Iris got her start bartending in San Francisco at a historic lesbian bar and has since transformed her career into organizing large scale LGBTQ and Pride events. For years she worked as a bartender and successful event planner, but those two roles have recently stalled due to the pandemic. On this episode of Bar Dive, we talk about the awkwardness of starting out as a new bartender, what it’s like to plan inclusive events and what Iris hopes will be the next evolution of the service industry.

Iris' Recommendations for Black-Owned Restaurants in Oakland
Lois the Pie Queen
The Cook and her Farmer
The Veg Hub
Oeste
Miss Ollie's

Social Media Links
Iris' Instagram
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

On this episode of Bar Dive we talk with Matthew; a sommelier and Director of Fine Wine for a boutique distribution company in Las Vegas. Matthew shares how he became enamored with the wine industry and why it hasn’t been the easiest career path for his family to understand. We also chat about what it’s like to launch a new business venture in the time of corona.

Social Media Links
Matthew's Instagram
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

In Brevard, North Carolina, Spencer has mastered the art of juggling multiple jobs to balance the seasonality of business in his small town. Bartender, Radio DJ, Sales Rep, Music Booker, Festival Emcee, Dog Sitter and Trivia Host are his current titles and it’s this diversification that has made Spencer better suited to get through a pandemic that continues to ravage the service industry.

Safety concerns and dwindling savings are leading many who’ve previously made a living working in bars to step back and consider, is it even feasible to stay in this industry? Are there ways to be a bartender without physically serving customers? On this episode of Bar Dive, we talk with Dion, a front of house manager and bartender from Denver who creates cocktails on his YouTube channel, Barkeep’s Choice. His videos are part entertainment, part craft technique, part history lesson, and garnished with a political view or two.

Social Media Links
Dion's Instagram
Dion's YouTube Channel
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

On this episode of Bar Dive we talk with Camille, the bar manager at Portland restaurant, Quaintrelle and the founder of Cavan & Co Cocktail Kits. With a degree in sociology and an emphasis in women’s studies, Camille shares both her experience as an innovative cocktail creator and her thoughts on how we can make the service world more equitable for everyone.

Social Media Links
Camille's Instagram
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

On this episode of Bar Dive we chat with Ashly, a Miami based bartender and agave enthusiast who's eager to get back to work. We talk tequila, tipping culture and whether it’s possible, or even makes sense, for the service industry to return to the way it was.

Social Media Links
Ashly's Instagram
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

On the second episode of Bar Dive, we chat with John, a Seattle bartender and first time restaurateur, who is navigating opening his business during the coronavirus pandemic. John talks whisky, the future of Seattle bars, and why he remains optimistic about his venture even in the face of uncertainty.

Social Media Links
The Ballard Cut Instagram
Bar Dive Instagram
Bar Dive Facebook

In this first episode of Bar Dive, we talk with Kundan, a bartender with 20 years experience in the service industry. She's spent the last eight years of her career at Zam Zam, a San Francisco bar located in historic Haight-Ashbury that's been open since 1941. Kundan shares her insights on finding a balance between bartending and creating art, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and the one thing we could all be doing to make life easier for ourselves and others.