We’re fortunate to share so many beautiful moments with bartenders around the globe. While World Bartender Day is a day of recognition, it is our honor to create, promote, and share the efforts of a community that moves the world in so many ways year round. 

At Academia Patrón, we know that bartenders are more than the drinks they make. Join us in celebrating these U.S. bartenders mixing up more than cocktails by exploring their unique talents beyond the bar. 

Follow along and support: @geryn_

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I find it through my artwork.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
Practicing art and my life beyond the bar motivates me creatively to just do things to the best of my ability.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Bartending influences me through craft and precision. It helps to remember the vision and the goal of what you’re pursuing in the first place.

Follow along and support: @dannycreamcity

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
By doing stand-up comedy and making people around me laugh. Making others people’s day better in turn does the same for me.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
My motivation and inspiration come from making sure people have fun at my shows. I harness that feeling and bring that energy back to my bar.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
The bar where I work has a smaller capacity than most bars in Miami. It has an intimate vibe during the day. Many good conversations and stories take place in these moments. I am influenced by those experiences and convert them to material for the stage.

Follow along and support: @woodandwolfe @wastedtruthpod

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I like to do things that make me feel good and bring me joy. Working out, staying organized, eating good food, hanging out with friends, my boyfriend, and my dog Jack, and traveling whenever I can! I focus on building my business which brings personal fulfillment. As a mom-to-be, it is important for me to keep a work/​life balance.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
It allows me to focus on the things within my control. When I’m behind the bar I can focus on having a good time and making people happy. At the end of the day, if I’m not happy with myself as a person then I find it hard to enjoy the work we do as bartenders. Life’s too short to sweat the small stuff. I take care of myself and the rest will follow.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Being a bartender influences almost everything in my life! Not only in my permanent jewelry business but in personal relationships as well. People seek out experiences and when I’m behind the bar I’m here to make memories with the people that choose to come into Old Glory just as people who choose my permanent jewelry business for their special occasions. There are many bars just as there are permanent jewelry businesses but how you make people feel and the connections you make with them sets you apart, both as a bartender and business owner.

Follow along and support: @tarziertunes // Spotify link to Mark’s work

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
By creating and performing music. I find music and mixology to be creative in nature. 

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
The challenge of making something from nothing that people can consume and enjoy translates to crafting recipes for my bar.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Learning to not get too attached to ideas and recognizing the audience in bartending has really helped me to be an efficient music producer. I might have a complex, involved idea that I really love, but am I also doing a good job at communicating that idea in a format that people will understand and love as much as I do? The balance of staying true to my initial creative spark and artistic integrity while keeping the consumer in mind is a difficult line to walk, and creating menus at an upscale concept certainly helps with that.

Follow along and support: @nataliethecatalie | www.thirstyart.com

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
By painting with wine and spirits as my medium. 

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
Attention to detail and thinking outside of the box. Creating things that are naturally already beautiful.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Understanding that every move counts. Intention and care in any kind of work are what bring the best results in my life.

Follow along and support: @camryn.brennan

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I need to be creating in order to be fulfilled. I love making clothes, taking photos, writing, and making pottery. I follow my mood.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
I think when I’m in a creative flow, it benefits every part of my life. If I’m feeling creative outside of work, I am almost certainly feeling creative with my cocktails. I view the cocktails I create as art like any other.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Being a bartender has made me put a lot of thought into the idea of balance. Both creatively for my art outside of work, and practically by making me realize the importance of a work/​life balance. When you are passionate about something, it can be hard to know when you need a break. It’s important for me to pour energy into all of the avenues of my creativity, not just the one I’m monetizing.

Follow along and support: IG: @gentrysbakedagain

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I head to the gym. It’s just as much for my mental health as it is for my physical health.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
Every interaction outside of work affects me as a bartender. It’s an opportunity to bring in new business and build new clientele and regular base. 

My inspiration and motivation are always there simply because I strive to be the best at anything I do.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
As a bartender, I am constantly creating new cocktails according to people’s tastes, which aligns perfectly with baking and creating cheesecakes.

Follow along and support: @by_dre | www.andreagrujic.com | //zez.am/by__dre

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I feel like the line between work and leisure has been quite blurry lately. Even when I’m off, I often invest time and energy into growing my brand beyond the bar. I freelance as a Photographer and Social Media Manager, so no matter what I do, I find that fulfillment always stems from creativity. 

While bartending has been my main calling for over eight years, being able to challenge myself in other creative areas has been incredibly rewarding. The amount of support I’ve received from the industry has been immense as new opportunities arise with every new pop-up, event, seminar, and brand campaign. I enjoy exploring new depths of my photography and videography skills, and looking for new ways to evolve and be better than I was yesterday; that’s fulfillment to me.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
Our industry can be energy-draining at times, making it important to understand my own limits and know when to pump the brakes. Realizing the importance of physical as well as mental recovery after long photoshoots have encouraged me to implement the same approach when bartending. When I’m well rested, my creative flow is much more powerful which I then channel into creating new drinks, making connections with my guests, and being an overall happier person. 

This past year I had the opportunity to capture events such as Tales of the Cocktail, Bar Convent Brooklyn & various bar pop-ups in which I had the pleasure and honor of meeting some of the best bartenders, and mentors, and industry veterans in the world. Facilitating those relationships has inspired me to continue discovering new ways to combine media and hospitality through a variety of projects while also growing my personal brand. Ambitious, but it’s possible.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Understanding the industry from within has proven to be a major advantage in my approach to photography and other media projects. As someone who has extensive knowledge of spirits, and the food & beverage industry as well as familiarity with the current scene and trends, I know what to look for, capture and highlight. 

The people whose cocktails I was making just a few years ago are now eager to work with me beyond the bar. They trust me. It’s one of the most genuine bonds I’ve built thus far.

Follow along and support: @Leaf_and _​Shaker @the.cocktail.bandit

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
By spending time in my garden and with my house plants.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
It helps me use ingredients not commonly found at a commercial store and think outside of the box.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
It allows me to expand within the drinks I create and cultivate knowledge of what I use day-to-day behind the bar.

Follow along and support: @daijoubu.popup @caermaiko

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
I find it through my family and art. I have a 1‑year-old (Kimiko) with my husband (Sam). My daughter and I love to garden together. I went to art school to study animation and film. I occasionally dabble, but I am very actively illustrating and making ceramics.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
I love being able to impact the whole experience. I’m growing some Japanese citrus in my yard right now. I would love to make a cocktail with that and serve it in a ceramic cup I made.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
I keep the same things in mind with more traditional art as I do bartending. For me, an experience that brings the guest or viewer happiness, comfort or belonging is one and the same.

Follow along and support: @coolhandco @52remedies @lucasryden | www.coolhandco.com | www.52remedies.com

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
Through surfing, trail running, and making shrubs.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
Spending a little time in nature every day, whether in the ocean or on a hiking trail, does wonders for my mental state behind the bar. On the surface level, it helps me relax, focus, and maintain a healthy perspective on drinking and how I treat my body. On a deeper level, it reminds me that everything that goes into a cocktail is part of those natural playgrounds, and should be treated with respect and integrity. A running sink, half a lime at the end of the night; you start to pay attention to these things and treat them differently when you see how fragile and connected they are. I’m definitely not perfect or a hardcore ​“zero waste” bartender, but I do try to care about those things, and getting outdoors encourages that mentality.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Bartending involves a weird kind of solitude: you’re surrounded by people but alone in your own well, responsible for your tickets, your creativity, and cleaning up at the end of the night. I think that solitude has informed other areas of my life and hobbies. There’s nothing like surfing a peak to yourself, and I’ll always be happy to walk a little further up the beach to get to that section nobody else is on. The same goes with trail running or starting my own shrub company, I’ve always enjoyed doing things that connect you to nature and your own humanity, but doing them (mostly) alone.

Follow along and support: @cniv89 @cofdreamsart

How do you find fulfillment outside of work?
By creating art and hanging out with those I love.

How does what you do outside of work affect, inspire, and motivate you as a bartender?
When I am able to do my art and have time to myself, it allows my creative energies to flow. It grounds me and creates space for more innovative ideas. Once inspiration starts to expand I get new ideas for cocktails and a zest for life.

How does being a bartender influence your art, craft, and/​or practice?
Being a bartender you really are giving a piece of yourself away to those that come and sit at your bar. As well you pick up and learn new things from all walks of life. Creating art is the same thing. You are giving a piece of your inner self for the world to see. Creating pieces where you are trying to connect to your audience and give them a sense of being understood and not alone. Being a bartender helps me practice that inter­con­nect­ed­ness with the world. That we all want to be seen, heard, understood, and loved.