Good Morning! I hope you are all safe and sound this week and everyone you know is safe. I’m not really sure how to write this weeks newsletter, it has been an insane week for me personally. We had our second ever private dinner with our friends at Mezcal de Leyendas at my bar, Ember & Alma, and it was a massive success! We had a packed house, and actually had more people than we anticipated. So if you were one of the guests, we really hope you enjoyed your evening. And if you weren’t, well you missed out on one hell of a party.

We will be hosting our next private dinner tentatively on Wed Feb 26th! Say tuned for the official announcement & of who we are doing this dinner with.

Last week I talked about how I was posting 4 weeks of straight travel content from last year. I started with a video from my visit to the Legendary Patron distillery, and followed it up with a deep dive into what makes a Tahona special from my trip to the Volcan Distillery, but this week I actually broke that with a new video where I went shopping for tequila & mezcal!

The Last Three Weeks

I’m going to be honest with you guys for a bit, and I hope that that is okay. I try to be a bit more open on here, way more than on my social media platforms. This week, we aren’t going to focus so much on what we normally do which is things going on in the spirits & bartending / cocktail community. This week I want to speak a bit more personally. These last three weeks have been some of the most frustrating I have ever experienced.

Firstly, I had to walk away from a new Restaurant project that I have spent the last 10 months working on. On top of running 1 restaurant, making content almost every day, writing this newsletter and trying to be a good partner to my wife, We were also working on opening our 2nd concept and bar. And I was so excited! This second restaurant was going to be in a space that I had been frequenting and drinking at since I was 16 (I think i can admit this now almost 16 years later). And it was a restaurant and bar space that so many people cherished (I guess they had also been drinking there since they were 16). We were going to revitalize it and really make it something special. We were going to have 2 bars, a beautiful lounge with leather couches and cozy armchairs, incredible cocktails and kick ass food.

I had spent almost every single day working on this project, I was the point of contact for everyone involved, I was designing layouts, interiors, the graphic design, the kitchen layout, the menus, the bar, the everything.

And just like that, despite having spent an insane amount of money already, we had to pull out of the project. The part that hurts the most, outside of just feeling like I wasted almost a year of my life, is that in part the downfall of this project was caused by prejudice and honestly I’m just going to call it what it was, downright racism by the city officials. This new restaurant & bar was going to be perfect. I’m not quite ready to talk about it in too depth yet, because it makes my blood boil its still too raw. One day ill make a whole video on it, but for now I just need to look forward.

To make that even worse, the last two weeks have been some of the scariest in recent memory for restaurants (and for immigrant people) as a whole. I have some very personal stories I’d like to share about these last few weeks but I do not really feel safe doing so in this current climate. So instead I wrote the following article for this week's newsletter. Don't forget to hug your friends, look out for your neighbors and have a fucking soul.

Why Your Favorite Restaurant Might Be Next to Shut Down

Picture this: you walk into your favorite restaurant, but it feels off—not just fewer diners, but half the staff is gone. The kitchen buzz, clinking plates, and warm greetings are muted. This isn’t a dystopian movie; it’s the reality as immigration crackdowns hit restaurants nationwide. This week, we’re diving into Eater’s report on how these policies are reshaping dining—and what it means for the future. And it does not look good. 

The Tin Building Shake-Up

Take The Tin Building, a massive food hub in NYC’s Seaport District. New management rolled out background checks, and the fallout was brutal: dozens of kitchen and custodial workers—many undocumented—were let go. One worker told Gothamist, “I was out for two days, and when I got back, half the building was gone.”

This isn’t isolated. In Boston, Tatte Bakery & Cafe laid off around 60 workers after IRS paperwork flagged immigration issues. While Tatte offered reimbursement, the layoffs highlight a harsh truth: undocumented workers are the backbone of the industry, yet they’re the first to go when policies tighten.

The Bigger Picture: A Workforce in Peril

Undocumented immigrants make up nearly 1 million restaurant workers nationwide. With stricter policies looming—including potential mass deportations under a second Trump administration—the industry faces a staffing crisis that could redefine dining.

A recent Audacy report warns of restaurants closing, food prices soaring, and produce rotting in fields without workers to harvest it. Sam Sanchez, a Chicago restaurant owner, told Axios, “Without the [undocumented] labor force, restaurants will shut down.” He added, “If we raise wages to attract workers, menu prices will go up. No one is gonna pay $30 or $40 for a burger.”

What’s at Stake for Restaurants?

Already struggling with labor shortages, losing more workers could push restaurants to the brink. Here’s what’s at risk:

• Higher Labor Costs: Fewer workers mean higher wages, leading to pricier menus.

• Reduced Hours or Closures: Some may cut hours, limit services, or shut down entirely.

• Automation and Streamlined Menus: Restaurants might turn to tech or simplify offerings, potentially losing the personal touch.

• Community Impact: Immigrant workers are neighbors and cultural contributors. Their absence leaves a void.

The Economic Domino Effect

The fallout extends beyond restaurants. Undocumented workers paid $96.7billion in taxes in 2022, including $96.7 billion in taxes in 2022, including $25.7 billion in Social Security. 

Jennie Murray, CEO of the National Immigration Forum, told CNBC, “American companies are going to feel the strain on labor costs, and we’re going to be losing the fight for labor.”

A Call for Change

Chef José Andrés is among those pushing for reform, saying, “If I’m opening a Spanish restaurant and want to bring five people from Spain to help me make paella, give me a way to do that.”

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about politics—it’s about people. From dishwashers to line cooks, undocumented workers keep restaurants running. This is about human beings. 

Next time you dine out, think about the hands that prepared your meal. The future of dining depends on them—and their stories matter. And unfortunately, it may already be too late. Lots of people are already saying that folks aren’t showing up to work in fear of ICE deportations. 

Let's get to the truth. So many restaurants will close. The cost of the restaurants that remain will only sky rocket. And more restaurants will close. No one will come to take those positions that were vacated. Restaurants will close. Across the board.  

For more, check out the original articles on Eater and Audacy.

A little sneak peak 👀

We may just have something cool coming very soon . Just wanted to tease it a little bit this week 😈😈

Best Videos we Saw this week

Chris turned a Chocolate Chip cookie into a cocktail.

Do I need to say more?

notjustabartender

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Quick Hits

Following up from out story last week, Schmuck officially opened to the public this week and you can now follow them on Instagram here!

Mezcalistas published a great article about Agave products being made outside of Mexico and he problems that can bring.

Punch published an incredible article by cocktail historian David Wondrich about crazy ass cocktails in bars that use insane techniques, but really it's more the history of the ebb and flow of super experimental cocktails with crazy techniques and ones that aren't about the flare and more about the substance.