Good Morning! This week we are talking about industry culture and how it has changed rapidly over the years. Lots of opinions and musings but also hopefully a chance to start some conversations. Let us know how you feel either in the comments, via our form on the website, or on social media. We love to talk about this kind of stuff.

Anyway, onto this weeks newsletter!

The Article Making Rounds and Sparking Good Conversation

This week Lui sent me an article written by “one of the best bartenders and cocktail authors” - in his own words. I’ve seen a couple other industry professionals repost it since then and I think it’s definitely something worth talking about. The article, written by Jeffery Morgenthaler, talks about the current strengths and weaknesses in the bartending profession. Although it actually tries not to ‘back in my day…’ you there is a hint of that in there too.

Essentially Morgenthaler argues that bartenders today have more knowledge than ever before but it is costing them the art of hospitality. I have to say that reading this really resonated with me. As someone who has been out of the game for some years now I often get imposter syndrome in bar and spirits settings. There are so many bartenders and spirits reps that I meet that just seem to know SO MUCH and although I pride myself on knowing a great deal, the truth is, I am not nearly as knowledgeable.

What I haven’t experienced much lately (except for on my trip to Washington DC) is real, great conversation with a bartender. The best I usually get is at my local dive bar, which is actually a dive and not a designer dive, and even there the bartenders are sometimes too busy or not in the mood for much conversation. Being a parent to two little humans I often go out at odd hours if I get out at all. I end up being one of the “first” dinner patrons most evenings and I rarely hit peak busy hours anywhere I go. That’s why reading this article struck me. I wasn’t imagining it - bartenders aren’t chatting with guests the same way I remember when I was on the other side.

When Lui and I worked behind the bar together that was a way in which the two of us really thrived - talking to the guests. When it was slow, or we had a lull because we had been flat sat at the bar and everyone was at the same content state, we would find regulars or new guests and try and make a connection. It’s something that Lui has been very vocal about prioritizing at his own restaurant now: connecting on a human level with everyone who enters your establishment.

This isn’t to say that somehow the shift from tuned-in, people-first bartending to knowledge-based, trend-setting bartending happened in a vacuum. There are a number of factors that brought us here. The internet isn’t a new place but the young talent coming to work behind the bar definitely has a different relationship with it than even Lui and I had. Being constantly immersed in information and innovation about cocktails can certainly influence a person’s priorities. The point is, our dedication to knowing more has sacrificed the ‘soft’ skills that make great bartenders truly great. Being able to chat with guests, keep up with tickets and guest orders, and look happy doing it - all at the same time - is a rare skill these days but it doesn’t have to be.

The Quiet Shrinking of Inventory That Leads to Closures All Over

When you wake up to a new hell everyday in the news it can be hard to notice all of the small ways in which our industry is being effected. We’ve talked plenty about how tariffs and boycotts are impacting the spirits sector in the US but we often miss how this spills down into the bar industry directly. Way back when it was warm I wrote about the impacts of local bars on the local community, basically how ‘third spaces’ are huge pillars of community connection. This exact concept is why this article caught my eye.

Bar programs are struggling to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of spirits in this country. When it comes to smaller neighborhood bars and restaurants the impact of current trade policies can be felt more acutely. Lynnette Marrero, partner at a Brooklyn bar, writes about how their bar is at the mercy of the current spirits market. She talks about having to rework the menu constantly to make better margins to stay afloat. She talks about buying whatever is on sale, knowing they won’t be able to rebuy when the sale is over, to make sure bar profits can keep them from making kitchen and staffing cuts. This is the reality that the majority of businesses in this industry are facing right now. These places can’t afford to pass the cost on to consumers because their consumers are also barely getting by.

For those who can’t keep up with the constant pivots needed to stay above water, closure is the only real option. When neighborhood bars start closing we lose the essential ‘third spaces’ that create community and connect marginalized groups. To be fair we would still have other community centers - but there really is nothing like the unfiltered musings of inebriated bar guests to really get conversations happening. Let’s hope we can get our act together and get some relief in this industry before we lose anymore essential small businesses.

How One Collector is Sharing His Exclusive Collection For Shockingly Low Prices

Whenever I travel I absolutely do my fair share of cocktail tourism. What I don’t always do is go to whiskey bars. I don’t find it worth the money to go sip exclusive whiskey at a bar. More often than not the coolest whiskeys, the ones I might actually want to taste but not buy a whole bottle of, are over $100 an ounce and I just can’t justify that kind of spending. I would, however, make time to visit Hop Sing Laundromat in Philadelphia, PA.

The mysterious man behind the magic of Hop Sing goes by one name: Lê. Like Madonna or Cher, there is no surname, just Lê. He’s an avid collector and an eccentric but it seems also somewhat of a romantic at heart. He’s decided to start pouring bottles from his own private collection at his bar Hop Sing Laundromat. This might seem like a business move driven by money but his prices say otherwise.

His friend and author of the above linked article, Jason Sheehan, claims that the true reason Lê is pouring from his stash is that he loves to share. In his words: “the real reason is that he likes collecting things. But he also likes sharing them. He likes letting other people experience those things that they might not otherwise be able to. Because, really, what good is a bottle of whiskey just sitting on a shelf? It’s an inert object. Useless. Collecting value, maybe, but not doing anything.” And I have to say I really admire that about this mysterious man that I know nothing else about.

So, if you need a pin to put in your map on your next trip to Philly I would definitely put Hop Sing on your list.

This one I’m posting as an industry related talking-point. I have long thought the same way as the people in this video but have also always showed up early to avoid this conversation. In the US there is some insane work culture that puts all of the onus of time on the underpaid staff, essentially equating to free labor. What are your feelings on “being on time”? Does your shift start when you’re scheduled for or some time before that?

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