knows just the questions to ask you to be able to quickly fashion a fantastic drink that you’ll enjoy.
Ice to a bartender is like fire for a chef. I especially appreciate how Tyler uses ice as a performative element and essential cocktail ingredient. The cadence of Tyler’s shake is a sound you can’t miss. And while it’s got attention-grabbing flair, his shakes simultaneously achieve the proper dilution.
His vast knowledge and understanding of amaro, an Italian liquor, is superseded only by his expertise in spirits. You’ll receive an enjoyable education about the history and the backbones of spirits while sitting across his bar. “I love making classics, because I am familiar with them all,” Tyler told me on my most recent visit to Indaco on Atlanta’s Eastside Beltline. I still reminisce about the Black Manhattan he made me, paired with pasta and uplifting conversation with friends.
Indaco. 725 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta; 404-205-5183, indacorestaurant.com.
Ryan Fleisher
Ryan Fleisher
Kursten Berry
Managing partner and beverage director, VanTrece Hospitality Group
Kursten Berry, 31, followed in her mother Deborah VanTrece’s footsteps to a career in the hospitality industry. And, like her flight attendant-turned-chef mom, whose restaurants include Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, Oreatha’s at the Point and La Panarda, Kursten did it with her own flair.
She grew up in the kitchen alongside her mother, but while attending college she decided to learn the management side of restaurant operations. Beverages came later.
When I first met Kursten in 2016, Twisted Soul was offering a limited drink menu of approachable wines and moonshine to pair with its Southern-inspired dishes. After a visit or two at the bar, I noticed bold flavor combinations and modifiers such as Ancho Reyes, Campari and Chartreuse.
She expanded her palate while “playing around” behind the bar, mixing “different flavors and surprising myself while making them,” she said. She often reaches for bitters. “I think of them similar to how seasonings work for food,” she said. “They help to add complexity and layers to cocktails. Something that might be super ordinary can be completely transformed with the right bitters. The aromas they can create are great too. I like to think of drinks as a multi-sensory experience and bitters really help to play with the taste and smell sense.”
Kursten now oversees the beverage programs at all three VanTrece Hospitality Group restaurants. I make a point to sneak in and have a cocktail at one of her bars every other week. The menu reads like poetry. The cocktail names and recipes are whimsical and fun, referencing pop culture, movies and even history. And they are always beautiful and full of color.
La Panarda. 2317 Cascade Road, Atlanta; 404-343-1342, lapanardaatl.com.
Oreatha’s at the Point. 2287 Cascade Road, Atlanta; 404-228-4852, oreathas.com.
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. 1133 Huff Road NW, Atlanta; 404-350-5500, twistedsoulatl.com.
Ryan Fleisher
Ryan Fleisher
Jessica “Jess” White
Beverage director, Bread & Butterfly
Jessica White, 37, is a hidden treasure. Her eagerness and personality make each guest feel welcomed and heard, including those who prefer low- and zero-proof drinks. White recognizes that those beverages don’t have to be sugary or juicy. They can be savory, sour and even spicy.
White keeps an eye on trends and seasonal ingredients and offers separate beverage menus for lunch and dinner. By day, there is a feel of a French bistro and in the evening, she shows off her versatility for a menu highlighting the African diaspora. “My chef has goals, and one is to be documented in history for his culinary approach and culture. My goal is to make sure my bar aligns with his goals, while reaching my own,” she said. Currently, she’s looking to add Black-owned spirits to her program. When creating a cocktail menu that offers, represents and uplifts international cocktails, Jessica has stepped up to the bar to execute it all.
Bread & Butterfly. 290 Elizabeth St., Atlanta; 678-515-4536, bread-and-butterfly.com.
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