This week's guest is Melanie Peridin, who joins us from New York City. Melanie is the North American brand ambassador for Antique, which is a brand within the larger company bottle based in Croatia. Melanie is a self-taught bartender with a redecative experience in the industry. In our interview with Melanie, we discuss how Melanie Peridin experienced working in the retail world to successfully transition into a career in the industry, the many facets of bartending in the effort required to do the job well, and we discuss how Melanie landed her role as a brand ambassador for Antique.
Enjoy the show. Okay, we are back with another episode of the industry podcast. I am Kit. This is Dan.
Hey, that's me. How are you doing? Awesome. Yeah, I have another great day of work.
Oh, it's a great start of the week. Yeah, I took the Friday off because I feel like working. And that just means you get six times more work on the Monday. Sounds like you did that to yourself.
Yeah, I did. Yeah, I work for jumps. I can't buy a lot of tickets. It's going nowhere.
It's the same. Yeah, it's a consistent path I've been taking the last couple of decades. It's a workout. It's going to run ahead.
How do you guys? Pretty good business weekend at the bars. Those bars being Babylon Sisters in Uptown Waterloo Sugar Run in downtown Kitchener. If you're in the area, you should check them out at Babylon Sisters Bar at Sugar and Bark.
But yeah, for January, which is usually a downtime, those bars were both good this weekend. Although we did have one of the things that fucking annoys me the most, which is we had so Babylon was crazy on Saturday night. We ended up being a little short satas result. This year it happens and they were a little short in the kitchen as well.
So these women came in and they ordered two punch bowls and two Tarkuri boards. And I guess they waited to get served for a little bit, which happens when bars are crazy busy and they're a little short staffed. I think they could probably just look around and notice that it was busy. No chances.
They dragged the punch bowls and then they were not pleased with, I guess they were really short on food. So they had to kind of brew stuff to the shurkuri boards in different ways and they were short on the boards. They put them on a bigger board than they normally put them on. So they ended up looking and this shit happens, right?
So they got pretty pissed about it. So the manager ended up copying their entire bill, which I thought was pretty fucking nice because they did drink both full punch bowls. So then they, but these women still posted a review today, like a two star review saying, oh, we wait forever tables. We, the shurkuri boards were not up to our standards.
So they were like, oh, okay, fine. But no mention of the fact that their entire bill got comped. I was like, I just don't get it. Like what are you trying to accomplish?
What are you trying to accomplish? I was told that Jerk's. It's every time I'm sure. Well, but like, but to me, it's like, what was your purpose?
Like you were just so miffed about this that even though you drank, like these punch bowls are huge. Like you drank a shit ton of alcohol for free on us and had the charcuterie boards, even if they weren't up here or standard. So you got them all for free and then you still felt the need to post a shitty review and not mention that actually your problem was addressed at the time by getting everything comped. Well, maybe they were too drunk because you over served them.
Well, I don't over serve anyone because I wasn't there. But anyway, these are the things that drive me nuts. And if you're in the industry, you know, and you're listening to show, which you probably are, you know what I'm talking about. Like this, this Google review shit has got to stop.
Like it's just, it's bad enough that they post a review and then like without even sailing to you. So you didn't even get a chance to address the problem because that's something that happens a lot too. Like they don't say shit and then they go home and post a shitty review. Like give me a chance to address it.
But this, in this case, your problem actually did get addressed. You got your whole bill comped and it's not like they didn't drink and enjoy the punch bowls. Now, can you in a response to the Google review, are you allowed to post stuff like that? Yeah, my experience is best not to engage these people because I just turned into a fight online and it doesn't go anywhere.
It doesn't serve you. It doesn't help you. So I tend to ignore it. Now my manager took it pretty personally.
So she asked if she could respond to it, at least say, Hey, we did comp your bill. And I was like, this one was so egregious. I was like fine. Do it.
But in general, it's not worth it. Right? Like you can't take these reviews first. I just think people need to stop.
Like, I don't know what was what was it that you were trying to accomplish? You came in there, you were inconvenienced for an hour of your 365 days this year. Yeah. And then you felt the need to post something shitty about the place that you went when you got essentially a free bill.
Anyway, that's enough of me venting, but you did ask him why we can't. Yeah, really. Can't wait to post my Google read. Yeah, never ask.
Okay. So we told you where the buyers are. Go check those out. Check out the Instagram pages so you can see what's going on at Sugar Run and add Babylon Sisters.
If you'd like, if you like what we're doing on the show here, post a review. That helps a great deal. Follow us. Give us a star rating.
That helps. And if you'd like to be a guest on the show, you can. Email us info at theindustrypodcast.club or you can be at the industry podcast where you'll find the beautiful artwork from Zacana at Zacana.co. Check them out for all your graphic arts and needs.
We love Zac. Anything else we need to talk about? Yeah. I think that covers it all.
Great. I'm tired of talking. Yeah. Now let's get right to our guests.
Join us from New York City and Melanie Peridin. How are you? Good. How are you?
Good. Thanks so much for joining us on the show. We appreciate you. Thank you very much.
You're a very accomplished. How to put this woman of the industry. You like that terminology? I love it.
Yeah. Yeah. So in all honesty, I met that sincerely. I think it came across a little snarky, but I meant it sincerely.
You are very impressive. You're resume is very impressive. Tell us about how you first got into the service industry. So I think like everyone else you hated retail or whatever job you had and then had to move on.
So that was kind of where I started. I was working at a retail job for a really long time, but my first job ever was a server and also barista. So I thought, okay, why don't I switch back? And I found on Craigslist a position for a morning bartender where they have to set up the bar and do barista work.
So I kind of got the in through past knowledge, but then I got to learn bartending in a very like minimalistic way and build up kind of really easy. For me, it was like a really good trajectory and I just more and more learned. They liked me and gave me some night shifts and then the rest is history. Right.
So you say in your bio that you are self-taught. So like literally you are like a self-taught bartender. So I've got to intimidate like and you grew up in New York City? Yes.
I will admit I have one person like at least from the beginning. There was the bar director there, Rial Petit. He also does some other projects like he's been sprinkled all around the industry as well. Interesting fellow.
So I was just kind of just showing me the basics and then saw that I liked it and wanted to do more. But yeah, I was pretty much just like watching people and asking a lot of questions. But in the end, like I never had like a class or anything like that. It's just like I was a sponge.
Yeah, no, that's self-taught. Obviously you have to have some mentors and some people to teach you. But like that, yeah, it's like you didn't go to school for it and you just kind of found yourself in a position and moved your way out. That's self-taught.
Cool. I'm very, I don't like to sell myself very well. Like I just kind of like to do and show it. But then when I talk about it, I always downplay it.
Of course. Well, that's very humble. But especially in New York City, that must have been a little bit intimidating as you're moving along in your career, right? Like do you have a feeling like, because I think that we all do at a certain point, like you move up in the industry and you're just kind of like all of a sudden you find yourself in a job and you're just kind of like that faking it till you make it idea.
Yeah. Especially in New York. Especially in New York. Like that must be even more intimidating.
Like one of the greatest like cocktail scenes in the world. So many of the best bars in the world are in New York. So describe what that was like. It was definitely intimidating for sure.
I think it was a lot of fun. I think it was a lot of fun. I think it was a lot of fun. It was definitely intimidating for sure.
I think because I usually got into positions either from showing my hard work or from being able to know people into industry and keep going. But because I was self-taught, I did notice I didn't know a lot of the lingo or the terminology or the kind of spirits. So I would definitely feel a little silly sometimes before even knowing how to say a heart-thrown strainer or jigger or anything like that. I was like, oh, the thingy.
I think what helped me progress in my career is I have really great customer service capabilities that I learned from my parents. customer service capabilities that I learned from retail and also just kind of like my personality I realized I can kind of make myself in a the best customer service robot possible because there's like a way I feel like a almost like an equation of how you should do everything. So like when I kind of put myself out of it and was really like attentive to the customers, that's kind of what made people notice me more and then my skills just caught up to that and it helped me out. Yeah, like and the customer service thing is always going to be the most important like the rest of the stuff can be taught.
I do feel like there is natural talent that goes into say cocktail creation that not everyone is born with and maybe you never get because some of it's like talent, right? And it doesn't matter how much you teach yourself, you can get only so good and then the people who get really, really good at it, they have some sort of natural talent. But at the end of the day, the customer service thing is always going to be the most important part. So if you get that part down, you're going to do well in this job.
Oh yeah, that's like something I always tell any bartender when I'm training them. That's the number one, like whether or not we want to agree to that because sometimes it's just like also the camaraderie of it. It's like you see someone's working really hard and you know you should respect that and all this fun stuff when it comes to being an industry, but in the end it's just like we're here to serve other people and you know don't look pissed and just look good and you probably will get a better tip. Like sometimes you won't, sure, but most of the time you will and also they'll remember you and it'll just be better to be nice.
It's you know, it helps. It definitely helps. It's not easy though, right? Like I was discussing this with one of my managers at one of my bars the other day with regards to the specific employees, it was like very good at their job with the physical part of it, but like the kind of putting on the stage act, having a hard like that it's just a resting bitch face and like whatever, right?
Like so, but that's hard. Like when you're in the like and I'm saying I want to say this straight up. I was that guy when I was still behind the bar. I couldn't do it.
I couldn't get the like if I was what do you mean when you were still buying the bar? When I was having a bad day people do it, right? And that's just it's really that's the thing you can't do. Like I always describe it like we're all actors here on a stage and you're doing a performance for the evening and sometimes you forget your lines or you forget which stage to exit or enter at and you have to roll with it, right?
Or sometimes things go haywire, the audience starts booing or whatever and you have to you have to take all that and still put on the performance. 100% agree. Like that's definitely how I see it as well. It's just it makes it easier too because if you can kind of get into that element that moment or you know, explain a drink the same way.
Like there's a good chance you're not going to have to say the same thing to the person again and get caught. So it's like if that just makes it easier then stick to it. Like that's what I always tell people and you know when you get more confident with it, it will come off less fake because I'm not never being fake. It's just like I know like if I want to say something, I know like different ways I can say it.
Like if I want to say fuck you, like I know I know how to say it or if I want to say like that was fucked up. Like the way to say it. So I definitely agree. I love the acting part of that because you can kind of get out of your shell as well.
It definitely helped me because I'm a nationally very shy person but bartending definitely made me come out of that and have to stand up for myself. And because sometimes you're too nice. That's like a problem. One of women bartenders getting the beginning, at least from my experience.
But yeah, there's there's just a way to do and say everything honestly. Like if you just think about it. Yeah, it's great job. Like it's funny.
People think you should be an extrovert to get into the service industry and I'm sure that helps with the people who are but I'm more like you, I'm an introvert as well and I actually felt like it was it. I know it's true. I actually know and I. I love it.
Well, but I fucking ran for mayor too. It's all because I did the service job because if I hadn't have done that, I kind of fell into it when I was very young and if I hadn't have done that and realized that you are forced to be an extrovert that like actually it's a great way to break out of it. If you are naturally introverted, right? I think so because it makes you also more confident because the better you get with your abilities, whether it's serving or actually making the cocktails or whatever it is, it's just the more you feel confident about what you do like the more fun it gets.
And that's like my favorite part of going to a bar is seeing like everyone have fun. Like when I go to a bar and everyone seems like they're enjoying each other's company. They're having a good time. But also paying attention to you.
That's like for me 100%. Yeah, do you feel like we're getting away from that a little bit or like maybe it's coming back around again. We've talked to a lot of people on this show who think maybe things are coming full circle again, but there was a stretch with the whole like stuffy craft cocktail bartending sort of start-ender scenario where it was like almost like it was about like, oh, I'm going to take I'm taking this job so seriously. And now we're getting back to it's it is supposed to be fun.
It is supposed to be making sure everyone else like I'm not sure I'm saying exactly right, but there was a stretch where like you go to the craft cocktail bar and you sit quietly and sniff and taste your cocktail and enjoy it. And like that's all cool as well. But like all bars started from the notion that we're supposed to go out and have fun with each other. Yeah, I mean, that's what I say like when people say like, oh, like you're a mixologist, I'll make no one bar tender.
It's like the bar and the gas bar like I'm not, you know, having, I mean, if you want to we're suspenders, that's your life. Because like the fla, I mean, I love flair believe me. I wish I could do more, but it's like not about that. It's about that.
No, I actually think I actually think flair is kind of fun. Like, yeah, like, yeah. I think that's sometimes like the quote unquote mixologist, like look down at flair, but we've interviewed a bunch of flair bartenders on here as well. And like flair is kind of what I'm talking about.
Like it's not something I'm ever going to do or we feel comfortable doing or even having one of my bars, but like you are creating an atmosphere of fun, which is what the bar is supposed to be. Oh, yeah. I think there's just a balance to everything because when it gets to the point where I'm just like, can you just like make my drink or it doesn't make sense of the flair? I think that's what maybe gets me like I think I have like, yeah, I just want to fucking drink.
I was like friends and like one of them was a bartender as well. And we like got a drink that had an orange peel in it. So you know, I get it like I've like smacked it like the orange peel against the glass or turned around whatever like you could do it in a nice way. But he literally like was smacking this glass like right in front of me and I'm like, looking at me and I'm like, all right, when is this?
I'm like, I'm ashamed, but I just don't know. When is this stuff? It was just a little bit too much. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Because there's a part where that becomes performance rather than bartending as well. And I think that like I love, I agree with you, the word mixologist sucks. Like, and when we started calling ourselves that or people in the industry started calling ourselves that I think it was a downturn in like what we're doing here. I love how you said that I'm here to attend the bar and part attending the bar means making sure well, the biggest part is making sure that the guests have a good time.
But when you're a mixologist, when you present yourself with that word, it's like what you've taken the notion of tending to the guests of what your job title is. Exactly. And that's why like sometimes I do come across those mixologist still that, you know, I appreciate the drinks. I appreciate what they're doing.
But it's just like, yeah, like you're not cooler than me. Like, I don't know. I don't know. It's about like, should I feel like if I am going to a bar with friends and I don't even recognize some of the ingredients, you know, it's kind of gets to a point where it's like, what are you trying to prove?
Like, let's just make delicious drinks for people. So that's like, I think it's good to go back to your point before, like kind of where we're going with like how people see drinks. I just feel like we were at like such a high and then COVID kind of, you know, screwed us all. And then it made it like we were kind of like the bottom of the like tier again, like we were like essential, but people were being like really awful.
Like I was reading articles about, you know, people had to close down again because the people were so rude to them because they forgot that. Yeah. I was probably when I came back. So it's like, it was like this like uphill battle for us as industry and so many left.
I, most of my industry friends are out of bartending now or not physically doing it. And then you're bringing in this new wave of people who were like so entranced by mixology and what it was doing before, drink masters, all this stuff. And you know, but then they're like just doing that shit and then they like don't know even how to make a daiquiri, right? So it's like, that's like the struggle that I'm having when I go out to bars these days.
It's like I'm really impressed by like menus and what I'm seeing, but sometimes it's like just getting down to the basics again and making a drink tastes like what I read and enjoying it and remembering it and like keeping it a little simple. Like that's, I think. It's interesting that you brought that up because like we have had two people who were on that show, drink masters on our show here and I watched it. I loved it.
I was like, I thought it was super cool if you're into like the nerdiness of making craft cocktails. It was also like a fun way to present that. But what you said there, I think is interesting because do you think that like a show like that would is going to overall have a negative effect on the industry because of just what you're talking about? Like people taking that sort of ultra craft a little too seriously, which is also like let's be honest, not physically possible to execute in a busy bar atmosphere.
Yes. Because that's also the struggle I have too. And going to these bars and they are complicated drinks. They are $25, but you not only pre-batch it, you pre-diluted it.
I mean like, no, like fuck you, like sorry. I just think that's really a slap in the face. Like that's not what it's about. Like I just like that's kind of a first-to-use me.
I think it's great that people are getting excited by like cocktails and like, you know, not feeling scared to, you know, make something at home. Like you could do something really simple with everything you have at home and like that's what I love about bartending. Like because like since I wasn't trained, I would just like smell and like taste something and then be like, okay, like I think this would go really good with this and that of that. And like that's what makes it exciting for me.
Like it's too complicated. I just like feel like we're losing the part of it and then that's when it gets a little pretentious and just unnecessary. And if I'm walking into a bar that's like 50 best bar and no one even looked at me or said hello, like I think that's already like a no on high. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. We're getting away from what the bar is supposed to be about. Yeah. Getting back to what you were just saying, like talking about like how you started making cocktails and you were putting like just flavors together that you were into.
Do you remember a moment where you were like, oh, I might be good at this? Yeah. I think when I was at the Roxy, like that's I already started doing it then like pretty early on because I had so much time on my hands and because I was excited about bartending. So because I have this day shift and like, no, like, you know, you have to be there at like eight AM.
Sorry, just where our list is at the right is the hotel. Yeah, my first job. It's awesome. It's a great hotel.
They got the club. They got a jazz club. They do movies. It's like a really cool space and it was actually a big deal at the time because they had women bartenders like every so often, but barely for night and barely like staying for a long period of time.
And I was there for almost three years. Funnily enough, I was fired because my hair was too blue. So I had a little bit of like a legend there at least like a couple years ago. But yeah, I so it was a big deal to have like a woman bartender on like at night like as like a regular schedule.
So like that was really exciting for me. And I think I just kept going with that momentum and wanting to teach myself and then having someone there that actually was a talented bartender, mixologist like to tell me, yeah, like that's actually good. Yeah, like see what you're doing. Like that only like made it want to make me want to do more and then bold and you embolden you in a way, right?
Like you're getting feedback from someone that you respect and it's like and you do need that when you're starting out, right? Because it's like it's one thing for a customer to be like, oh, I like this, but you don't know if they're bullshitting you or whatever. Like someone behind the bar who you trust is not going to bullshit you. Like they're going to tell you if it's shit.
I mean, because like sometimes like people are too nice, but my background is in art. Like I went to SVA for photography. So like I view like bartending or mixology as a kind of art form. And like in the same way that you have to give the feedback that there is critique like there are things like that you don't have to be like it's like there's like so many more things you can say or to be more productive.
And I definitely use that with what I do now. Can you give me an example of like how like somebody would critique your artwork at school and like how that would be the same as with a cocktail image? So my photography was like Macros still life. So I didn't get a lot of feedback surprisingly, like they didn't really know what to say to me.
But when I saw other people, there was like things where like they were like, I love the idea and I love the image. But I feel like if maybe you were in a different position, it could have been more strong like what your viewpoint you're trying to give if you were higher or lower or if it was more contrasted or something like that. So like if you're having a drink and I'm like, and you told me, was this that or even like, okay, make me a daiquiri, I'd be like, you know, like I definitely it's right. And like I like it, I will drink it.
I would buy it. But you know, I really think that the line should come out more or like just like something like that. It's just like it's just being positive and like, you know, even if you hate it, like you could still be positive and be like, I see where you're going with this. But I feel like maybe if you did this, that would make it better or that would come more across of like the vibe you're trying to say also ask them to like, at least for drinks now, like what vibe you're giving off?
Do you want to be like refreshing? Do you want to be broody? Do you want to be like sour? Do you want to be weird?
And I'm also really important because like that's like when I make drinks, it's like more like the sensation or like the flavor, not like the drink I'm trying to make. So I don't know what it's going to be like in the end. It's just more like what flavor did I want to do? Yeah.
And like so when you're talking about like in the art world, like in photography, whatever, like you're talking about like idea versus execution in a way. And I think that like as I moved to more of the ownership role, like I've had to be more pragmatic about stuff like that as well, right? I'm like, wow, this is a very creative cocktail that you've come up with. It's delicious.
It looks good. How are you going to execute it on a busy night? Right? Like you have to start thinking about shit like that.
It almost sucks. But it's also like we're not making drinks for Instagram, which became a big deal during the pandemic, right? Where all these cocktails were just being made for your Instagram page because what else were we doing? But like how do you pull that off on a Saturday night at 11 p.m.?
Exactly. Like that's something that I always try to keep in mind because the last bartending job I had, I was running the bar program at this speakeasy called the little shop. And I had to, I was brought in there first like just like to kind of take over and be like the head bartender and bar director, but I didn't make the drinks yet. And then when I had the opportunity to do that, I had to keep this in mind because there was only one bartender on the floor at a time.
So if I'm going to have like almost 10 drinks on my menu and I'm the bartender and the well bartender, like I'm doing like in the cook, fit up to like sometimes like about 100 people, you know, you have to think like, how can I realistically do this and still get that flavor across? So like sometimes you got to go a little bit more simple or like give the server something to do or blah, blah, blah. But when you keep that in mind, then like makes it a little bit easier for you because like you're giving yourself like parameters because like when people are like, make me whatever you want or like even like my manager like, oh, like make me everyone for the menu. I'm like, no, like we got to have one round one back on this.
Like one that's like this. Think of it like that. Then you're going to just get lost and then make a bunch. Yeah, like, you think that's important.
Like when you're making the cocktail list is to have like, you have to put some, like when you're making a list, people do it in so many different ways. And I've asked so many people on the show about their philosophy. Like some people think it's important to have one of every spirit. Some people like to have a flavor profile or whatever.
Some people like to do it based on seasons and the flavors of their massive seasons. Like what's your philosophy on that? I mean, as long as they're, I definitely think there should be like a mix. Like I definitely get bummed if I go to a menu and I see like a bunch of rum drinks or a a bunch of like whiskey drinks.
And then first thing for me like rum gets me a little too drunk, whiskey makes me aggressive. So I'm just like not trying to do that. And there's like one vodka drink and like I get it. It's like the, the horror of the bar and distributors.
Like it's an easy neutral spirit. And it's also like you can make an awesome tasting cocktail with everything else that you put with a vodka because the vodka doesn't tend to have it. That's fine too. You said that though because you can have people that want a little bit of everything and also be prepared too.
Like, because also the thing is if like you can have your menu, if you want to keep it however you want, but like then people are going to want something out of it and like are prepared for that. So if you make your menu more mixed of everything, there's a much higher chance no one's going to order off the menu. And that usually happened to me. Like the only thing I got ordered off the menu was old fashioned or I usually had a variation that they accepted or martini.
Otherwise like everyone ordered from the menu because there were so many different drinks to choose from, so many different flavor profiles, at least two of every spirit. So everyone had like that's like I'm just trying to do it as like this. If I was the guest, like I'd be like, okay, I want to try one of every, like if I want to try every cocktail on the menu, I think like you definitely aced it. What's the point?
Like, you want those more than ones drink? You don't want them to get too drunk. You don't want them to be crushable though. Like, I'm going to take like a, what are you five minutes to drink this and like that wastes a lot of time.
Yeah. And obviously there are bars that like, if you're a teaky bar, sure you got a lot of rum drinks or whatever. There's always exceptions to this rule, right? Like, you ever go to Burbank in San Francisco, it's just gin or whiskey, right?
But that's their thing, right? So at least you know if you're going there, that's what you're getting. So there are always exceptions to the rules, but I agree with you. Like, I like, you want to have a variety.
But the other thing that sometimes frustrates me is like, well, people, so Sugar Brown is my bar is a, uh, speakeasy, but it's also a rum based bar. And so we have learned to mix up the spirits as well in the cocktails, but for a while, we had a lot of rum based cocktails based on what we were trying to do. And the people come in and it's like, I don't like rum. It's like, do you really know though?
Yeah. Like, why don't you just try one of the drinks? Yeah. Sorry, the customer is usually never right.
No, and it's just like, give it a shot. Like, or they would try and sub it. Like, well, can I get that drink, but with vodka? I'm like, what's not gonna, it's not gonna taste right, you know what I mean?
Like, that's not what the whole cocktails crafted around this one specific, not just the spirit rum, but like a very specific rum. Yeah. And that's what the customer too, like don't go to a tiki bar and expect a dirty martini. Like, you know, you signed up for so it's just, if I'm going to a top 50 bar, personally, I just expect there to be a variety.
Yeah. I think that's what makes it special. And that's why the bar is doing so good. Yeah.
So you were involved in opening this, uh, speaking that you were mentioning was a call again. Sorry. The little shop. The little shop.
So quickly for especially for your age, I don't actually know how old you are, but looking at you, it's not that old. I'm 33. So like I know enough to have enough time in the industry to like know what I'm doing. Yeah, but you've done a lot of it, right?
But yeah, but yeah. And you look much longer than that. Some grandsulations. But so coming up in New York City, doing all of this and then getting a chance to open, like, or help open a speak easy, et cetera, like all of this stuff talk to me a little bit about like was it.
I guess on and trying asda was it just happening so fast that you didn't even realize what was going on and that you were just doing it, or did you have time to sit back and think like, the fuck like I'm opening a speaking in New York City. Yes, okay, definitely the first one. So I was still working at the Ace Hotel at the time when all this was starting. So I knew like that's also like the thing really important like maybe it's not like a bartending thing.
Like you really need to like say out loud what you want or like or else you're not going to manifest it. Like I literally said out loud like you know I would love to be a brand ambassador so like just saying. But I was like yeah I would really love to like make a bar program or be a bar director. Like I think I actually am good at this because at the bar I was working out they had like oh let's put a new cocktail out on the menu and like let's see who's the favorite in mind one.
So I was like okay cool. Definitely see that like I'm not just thinking it I'm doing it and I was actually brought in to do another project and be a bar director at this small restaurant in Crown Heights. And I was really excited about it but honestly it was freaking me out at the time because I was seeing it like opening up. I met the chef who was like the chef at the Ace before and he was like a really cool guy but a little too strict for me.
Like you know I had to wear a white button up shirt and like a black vest or no drinking. He mentioned like five times. Whoa, no drinking. I was like okay I think I get it but also like why are you saying this?
Like so it was just starting to rub me the wrong way and I was like oh my god and because I did never make a menu before I was like fuck that was really hard. And then last minute this consultant that I know I've opened a couple of spots for him. He was like hey I have this last minute actual bar director thing because the last person just kind of am I aid. And he sold it horribly.
I was just like this sounds like it's in South Street, see poor it's like a really like secret thing. And I was like this sounds like a weird like creepy bar that I have no one that I want to be a part of but I went in loved it. And I was like amazing space like it's just like perfectly curated like it was so my vibe and I immediately knew I wanted to jump to that because it was like also if it's like something that you believe in obviously you're going to be more excited about it. And it was a little bit better of a transition for there because there was already a menu set in place and then I was tweaking it and then when they said are you ready to do it I was ready.
So luckily everything kind of fell into place at the right time. Right. And then so you do transition into this brand ambassador role which is something you manifested so talk to us. So talk to us about your role now as a brand ambassador for isn't it's as soon as the spirits agency.
Actually so I'm the North American brand ambassador for antique which is a brand within the big company bottle in Croatia. So I technically freelance for bottle but they don't have like their people here like it's just me and the product manager so I technically only work for antique. Like that's my bread and butter that's who I like say my bosses but it's like a bigger company in Croatia but I don't really work for the whole company. So but mostly for just that one brand.
So the so talk to us about antique how did you get linked up with them and tell us about the product. Yeah so it was such a organic experience. I met the brand ambassador for from that at my previous bar because he saw I was like ordering it and introduce himself. We became friends and he's like and also sorry industry like I hate.
Sorry. We were becoming friends right up until that point. I like Bronco Menta I prefer Bronco. Okay.
But I was part of our joke because he knew I hated it so much. So he's like you know you hate this so much. Why don't you work the booth at PCB and I was like what's PCB because I'm the worst industry person where I don't like educate myself. Or at least I didn't.
And I was like that sounds cool like totally into it and I get there. It's like it opened my eyes to like what the industry had to offer in other like in another side and that's why I was like okay so I could actually take this love and go in another direction and not have to work to like three in the morning every night. And while I was there I passed by their booth and I was like and I was like I know what that is I'm creation I introduced myself and they were like really excited like you're bartender and then I found out that they spoke to the CEO who at the time was there he was there for like the first two times they were in PCB and he came to the front of the booth and was like I heard you are Croatian and you are a bartender and he's like how do you think and he is like he asked me a couple questions and creation men I'm not sure if you knew they're actually some of the tallest men in the world. And I'm five three.
I was a lot of Croatian basketball players. Yeah, I don't know if you want to call me like maybe six five who knows but like so I'm wearing sneakers so he's like talking like this. It was just like a really funny like experience I was like so intimidated by him because he was just like completely like hunching over me like asking these questions I was like I love antique. Wow yes and then he said would you want to be a brand ambassador possibly and I said absolutely and first it was just like a really slow start.
I met their brand manager Gary because he lives here he was actually one of the owners of Heppel Gin so that's like was his background is very versed in this world and I happen to go to Croatia that summer because my father lives there I like to visit every summer. And they actually flew me to the for the day to Zogram the capital because I was more in the islands that's where my family's from. So it really showed me their dedication their excitement for me and they showed me the distillery and game make a little tour and I fell in love and I was really excited about what they had to offer and that's kind of how worked out. And I love it.
So that's also really important I love the product so how would you describe the product how you basically so in Croatia it's a spirit category called P Pileena means wormwood and also sorry creations I don't speak racial and I'm not right but yeah so it's a essentially a maro though that's how I like to describe at least here just a more digestible way to approach it because it is a bitter and that's what the maro is a bitter. 40 different herbs and botanicals from the Mediterranean it is a nice based so it definitely has that like liquor five and that's what also excited me about it because I hate liquor is like really boldly and I smelled it and that's like my favorite way they also tell people like people smell it and they're like oh my god this is insane. It's like yeah I promise and then they take a sip and they're like wow this is a lot softer than I expected it has such a smooth finish like I want another sip and that's like that's what you want right like when you anything you want to have another sip so I thought that was a big win and it was exciting for me to want to share this. And yeah I think also my favorite part about it is their story because it is a very old legacy so this was back in like the 1800s and there was a gentleman named Franio PCorni and he was making the polenta that's at the time it was like he made different kinds and it was super famous they were selling it's like the French Indonesian and this particular recipe got lost in World War II because there's different kinds of polenta that's they're usually very bitter and this one is a lot different than what you expect so for the hundred anniversary they went through his journal entries and found the recipe and said you know what let's bring it back and not only bring it back bring it back in the original packaging that they use in the 1800s so I know that you're not going to film this but so you all could see like that's all the rich.
Like it was a name and take everything else is purely original from when I was producing the 1800s and the bottle shape they kept the same as well they literally went to the creation national museums and replicated it so I just love how it's something that's going on. I just love how it's not trying to be old school and unique and cool it's just really an authentic product that we're just excited to share with the world. And how would you describe Scevitz? Scevitz is a brandy is it a brandy or?
I think it's a ass brandy. I think it's pear brandy. It's pear brandy but it is hard it's a hard drink. It is hard but it's not as hard as like a karaqia like that.
No no but they're similar and I love how you immediately brought that one up because they both taste like rubbing alcohol. I really I mean so you so like I mentioned that they are part of the company bottle so they. I know I know I'm not like the same about about them. I like their sleep of it's because I never really tried it too much more like I would just drink like any time I drank creation stuff it was like what my grandpa made in the basement so like it wasn't really like something proper so I didn't really know what like it could be and they do a good one and I know also it's really popular in Serbia.
Like there's good maybe make it a little bit stronger but I think it's like way more sweet compared to that. Wow right here is like another level for sure that's you know literally that's literally just like bathtub gin. I really would drink it like in Croatia like in a unmarked water bottle that was like under the dinner table at like house like there. My mom like always considered it the like a Windex like in my big bag Greek wedding because my grandfather would always be like, you have a headache?
A headache? Fair enough. Okay well thanks so much for giving this your time. Let our listeners know where they can follow you and can follow antique.
Oh, thank you. So I'm Melanie, just two extra M's. You can see me possibly if I accept your focus, I had to go private because I kind of was starting to get a little creeped out. But on Instagram, social media.
But please follow Antique's Instagram. It's Antique, wait, hold on, I'm making fun of it, because we just changed our name recently. I want to make sure. Okay, well, it's Antique herbal liqueur and spelled like with a U.
So it's all one word. It's a global one. We just added all of our Instagrams together to make it more cohesive. But yeah, Antique herbal liqueur.
Okay, amazing. Well, thanks so much. This has been a super fun conversation. Like, yeah, really enjoyed it.
Thanks for giving us the time. Yeah, follow Melanie if she lets you and if not, definitely. It sounds like a cool product and you guys should be, everybody should be checking out these different types of spirits to drink anyway. So it's cool that they have found someone who is a Croatian descent who can speak to the product even if he doesn't speak Croatian like right.
Try something new because this might like it. Yeah, well, we've all tried everything. So yeah, thanks again, Melanie. Thanks y'all.