John Cooper

Connect What is your favorite thing about being a bartender?

My favorite thing about being a bartender is probably the people. Sure you always have a few guests that can rain on your parade but working as a bartender you get to meet the most interesting people in both your co workers and your guests. And from the difficult guests with the right attitude you can turn them around, some of my most loyal regulars were originally guests who were difficult and through persistence and going the extra mile for them they became some of my most loyal guests.

What is your favorite drink to make and why?

A Southside. For me the Southside cocktail is so overlooked and relatively unknown but has been my go to when anyone wants a refreshing cocktail or wants a cocktail with "anything except for gin". It is a drier spin on the Mojito and depending on the gin you can have a very aromatic spin on the Mojito or a nice clean high proof one.

What would you do with the $20,000?

I would use the $20,000 to finish launching the cocktail syrup brand I have been working on with my wife. It would be used to buy the initial ingredients, labels and bottles. It is a brand that in my opinion is unlike any other direct to consumer simple syrup because I am taking my years of Michelin experience and putting that level of attention and detail into making a syrup with the goal of elevating the cocktail experience of the at home consumer to the level you would get at a high end spot.