Good morning and happy holiday weekend! If you’re behind the bar and you don’t work at a beachside or waterfront location we hope you see at least a little bit of business this weekend. This week we have some news from all corners of the industry, most notably the unionization of New York’s Attaboy. What does this news say about the bar world at large?

Come talk to us over on our Discord server about all things booze and news while you’re at it.

Same Story, Different Brand

If you’ve been here a while you know that we have covered a number of stories that revolve around big tequila companies and adulterated tequila. Here’s a quick list of our coverage for those who aren’t caught up:

This newest story isn’t exactly ground breaking and it isn’t entirely shocking but still worth reporting on because it shows that nothing has really changed. In a class action lawsuit filed on April 3 against Teremana tequila, famously backed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the plaintiff claims that “the brand falsely markets itself as "100% agave," "small batch" and "handcrafted."“ After independent lab testing the plaintiff claims that there was evidence of at least 10% cane or corn derived ethanol in the tequila. The plaintiff may have some grounds for their suit on the claim of being 100% blue webber agave but unfortunately there is no real definition for the terms “small batch” or “handcrafted” in the American tequila market.

If true, these allegations show that these big tequila brands have learned nothing from past lawsuits and are back to their same old tricks. Basically big tequila is selling ‘mixto’ and marketing it as 100% agave while charging premium pricing. Whether or not the parent company, Siete Bucks Spirits, or Johnson himself know about the alleged adulteration is another issue entirely which only continues to highlight the issues that many have with celebrity tequila. When big names hop on the agave spirits trend with no real experience or knowledge they end up inflating the image of brands that are peddling mediocre product for premium prices.

What Does This Win Mean For the Bar World At Large

When the bartenders of Attaboy in New York made the move to unionize there was a significant amount of doubt that they would succeed. Unionization efforts had been made by other bar teams in the past, and at bars of similar stature, but had failed. The newly formed union, Attaboy Local 134, won in a vote of its 21 staff members, 13-8. It is one of very few unions in the bartending/hospitality industry and is especially unique because it was born out of such a small business to begin with.

Critics of the unionization efforts have time and again cited that a union on such a small scale doesn’t make much sense, that a broader bartender’s union would prove more useful, but the organizers have very clear goals: “a stronger voice in workplace policies, improved channels for feedback and input, more transparent and accessible benefits for all employees, better job protections, and enhanced workplace safety.”

The owners of Attaboy have been fairly quiet during this push to unionize but noticeably took council with legal representation known for union busting, more relevantly for representing ownership against unionization at Death & Co not many years ago. The silence that was previously felt from ownership has been broken with owners Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy stating to sources that they initially felt blind-sighted by the sudden push to unionize by their staff. Sam Ross has posted to his own personal Instagram with a very eloquent explanation of his feelings on the whole thing which has of course drawn comments from all corners of the internet.

The post is ten slides long with white text on a black background that attempts to explain the thoughts and emotions that ownership has been facing in all of this. If nothing else it is an intriguing look inside the mind of one of the owners as all of this has played out.

The bigger conversation coming out of this union win is really about how this dynamic will work in an industry so unaccustomed to it. Two out of three bars that were cited in the article by Jake Emen for SevenFifty Daily (linked above) that have unionized have since closed, with the third closing and reopening since unionizing. We now get to watch in real time what goes right and what goes wrong with unionizing in this industry.

The Quiet Changes Being Made Right Under Our Noses

Sysco has been partnering with Michelin since 2024, being named Michelin’s ‘official wholesale food distribution partner’. Sysco has been the subject of a number of different discussions, mostly centered around the dominating position it holds in the American prepared food market. They recently made headlines after purchasing Restaurant Depot, one of the last lines of refuge for restaurant owners looking to escape the rising costs of Sysco, and are largely viewed as a monopoly in the industry.

So what has this partnership done exactly? It’s cheapening a distinction that previously represented the upper echelon of gastronomy, sustainability, and innovation. It is also thought to be the reason that one distinction has quietly faded out of existence in the Michelin Guide: the “Green Star”.

The goals of the two establishments seem to be at odds with each other. As The Grape Reset states in their post about the pairing:

Although this corporate partnership has been praised for helping bring a pathway for emerging chefs with their Young Chef Award the conflict between the core elements of the two entities is clear. While the current climate works for both of these giants it doesn’t seem like a pairing destined to last.

In a time when everything is expensive and food is no exception there is no better time to try your hand at gardening. Even if you have no idea what you are doing, there is something you could grow or forage for yourself. This show is an absolute DELIGHT. I could not stop laughing during certain bits. And the kicker is, I actually learned some things! I am already a gardener but I am no expert and this was just a perfect and lighthearted way to connect to gardening at a time when it seems especially critical.

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