Madeline McQuillan

I cherish the fleeting moments of human connection found at a bar. Whether someone’s had a tough day or a life-changing event, once they sit down, everything can shift. Troubles fade, spirits lift, strangers become friends, and ideas flow. My craft cocktail program brings me creative release, but I love the challenge of making sure everyone gets what they enjoy. As a bartender, I see myself as a bridge between people, enhancing both their experience and my own growth as a person.

I am a whiskey woman, through and through. No matter what, I always come back to an old fashion. While it is a classic and fairly simple drink, it can be elevated a hundred different ways. I Incorporate smoke into mine by heating up an orange peel with a match, expressing the orange over the flame, seal the smoke and match into the mixing glass to infuse the cocktail, and mix. Simple, yet smokily elevated. Perfection.

With 20k I would pursue my interests in whiskey distilling. A hobby that I recently inherited from a chef, mentor, and friend, Keith Corbin. Keith has given me hands-on experience with mash builds, fermentation, and the true craftsmanship that goes into whiskey making. My time in the industry has provided me with an introduction to many master distillers of various creeds, it would be a dream to learn more and hone my own skills. It's a craft I have fallen in love with and would love to exlore.