EMBURY COCKTAILS

Spirited Pride: Alex Day

Photo: Katie Hoss

For the fifth and final installment in my Spirited Pride series of conversations with talented LGBTQ champs in the craft cocktail world, I spoke with someone who has to be on the hardest working men in show business, Alex Day of Proprietors LLC. I'll let Alex explain for himself what this powerhouse team does.

JR: How are you doing?

AD: Doing good, little busy these days.

JR: You, or everyone now?

AD: Maybe for everyone, let's go there

JR: I think there generally is an air of over-busy-ness in culture right now.

Tell me what you're workin on and why you're so busy

AD: Well, our companies kind of interesting in that it does a lot of different things. The overarching thing is overseeing the properties we own and operate, and in Los Angeles that's Honeycut, The Normandie Club,  The Walker Inn, and in New York there’s Death & Co. and Nitecap [Ed. note--Nitecap is about to open at its new location at 151 Rivington].

A good part of my day is taken up with trying to assist our management teams on anything they are working on – head bartenders working on new menus, integrating new technologies into their work, coordination on design stuff for equipment or new menus, trying to wrangle our operation into some semblance of order, PR conversations, all that kind of stuff. All the mechanisms to get a business to run, and to keep it on track.

And then we have a number of consulting projects, some more well known than others. For instance we're working with Chef Alain Ducasse on Skyfall and RIVEA in Las Vegas and we've collaborating with them for a little over a year, and that's been amazing and a very visual collaboration.

And a new project that's just opened on the top of the US Bank Tower Building, 71 Above, where my colleague Devon Tarby is training the staff right now, opening any day now.

Then we have other projects that aren’t very well known, mostly me designing bars for people, so doing a lot if infrastructure designs, laying out the equipment, and essentially trying to get more bars our there that are designed by a bartender and not a kitchen consultant who has no idea what a bar is these days.

JR: Wow, that is a lot.

AD: Oh! And we're writing another book-so there's that too

JR: Another Death & Co book?

AD: It is not..it's a more generalized book, it's with the same publisher...that's about all I can say about it right now.

JR: So what kind of advice or counsel would you be giving to a younger version of yourself, or someone looking to get into the industry in a big way.

AD: I think it's important to note that there's a certain amount of ADHD both in myself and my business partners, which goes a long ways in explaining why we do a lot of what we do

The biggest challenge over the past many years has been trying to navigate our desire to do more with being able to fulfil our obligations. We’ve committed to a ton and are responsible to a lot of people. It’s hard to keep up and we do to varying degrees of success.

So it has certainly been a very big struggle, trying to balance being present for our existing properties while pursuing some of these new opportunities, and that's the thing, there are always new opportunities, and we're in the incredibly privileged position where we have new opportunities come our way. If I were answering this question five years ago I would be saying we were doing a terrible job, constantly scraping after obligations and trying to react as opposed to being proactive to challenges that arise.

I would say within the past year we've found some ways of dividing some of the responsibilities within our organization and empowering people on the local venue level to make decisions because we trust them, and because we're hiring better than we ever did in the past. Or at least that’s our ambition. More work in progress.

And then on more of a personal level, we had to define what balance was for each of us. It was a big step for me to say a couple years ago that while I love being on a plane going off to some exotic place on a project there is a big part of me that crave some personal stability and really stating that for myself and for my business partners really allowed a chance to step back and say, this is what I can do, and this is what I'm willing to do for my profession, and I'm not going to sacrifice my health or happiness for anything. Dipping into my mid-thirties and having that sort of wisdom moment was more important me for anything else.

It's great to be ambitious, but that life/work balance is even more important. I think there's thing that are specific to this industry that are tricky in terms of that balance One of them is the outward appearance of business, like this conversation you and I are having, or Facebook. And the difference between that and actually being good at what you do. And I struggle with that myself

So, there's something to be said for having an inner conversation and saying, what am I truly capable of, and what am I telling people I'm capable of, cause those are two very different things.

Spirited Pride: Ryan Robles

Photo: Maren Caruso

When I was talking with the folks from Campari America about the scope of this Spirited Pride series of interviews with LGBTQ professionals in the cocktail and spirits world, I proposed expanding beyond bartenders to people working in other aspects of the industry. My friend Ryan Robles, a highly imaginative PR powerhouse who's based in San Francisco,  and who's worked on Negroni Week there for the past 4 years  immediately came to mind. I met Ryan Robles through our mutual friend Virginia Miller, who described his unbridled creativity around his PR projects to me: "Ryan always goes above and beyond, being both personal and creative with his PR. He's been known to hand deliver artful baskets, Campari-filled donuts from one of the top bakeries around (baked fresh that morning), and other beautiful, standout packages that represent a very personal side with his clients like Campari.” It's these creative flourishes that really make his PR and marketing initiatives stand out, and he runs his very Willy Wonka creative agency out of his delightfully eclectic house in Bernal Heights. His clients include Octavia, Frances, 1760, Loló, Onsen –- a new bathhouse concept launching in the Tenderloin this fall -- and a handful of other lifestyle brands. I thought I'd let Ryan take the wheel for his own intro—PR likes to handle its own spin, of course.

JR: So give me the elevator pitch: who's Ryan Robles?

RR: I'm Ryan Robles, I run a boutique creative agency out of San Francisco, focused on publicity, events, creative campaigns, social media and influencer marketing for lifestyle concepts, restaurants, bars, and spirit brands.

JR: So talk me about the journey that got you into the PR side of things.

RR: Well, in early 2000s I was throwing late night underground discos in San Francisco with my best friend Marcia Gagliardi (aka Tablehopper.com). These were much bigger ideas than typical club nights. We really tried to create conceptual nightlife environments with overarching themes with everything we did together. One night in The Tenderloin we rented the penthouse of an old apartment building that was almost derelict, and recreated the vibe of David Mancuso's legendary Loft parties from the 70s. We also threw a series of pool parties at the Phoenix Hotel called Feather – that were an homage to mid 70s disco bohemian Malibu culture, very LA disco. We also hosted a monthly disco brunch called Rehab which was insanely popular. We had hosts dressed as nurses that would check you in when you arrived and doctors pushing through medical carts filled with Tylenol, Tums, test tube shots and other recovery remedies. I really connected with the creative freedom I had when throwing these parties. I loved curated the soundtrack of the night and creating a lighting concept or installations. Back then I lived in a big warehouse in South of Market – which became my staging area and workshop for building out installations. When we threw these parties, we also did the PR for them as well. And back then San Francisco was more of a nightlife city-- everyone went out dancing, so there were a ton of event listing sites, and more outlets willing to cover crazy club nights or happenings. This is around the time I decided I wanted to become a publicist, even though I don't think I quite knew what a publicist did.

Back in the day...

Somehow I was able to convince a few up and coming designers to let me represent them, and my rate was so ridiculously low, looking back I don't even know how I did that. I had 2 designers hire me to set up media tours for them in NY which I somehow pulled off, and then I started getting hired to do local boutique launches, so I'd organize the parties, and press around each opening. I was so scrappy back then – I'd come in with photographers, DJs, set up the food that was served on vinyl. We literally had no budget for any of this, but somehow made it all work. I really connected with the creative freedom I had when throwing these parties. I loved curating the soundtrack of the night and creating a lighting concept or installations.

After a while I was ready for a change. I wanted to do something new, but didn’t know what that was. At the time I had a friend that had recently moved to Sydney, and suggested I move there – and pretty much on the spur of the moment I did. It was 2007.

Shortly after arriving I met a woman named Jackie Milliash. She was a well-known restaurateur with a wild and notorious local profile. She had owned a hot restaurant destination called Jackie's that was located on Bondi Beach. The restaurant had closed just before I arrived, and when I had met Jackie – she was in the process of opening her next restaurant, called Jackie's Café – which was located in Paddington. It was an unusual concept where you had this cozy restaurant concept with really lovely café-style food inside, but directly across from it, on the other side of the patio area, there was a long omakase-style sushi bar with some of the top sushi chefs in Sydney. Even with the little experience that I had in hospitality, I knew that this was very innovative at the time.

Jackie and I got along like a house on fire. She was a little crazy (which I loved), but had huge heart and was a lot of fun. She taught me so much about the restaurant industry. At one point, I was basically running Jackie's Café. Its where I learned the nuts and bolts of running a restaurant. I went through the process of opening this spot with her, so I knew how much food cost, how to price dishes, and how to be a host and server. I also helped her with a little bit of marketing and PR. I remember us getting a lot of press. It was the only place where you could go to get this traditional Australian lunch or get sushi in a totally chic setting. Working with Jackie is when I fell in love with the hospitality industry.

Ryan's home office in Bernal Heights.

When it was time to move back to San Francisco, I knew that I wanted to continue working in this industry, but really didn’t know how to go about doing that. I was a terrible server, and didn’t have a ton of experience, but knew that this is where I belonged. I loved how passionate people were in this industry, and how insane they could be at the same time. I wanted to be a part of the community.
After moving back to San Francisco, I was introduced to Christopher Losa, the owner of an incredible Italian restaurant in the Mission, called Bar Bambino. It was like this gorgeous oasis located in a dicey part of the neighborhood, and in the middle of all this urban mayhem. Christopher took a chance on me, and hired me to help develop an events program for the restaurant. It was a perfect fit for me at the time. My role eventually evolved into curating off-site events for the restaurant, where I got to exercise the creativity that I loved when I was throwing late night parties, but there was also this elevated food and wine component to them as well.

One of the events we did was for a new dance theatre that was being built just next to the restaurant, called the ODC Theater. We produced this stylish four-course dinner essentially in the middle of a construction zone. We created these big pendant light installations out of construction string lights, built tables, and brought in a working kitchen and chefs to create the dinner experience – which was so much fun. After that I started getting hired to do weddings, and other VIP-style events.

Soon after I was hired by a local agency to do publicity for restaurants. That is when I learned the actual process of  doing PR. I caught on quickly, but realized I wasn’t really an agency kind of guy. That’s when I decided to start my own business. Soon after, I met Campari America, and then started working on Negroni Week. It all pretty much snowballed from there.

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Ryan's Bernal Heights home office.

PRO PR TIPS FOR BARTENDERS:

TALKING TO PRESS:

When talking to a journalist about your cocktail, bar or program – it’s important to have a easy-to-understand concept statement or elevator pitch that's concise to transmit. I like to work with clients on practicing the top three main talking points to communicate for each opportunity that we are creating or that comes our way. These are tailored to the story that is being written or they are being interviewed for. I always recommend that these three talking points are communicated first in any interview or discussion. This way, if you have a tendency to ramble or get side tracked talking about a specific cocktail or a story – you’ve already given the writer what they need up front. It’s all about being efficient with the information you are giving. I also think it’s important to read the last couple of stories the journalist who is interviewing your has written to understand their writing style, and what they are most likely to cover. This can save you some time with the info you are giving. you’ve given.

If the question is about your concept – your response should be able to be given in one sentence. If the question is about your cocktail style – this should be one sentence as well. Also, in this day and age and in most metropolitan cities, it’s usually a given that you are using seasonal and local ingredients, so find a way another way to describe what you are doing. I think it’s important to let the writer know your cocktails are being made with integrity, but don’t hang your hat on soley that. Find a way deeper way to describe what you are creating.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Also, if a writer or editor gets in touch with you about using one of your drinks in a story or featuring your bar in some way, prioritize that return email. Get back to them as soon as possible, and don't delay on getting them recipes of answering follow up questions—this can easily make the difference between making it into a story or not. Writers can be disorganized and can be fighting tight deadlines, too—helping them out by responding swiftly can make a big difference in this whole equation. And if you're consistently highly responsive to writers' and editors' queries and requests you will start to be on their shortlist of who o contact when they need something to flesh out a piece in a hurry. This can mean much more coverage for your and your bar in the long run.JR.

PHOTO READY: It's super important to have professional photos available if they are being asked about cocktails, as well as be responsive on email. Most of your opportunities will come through that way. 

INSTAGRAM:

This is a great tool to use as a portfolio of your work. My biggest piece of advice is be thoughtful about the images you are posting. Photos of cocktails or food in dim lighting don’t look appetizing or appealing. You want your image to stand out and represent you. Be distinctive. If you love to share what you are creating behind the bar, photograph it during the day with good natural lighting. You’ll get a lot more engagement. Also, research the best hashtags to use as well. This will increase the amount of views of your post.

Also, make sure your profile is not set to private. Again, think of your Instagram almost like a digital portfolio of you work. We’ve received quite a few media opportunities based solely on the content we are curating for our clients on Instagram. Lastly, make sure you are following all the top spirit writers and outlets in your market and nationally. It’s an easy way to get in front of editors that you may never have the opportunity to actually meet. 

 

A COUPLE COOL NEGRONI WEEK PROJECTS RYAN DEVELOPED

Jen Macias of the Portland design form Fine-Counsel and her boyfriend Alejandro de la Parra of Teardrop Lounge have been collaborating on a series of posters called Cocktail Propaganda. When Ryan found out about the posters he wound us using this Negroni focused one as part of his Negroni Week projects in San Francisco. And quite a rich  line-up of contributors to this poster--Julie Reiner of Clover Club and Leyenda, Scott Baird & Josh Harris of the Bon Vivants, Jeff Morgenthaler of Clyde Common and Pepe le Moko and Pamela Wiznitzer of Seamstress and USBG NY. (Posters are available through Bull in China.)

 

Ryan put together a special screening of La Dolce Vita at Alamo Drafthouse SF during Negroni Week.

Ryan in the kitchen at client restaurant, Octavia.

SAGE NEGRONI

 PHOTO: Wes Rowe

Ryan has shared the recipe for one of his recent favorite cocktails with us,  from Christopher Longoria, who's Bar Manager at Ryan's client restaurant, 1760, on San Francisco's Polk Street.

 SAGE NEGRONI

In a cocktail tin

ADD: .75oz  Sage infused Campari
3 sage leaves.

MUDDLE

ADD: 2oz dry gin
.5oz dry vermouth
1oz Carpano Antica Formula
2 dash orange bitters

Stir for 20seconds.

Strain through a Hawthrone strainer and sieve into a Nick and Nora cocktail glass.

Sage Infused Campari Solution

For 1 cup of Campari (or 226.8ml)
ADD: 15.1 grams of sage
Vacuum pack.  
Leave sealed for two days.

La Capilla & Liquor Cabinet App Shoot for NYT T Style: Behind The Scenes

Spent a fun couple of hours in my friend Shawn Kelley's backyard in South Park Slope a couple weeks ago, organizing a shoot to illustrate a piece about Patrick Janelle and Maxwell Britten's new cocktail app, Liquor Cabinet, for NYT T Style. Photographer Collin Hughes came round and Patrick styled up a nice little cocktail party for him to shoot. Above, Patrick's partner in Spring Street Social Society Amy Virginia Buchanan relaxes while Collin shoots.

There was a lot going on at Shawn's that afternoon. The previous day had been her annual carnivore & rose BBQ, when a boisterous gang of folks from the spirits and cocktail world descend upon the backyard and feast on meat and a seemingly endless array of bottles of rose--200 bottles by my count, and that's doing the math around 85 guests, all of whom brought at least 1 bottle, many who brought 2, and some who brought 4 (kudos to them). The party had gone strong from 2:00 PM to 2:00 AM, and yet somehow the place was all tidied up and basically spotless when we came in to shoot at 5:00 PM on Sunday. Shawn had already ducked over to Quarter Bar, her neighborhood spot (that had just happened to make Wondrich's Best Bars list in Esquire) for their 9th anniversary party. David Moo, one of the owners, showed up to heat up some food for the party in Shawn's oven. Photographer Doron Guild came through to grab the phone he'd left behind the night before (he wasn't the only one to do so.) The place was a bit of a beehive.

 Maxwell zested limes onto watermelon wedges as Patrick looked on and Collin shot.

Shawn showed up as we were getting underway and offered Patrick a look at her extensive silver and glassware arsenal, which had recently been neatly organized and labelled in her basement by personal organizer Lisa Grant. Patrick took to this silver platter that wound up featuring in the shoot.

It was cool to watch another photographer do what I find myself doing frequently--shooting groups of people enjoying cocktails, and trying to capture some defining moment, or moments. You look, you move around, you read the group without even thinking about it, you're imagining what could work, you're in constant motion as you assess and reassess the possibilities, and search for that one shot that says it all.

He looks....

 

He shoots.

Capturing Patrick & Maxwell.

Collin Hughes

Patrick Janelle

Maxwell Britten