This week's guest is Theresa Bell, who joins us from Atlanta, Georgia. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Theresa has resided in Atlanta for the last 15 years. Theresa is currently running the Beverage Program and managing the bar at Fellowship in Atlanta, a preview on Dining and Cigar Bar. Theresa has a background in performing arts, and this creativity has easily translated into her career as a mixologist queen.
In our interview with Theresa, she talks about working as a server at an IHOP and eventually transitioning into mixology and bartending. Theresa talks about her experiences in craft cocktails, cigar pairing, and managing beverage programs. We discuss Theresa's achievements and the unique skills developed along the way. We talk about how Theresa combines her passion for mixology with her background in performing arts, plus we cover a number of other topics as always.
Make sure you check out Theresa Online on Instagram at TheresaTheBarTender and at JustUnerscoreTerisaB, or check the show notes as always for all the links. Enjoy the show. Okay, we are back with another episode of the industry podcast with you as always. Our Kip and Dan, what's happening, ma'am?
Not too much. Just enjoying this lovely spring weather here in April. We're recording this first week of April kind of, and it is snowing outside. Yeah, it's great.
It's not great times. Yeah, yeah. This is the never-ending winter up here, so good time. Well, sure, we'll have summer well into November.
Yeah, that's true. Yeah, but yeah, I was not enjoying this snow today. How's it going with you? Nothing too exciting, though.
Just bugging along, working hard, keeping the doors of the bar open. Perfect. Yeah, and if you're actually in the kitchener waterloo area, you should come visit my bar, SugarRun, downtown Kitchener, at SugarRunBar on Instagram. If you'd like to check that out, all the good things happening there, we've got Burlesque, we've got LiveComedy, we've got live music, we've got it all.
And you can also book private parties, info at sugarrun.ca to do that. And if you're in the area and you need wine or spirits, I can also help you with that. kypp at BabylonSisters.ca is the email to reach out if you're at bar restaurant or if you just want something for your home, that's for Allure Distilling Company. Stay tuned for the Golden Shaker Cocktail Competition coming in June from Allure Distillery.
If you're a bartender listening and you like to get involved in that, just go on to the Allure Distilling website. You'll get the directions on how to sign up. And then also Malivoir Winery, of course, and Terroir Wine & Sports. So if you need wine or spirits, I'm your guy.
You should also check out our website, theindustrypodcast.club and you can email us at info at theindustrypodcast.club as well, if you'd like to provide support for the podcast or to be a guest on the show. And you can also DM us directly at the industry podcast on Instagram. That's where the great artwork from the great, Zac Hanna at Zac Hanna.co resides. So thanks as always to Zac for helping us out there.
If you're in the kitchen waterloo area, you should check out our friend Alchemist Ali, Alchemist.alleya.ie on Instagram for private book parties. She does cocktail classes, she does insulting. What doesn't she do? I have no good questions here behind the stove cooking in the kitchen there.
She also works at Power Kitchen's Go Checker there, but you probably won't make it food for you. Definitely you should make your cocktails. And then finally, the presenting sponsor of the industry podcast is, Inbibli. Check out Inbibli of the app.
Tell us all about it. It's a cocktail recipe app for bartenders and cocktail lovers alike. The benefits of Inbibli includes the professional profiles. You can search by recipe and flavor profiles for all recipes and ingredients.
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Anything else you want to discuss or should we bring our guests on? Welcome to Teresa Bell joining us from Atlanta. How are you, Teresa? Hey, I'm doing well.
How are you? We are all right. Thank you very much for joining us on this lovely Monday. Of course, of course.
Good to be here. Definitely. So you grew up in Jacksonville, correct? Yes, I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida.
And how long? I currently reside in Atlanta. Yeah, do you, so your first service job was in Jacksonville or was it in Atlanta? My first service job actually was in Jacksonville.
What was that? I actually was a server at IHOP. Oh, yeah, nice. I was about 18 years old and I worked at graveyard shift.
Oh, no. I was a bit of an entertainer. You have to work with that. Oh, it was very entertaining.
I was at a weekend stew or just weekdays we were working graveyard. It was actually the weekend. I was in school during the week. Yeah, on the weekend.
So, oh, yeah, because I got that after hour. Or crowd. People coming from the nightclub. Yeah.
Yeah. What's the craziest story you remember from that experience? Oh, the craziest story. Where do I begin?
Yeah, I mean, working a graveyard shift and we definitely get some interesting characters in there. The fight broke out. You know, obviously people were drunk. Okay, man.
A fight broke out and someone, it wasn't in the best neighborhood. Let's just say that. Okay. And someone went to the car and pulled out a firearm and started spraying the window on the outside of the IHOP.
Oh my God. I was saying on my last day there. That's crazy. I was like, no, I'm not about to die over pancakes.
I'm not about to die over pancakes. I'm not about to die over pancakes. I'm not about to die over pancakes. I'm not about to die over pancakes.
I'm not about to die over pancakes. I'm good. So, I learned very. Go ahead.
Sorry. So we got to know. I said I learned very quickly the overnight shift was not for me. Yeah.
And when did you start getting an anthology? Was that in Jacksonville as well? Or when did you move to Atlanta? Yeah.
So, once I moved to Atlanta, so I moved to Atlanta back in 2010. And I actually got into me. I was always interested in it. But of course, I had to start as a server at a local sports bar in Mary, Georgia, actually.
So that was kind of my first real introduction to the world of bartending at a sports bar, but it was a busy sports bar. So, more like, you know, dive bar type of setting. So I had tough skin very early on, especially from IHOP. Yeah.
Right. Yeah. That definitely built character when things of that. So, yeah.
So that's where I just got started. Oh, it was just, it's just a whole world after that. And we'll get into, you know, detailed of just where it took me. It's just amazing ever since.
Yeah. So you're working in the sports bar. And then at some point you start getting more interested in like craft cot tailing and what have you. And then if you find that you have to kind of sort of move to a different style of bar, obviously, if you're going to, like, you're probably not making a ton of craft cot tail of the sports bar.
So at what point did you realize, okay, if I want to pursue sort of my career in this direction, I got to go somewhere else and we're going to end up going? Yeah. So it was definitely just the environment. I had a friend of mine actually that went to bartending at school for both of us.
You go for us so I can get your notes. Right. Just so I can learn, you know, just classic cocktails the right way. But I'm also the type of person that just, you know, I take my knowledge further and I always do research for myself and always, you know, getting to classes and getting around people.
And I actually, I became friends with a, one of the veteran bartenders at the sports bar. But you know, that his career, he's done the mixology, but he used to do fire shows and different things of that nature. And I, you know, he had done it since I'm trouble and ended up at the sports bar. Let's leave it here and or there.
But that's like a story though. But it's his story. That's it. Exactly.
It wasn't mine. But I would pick his brain a lot, you know, just about mixology and he would teach me a lot of different things. And then he taught me, you know, he began to teach me how to, you know, play with fire, but then a piece of my hair, when I hear my hair's low now, but a piece of my hair caught on fire. I'm like, yeah, fire.
That's not for me, but I'm interested in the craft cocktail. And you know, just the art of mixology. A piece of your hair caught on fire. Listen.
Holy shit. That was a scared of the idea. It's here to shoot out of me. I was like, no, I'm not going to do this.
Burn damage for that or you got it out before. I got it out before. Exactly. I reacted very quickly.
I'm like, oh, wait a minute. You know, that's funny. My business partner once caught his shirt caught caught in like an open tea light candle that he was leaning up against the bar at the back bar and it caught his shirt got flames. And in the moment, even though we grew up in the whole fucking our whole fucking lives people telling us stop, drop and roll, neither of us could remember it in that situation.
Right. We're just like, I'm trying to pull the shirt off. I'm trying to put it out. Exactly.
After his third degree burns, we were like, oh, yeah, stop dropping roll. Right. Because in that moment, every kid goes out the window. Yeah.
Everything. I'm just not trying to be on fire right now. I know. I think that I would discover that I'm just going to be terrible in an emergency and then that's that's.
You're trying to blow right handle. Yeah. They get it worse. You're like a fire.
Yeah. That's funny. Yeah. Anyway, sorry.
You're here because I'm fired. You're fine. But then you're like, okay, I'm interested in the crap detailing, but maybe not so much with the flames. Correct.
Yeah. So, and how I just really took to mixology. I actually have a performing arts background and I went to school the arts and, you know, just always been very creative. Right.
So I quickly just was drawn to the art and mythology because it was just like your, you know, just the artistry. Another creative outlet. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Another creative outlet. So I, you know, and I still always challenge myself even to this day to just really step outside the box to really stay up on trains to really, you know, just around myself with like my individuals. So I can, you know, I'm just a type of person.
And if I put something in, if I do something, I'm going to put 150% into it. And why not? If I'm going to really be in this industry, why not, you know, just be with the best of the best and steal, learn and steal, grow. So that background quickly, you know, just made it easier for me just having that background.
And, you know, and the fact that when I started, I needed a job, like, you know, we all do at the time, I moved here from Jackson to do. Right. So I needed a job and again, I was like, oh, I'm going to bar 10, but then quickly, I'm like, maybe I'll just start serving first and learn and just work my way up. So with the creative part of the bartending, have you found that we're stretching the limits on what we can do with cocktail creation anymore?
It seems like to me, we're almost going to the point where almost everything's been done already. Or do you find that there's still avenues to explore? There's always still avenues to explore. I mean, that's just what anything is always new inventions.
There's always just new ways to present cocktails. I mean, essentially, you know, it's ingredients and glass, but it's like, how are we presenting it? You know, the presentation, you know, it's just people are just reinventing things. And I'm sitting, you know, we forever learning new things and forever, you know, with molecular cocktails and with, you know, the clarification and, you know, all these different styles and elements, you know, even with garnishes, there's, you know, and I like to step outside of the box and just use ingredients and nobody would think we're going to a drink, you know, just taking things out of my kitchen and creating, you know, from using herbs and, you know, different peppers, tomatoes, and, you know, fruits and vegetables and all types of, you know, things to go into cocktail.
But yeah, there's definitely always just new ways. You know, that's just what anything, everything is always inventing, you know, reinventing itself and just getting better. Did you have any sort of a cooking background at all? Like you mentioned, you like to use like the sportiest food with cocktails, which is a huge trend now.
Like I always feel like a lot of craft bartender now, you almost have to have some sort of a relation to cooking. Oh yeah, I definitely can cook. Yes, I definitely, I mean, I didn't go to culinary school, but I just come from my family that cooked a lot. I learned actually from my grandmother, she taught us all how to cook, and, you know, from my mom as well, but we were always staying in the kitchen.
But I would always look for creative ways to, you know, and I'm from the south, you know, from down south and we, we're big on seafood, so I love, you know, really seafood and, you know, soul food. So I'm always looking for a different, a different way to present, you know, or just a different approach to it, right? And so it's kind of like that whole, like, you've just been exposed to so many different flavors and odors and like that, that you can now transfer that into your cocktail making. Yeah, and then I started traveling, especially when I started professionally dancing when I was 13 years old.
So I started, yeah, so I started traveling a lot outside the country, and I had all types of friends, and, you know, I just grew up being very diverse as well. So that in itself really contributed to, you know, my cocktail style and approach of, you know, just different flavors. I had, you know, I had Asian friends, Puerto Rican friends, Black friends, white friends, you know, all these people, and I was always taking, you know, things and I would go over to the houses, that families would cook, and, you know, we would travel, so that in itself really helped, you know, when it comes to just exploring different flavors and just really stepping outside the box. What kind of dance were you involved in?
Oh, I've done everything, but strip, okay. I thought you were from Atlanta. One time I thought of it on this game, but my dad would kill me, okay. He was a fan of PK, too, fun fact, but listen.
Yeah, but I've trained in everything from tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop dancing, contemporary dancing, salsa, meringue, West African dancing, Afro beats, you name it. Yeah, I had a pretty long career, and then I have a family now, I have kids, and I'm like, you know, I can really travel as much. You know, it was just fine, I don't regret anything, you know, I appreciate it. And I still teach, you know, every now and again, I'm actually running a tap program, so I was really big on tap dancing.
It'll always be a part of my life. That's a good way to give back to everything you've learned, but what were some of the countries you went to when you were traveling professionally? Yeah, so I've done, I traveled all the islands, I did it from the dads, I had a chance to go to Spain. I haven't gone to Africa yet, but that is on a bucket list of mine as well, all North America, South America.
Yeah, so. Wow, that's crazy. Definitely had a long career of that. And how long did you, were you, how long were you professionally dancing for before you decided to give it up or had to give it up over?
Actually, right before COVID hit, honestly, 2019. Oh, shit, so for a long time. I did the Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah, I did the Super Bowl here when it was here in Atlanta, so I got a chance to be a part of that.
No kidding. Hey, that's amazing. Wow. That, I mean, there's not many people who can say that, that's crazy.
Yeah, I'm humbled into, I really go down the list. I'm like, oh, I did all that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's crazy. And then, so it's kind of good that you had the sort of, was it almost that you needed sort of the job on the side as well?
You need, like, say you needed a job and you would do it nice. So you need the job. So you kind of, but you also chose a creative field to work in, which is, which makes sense with your dance background. So you could, but it's also the kind of job that you can take off and go do something with your dance career and then come back and still be able to work.
So that was, was that kind of how you sort of now get at the two things? Oh, yeah, for sure. I had, I've always kept a flexible job and I was always really good with management. I believe in, you know, always keeping a clean slate, you know, because you just never know, because that matters as well, especially working in the industry.
But yeah, I was always able to be flexible and take off when I need to be, again, this was, you know, a great, I mean, I tried, because I was always able to be flexible and take off when I needed to be. I mean, I try corporate, I mean, I don't get it wrong. I mean, I don't not go to, you know, have corporate jobs like it's just, you know, because I can move around. I need to learn that I have kids as well.
You know, I have a dog. I got to get a pig with him. So I got to be flexible. Yeah.
So you're, you're doing the dancing at the same time that you're doing the crap that you're learning about the skills of craft bartending. And then you're also learning about different spirits and self educating in that sense. What were some of the bars that sort of had the biggest influence on your career that you worked out in Atlanta? Yeah.
So there was this restaurant on 10th, it's called 10th and P. That was actually my first reel. And that was after I had been in the industry for about, was it 2000? This was around like 2013.
It was, it was called 10th and P. So we did a lot of craft coch-tailing there. So that was like my first real introduction of craft coch-tailing because the difference, you know, you have, you know, Jack and Coke, you know, or old-fashioned. Yeah.
I would say if the recipe is in the title, that's not craft coch-tailing. Exactly. So it was that part. Yeah.
Yeah. So yeah, so that was, that was my first introduction to craft coch-tailing. It was, you know, a little new for me because again, I come from, I've done sports bar and don't get me wrong. Like when it comes to sports bar and also worked at a local club in Marriott at the time and you know, it was fast paced.
So the money was great. So I'm not, you know, definitely not connected to just being able to make money as well. Absolutely. There's a lot of different kinds of bartending and they're all good.
They're all good. Yeah. So, hey, but you know, for me, it's like, okay, if I can do this craft coch-tailing, if I can, you know, educate people and make money and be creative. Yeah.
Then hey, I want to, you know, definitely would love to go this route. And then I love meeting people. I'm a people person. So just the people that I was able to come in contact with and I'm really big on networking as well.
And some of those people that I've come in contact with, you know, which has given me some great opportunities within the industry as well. So yeah. So that was my first introduction. After that, I actually went into the cigar scene.
Yeah. And that's, yeah. Yeah. I've been in the cigar scene for about almost 11 years now.
Yeah. So I was working, I actually helped open a bar in Sandy Springs at Lancer. And it was, it was the first of its kind when it came to a cigar lounge at the time that opened in about, in 2015. So we had live music, five stakes, cigars, craft, cocktail.
All in one. And it was, it was kind of new to the scene in Atlanta. And then now it's over 25 different cigar lounges that's open now and actually, and I prefer to stay in it. But then I'll start to learn about cigars and pairing cigars with cocktails and burbins and scotches.
And that was just, and it opened up a whole new world for me. You're opening a whole new light in this conversation because I am a huge cigar guy and a huge whiskey guy. And I didn't know that you were doing that. So I'm, now, now we're going to talk about this for a while.
But, but, yeah, talk to me about like some of the better, like how, how do you go about pairing cigars and spirits together? Like what are you looking for in a pairing and like what are some of your favorite pairings? Yeah. So what pairings is kind of tricky?
I always get to know the individual because everybody's different, right? You know, that's just when you basically or are asking somebody what they like in a cocktail. You know, somebody say, Hey, I like cognac or I like a good burbin. You know, I won't give them vodka.
You know, so for one, I would get to know the person. So they're a little bit more on, if they are a whiskey connoisseur, if they're more like on a burbins, then I would definitely give them something a little, you know, full body because burbins are going to be a little bit sweeter on the palate. So you almost have, want to have that opposition when it comes to pairing because it will heighten the taste of the experience of the cigar. So if you're drinking, if you're smoking a spicy cigar or if you're doing, you know, like a bowl cigar, then you want something a little bit sweeter just to kind of cool down the palate.
Vice versa. If you're, if you have a mouth cigar, you want to pair it with, you know, maybe a scotch, you know, something a little bit smoky or a pedia. Just a really so. Yeah.
So it's just like that salty and sweet, just that, you know, that contrast when it comes to the palate. So just think of bold, sweet, mild, bold. Right. So that's interesting because like with, like, with pairing wine with food, I always tell people, it's funny, it was like when you talk to people about how people were always asking me, like, how do you pair wine with food?
And I'm like, well, it's either the exact opposite or exactly the same. You either want sweet with sweet or spicy with sweet and both work. But yeah, but with cigars, you're saying it definitely works more like opposite. Yeah.
It definitely works with opposite or again, some people want spicy with spicy, you know, they want bold with bold. So again, but those of your more avid, you know, cigars, smokers, people that's been smoking cigars for years, they know what they want. And you know, your palate changes, you know, the more experienced you are. Right.
Just like with anything else, that's funny how that works. Yeah. So what is, what is, like, one of your, like your personal favorite cigar and spirit pairing? Yeah.
So my personal favorite cigar, I love a good money crystal white series. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That's definitely going to be good.
And I love to pair that with a good, uh, okey, a bourbon. One of my favorite, bourbon is for double oaked. Yeah. Yeah.
One of my favorite ones also, I also like a good label, and Bowes Will and Basil Hayden Dark Rye. Go back and go ahead and dark rye with that money crystal is just, hey, it's a great day. It'll be a good day. That's awesome.
So yeah, how long did you, where you, are you still on the cigar scene or did you? Yeah. So, um, so currently at the moment I manage, um, I just do the beverage program and I manage the bar at fellowship at T.O. So it's a garlau in located in downtown Atlanta on Centennial.
Um, um, yeah. So I've been there running that program for about five years. So I've, I've built a really big cigar community, you know, customer base. Um, so, you know, it's really like a family when, you know, that community is, you know, people's just been around for years.
I've had some regular as follow me for a decade. So it's more so a family, why I personally love the cigar industry. And then I get to meet some really great people. You know, we have a lot of celebrity clientele, but just really getting to know them on a personal level.
It's interesting to me, um, you know, getting to know people on a personal level, you know, who have the mayor to come in. And, you know, again, my thing is, you know, just to treat people like family. Um, it's owned by Cam Newton and his, and his brother, um, that started it about, yeah, they started about, uh, six years ago. I've been there for five years.
So it's, yeah, some of the best people that I've worked for in this industry, I would say, they're very family oriented. Um, they let me do my thing. They trust me. And yeah, it's really fun working for them.
So what's, what's Camlin? Oh, he is funny. He's funny. He's tall as hell.
Yeah, he's a big man. Um, yeah, he is a big man, but he's, um, he's a family guy. He's definitely family oriented. Um, it has a lot of his family is involved in the business as well, um, which, you know, it's cool.
You know, they treat a fly family. So yeah, really down the earth guy. So do you do like, um, I'm super fascinated because I love smoking cigars and drinking booze and it's like one of my favorite things to do. So, you got to come.
I'm gonna know. I love Atlanta. Actually, we went down there for a football game a few, quite a few years ago now, but what a fun city to hang out in. And the people in Atlanta are just so nice.
Like, oh, yeah, it's always something to do. Yeah, what a friendly city. I'm like the great bar scene. But yeah, like when you're doing the, uh, like, would you, do you have like features where you pair a cocktail with a specific cigar stuff like that?
We'll do like special dinners. We'll pair cigars. We'll have different, actually we compare it with different Bourbons with Bourbons and Scotts. You know, we'll suggest different pairings.
Again, when it comes to, and I get asked that question a lot and it's, it's no right or wrong way to do it. But if you are, especially, you know, a lot of people who come in the cigar lounge that they've been smoking for years, they kind of know what they want. Now we're getting a lot of newcomers in, because again, that cigar lounge is very popular in Atlanta, especially, like they're kind of bearing away from like the whole hookah scene and, you know, the lounge and just getting more into cigar lounges. But yeah, we would often, so we would just do special events, but we don't really have like a pairing.
Maybe you because again, with our demographic specifically, they kind of already know what they want. They know what they want. Yeah. Yeah.
So, we have a specialist in there, so, you know, you would always, hey, he'll point you into the right direction. When it comes to that, I actually, you know, I'm on the bar side and then we have our cigar, but I also like smoke cigars. And I have a regular place that I like to go to as well, but I had to be in at work. Yeah.
So the one interesting thing too, is like with your situation in the US, if you can't get Cuban cigars. So, like when we go to, like, we don't have a lot of cigar lounges where we live in a town, you know, like, we're not working. We live in Ontario, but in Quebec, they have them, which is a neighboring province to us. And it's great.
You just go in there smoking cojibas and partigas and all these cigars, but what are the more popular cigars that you can get there in the US? I mean, you can get Cuban wrapper, but a lot of people also like Dominican wrapper. Yeah. Cojibas is really popular.
You have your legal pobata, a leva, a leva, a leva, a cojibas problem would be closest to a Cuban that you can get it. So, yeah, so you get the Cojibas wrapper, but the tobacco would be from where? Yeah, so you can't get the, I mean, people still get it and bring it here, but yeah, exactly. So, you've also been featured in a few magazines at this point now.
How did that all come to be for you? Was it through the cigar scene or was it more through the cocktail angle or was it a combo of the two of them? Yeah, that was actually through the cocktail angle. So, again, I've been on the cocktail scene for a while.
And again, I'm always about creating relationships with people and I'm also about networking. So, when I got an opportunity and then I, you know, I'm really, you know, I get really friendly. I'm not friendly. Let me wear that.
I'm not friendly. Let me wear that. I'm going to take something else. No, I get, I've been relationships with my reps as well.
And they, you know, would definitely turn me on to opportunities. But yeah, being featured in, I know, don't few guys from the Thirsty magazine, but they did a feature with Genome's Jack. So, that to be featured in the Thirsty magazine for one of my cocktails actually created on our menu. I also got to be, we have a Georgia Food and Wild Whiskey Festival and I created a cocktail using Bezel Hayden, one of my favorite verbents.
And it actually got out of a hundred, actually got in the top three best, best whiskey cocktails in Georgia. So, yeah, so just, you know, I'm more so on the cocktail scene as well when it comes to that. So, but yeah, just being, just being also at a remote place and networking people so people can come and actually experience the cocktails, take the cocktails, you know. And then I also like to give the Teresa experience as well.
Again, that's, I've had regulars for over 10 years that follow me. I'm just giving great customer service I'm just known for. I'm known for my old fashions. Oh, really?
Oh, you did it. I'm definitely known for my old fashions, but I also like to, you know, create different types of old fashions. I have a biscuit so fashion, chocolate old fashion. I'm doing a peach cobbler old fashion.
I just, just old fashion. That's definitely one of my favorite cocktails to make and also just step outside of the box when it comes to creating old fashions. So, when you're at the bar, are you, like you said, you're the manager there, but are you also still physically behind the bar making drinks a lot as well? Oh, yeah, I'm definitely still behind the bar.
I'm a people person. So, I love it. So, don't get me wrong, I do like taking a break sometimes, but I still like to get behind the bar and mix up cocktails. It's crazy how the world works.
Good. It's crazy how the world works. So, like, can you ever imagine, like, thinking back, like, you're starting a career in dance and you're just working at iHOP on the side of the fucking overnight shift and next thing you know, you're being featured in magazines. Yeah, I can shout out.
And you're next thing you know, you're being featured magazines for your craft cocktails. Like, that's, it's crazy how things work, right? It is. It is.
And I've met people that, of course, that expose me to, you know, all the things that people were doing in the cocktail world that I even know was a thing. I remember also, I got an opportunity. The first time I really got introduced to, you know, just the cocktail world and all the things that people were doing. I did, um, Tales of the Cocktail was one that I just really got exposed to.
And then also, I don't know if you're familiar with Camp Runnemook. Yep. Um, yeah. So, Camp Runnemook is definitely an education, but it also exposed me to so much.
You know, first I was a little skeptical about going to an adult camp with strangers and friends. You know, I was like, so we drinkin' every day? I mean, you can, you know, go at your own pace. Right.
But from there, I've met friends for a lifetime and, you know, I've connected with people all the way in Dublin, Ireland and South Africa and, you know, have an opportunity, um, in the works of having an opportunity to guess bartend in another country. And again, that, you know, of course, I didn't even know that was a thing. Right. Because, you know, of course, you're working at your bar, you know, you're making cocktails for your community, you know, people that, you know, and then once you get exposed, you know, traveling.
And actually, my dance career actually landed me an opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico for a competition. So, I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with RunShakers. So, they do, they haven't done it in the past maybe two years, but RunShakers were doing a competition. So, I'm thinking, oh, this is a cocktail competition.
We're gonna be shaking up some run cocktails. So, of course, they didn't really tell us until we arrived to this dance studio and we had an instructor. So, I'm like, okay, we're gonna be shaking cocktails and dancing? Like, oh, that's me.
Bring it on. I'm shakin' it for my whole life. Literally, you're the perfect person for it. Right.
So, I honestly had no idea. It was, it had nothing to do with making cocktails. It was an actual dance competition. Oh.
And I'm like, oh, okay. So, my skill is gonna come in handy. Yeah. So, yeah.
But it was so many other people that I met that, you know, also danced as well and, you know, was in the bar scene and had a really cool dance back. I'm not gonna have a dance back. I'm just like to dance, you know. Hey, some people don't have formal training.
You just naturally just love to dance and, you know, know how to dance. So, that was very interesting. That was then that opened up a whole just world of just meeting other bartenders that, you know, that have different walks of life and also that dance. And I got an opportunity to connect with Capri Robinson that was on Drink Masters.
And she started, she has this whole group on the people that we connected with as well. So again, yeah, your life is just funny, you know, how it just, you know, takes you and have, you know, you have different opportunities. I just had no idea. Again, I was working at IHOP.
Almost got shot at. And you know, here I am running Camden Bar. So it's just amazing. Yeah.
Yeah. It's funny because you like we've had the pleasure of interviewing and the opportunity to interview several of the people who were on Drink Masters and also at Camp Runamak, including the director of Camp Runamak and many people who have been involved in Tales of the Cocktail. We actually did like a live interview session from Tales of the Cocktail one year. And the one thing that's been the common thing for everyone that we've spoken to who've either done these sort of retreats or competitions or whatever is it's never really about any of that.
It's just about the connections you make with the people who are at these events that become these lifelong friends of yours. And it's kind of like how we feel about doing the show as well. Like we've met so many cool people from just like interviewing people from all over the world. It's now like if I go traveling anywhere, I know a bartender.
It's great. Exactly. That part. Yeah.
That's definitely been cool. And of course, just meeting people that are, you know, just like me and that care. One thing, you know, about working in this industry, you really meet people that you're close with, that really care, you know, really care about the craft of it. Right.
My me living in Atlanta, you know, when I first came here, you know, let's be honest, it's just a lot of strip clubs around and you know, nobody was really, you know, until I really got connected with certain people that I saw that they were doing these exactly things in the cocktail world, but nobody was really doing it how I wanted to do it. And then just again, and making those connections and going to these classes and these retreats and doing these competitions and meeting people, you know, connecting with them and connecting with people who I would normally connect with, you know, just you walking down the street, you know, and just like, hey, you know, but when you really connect. We've had, you know, crying sessions where, you know, I'm a married woman in this industry with kids, you know, so that for me is a challenge in itself. So when I'm able to meet other mothers that are doing it and, you know, people that are married or, you know, with kids and just making that connection with them.
I'm like, okay, wow, so I'm not alone. Right. You know, and that's, and that for me keeps me going. Again, you know, I don't, you know, I don't foresee myself kind of, you know, I still want to, you know, always have my foot in the industry in some capacity.
But again, I would never, you know, forget the people and I've made lifelong connections with people. The director, you said, you know, Lindsay, the director of can't run work. Awesome person. You know, she's, you know, I've traveled to just recently, we went to Houston and we had a Sir Davis, Sir Davis flew us out there and we had this really cool experience.
They rolled out the red carpet for us and we got to experience, you know, get the education of Sir Davis firsthand. We went to the rodeo, you know, that was super fun and, you know, it was a vacation, but it was also education as well. So, you know, just having opportunities like that. It was like, wow, when I, you know, when I begin to tell people that's outside of the industry, you know, about the opportunities and the things that are happening.
They're like, oh, well, how do I get to do that? I'm like, we'll just, you know, learn how to bartend. Yeah. You know, or get in this, because it's like, you know, you know, and then like, it's funny once it starts happening and you start making these connections, it just, like the branches just flow off so quickly, right?
Like you're just, like it explodes. Like you just end up meeting, you start from like knowing nobody else and then all of a sudden you know thousands of people and like doing this job and in this industry and that's why we love doing the show. And that's why we're so glad you came on to join us, Teresa. It's super fun, great conversation.
And I'm coming to that. I'm coming to your bar. Oh, yeah. I would be honored.
Well, thanks so much for coming on the show. We know you're technically on vacation, which makes it even nicer. So thank you so much. And yeah, let our listeners know where they can follow you and figure out what's going on.
Yeah, definitely. You can definitely follow me at Teresa the bartender. That's T H E R E S A V bartender. There you would just find all things that's going on with me in the industry.
I'm also, you can follow my regular page at just Teresa B. That's just me being Teresa. I love, you know, to dance and I love my family and, you know, I'm a little comedian, you know, I like to have fun. So yeah, yeah.
So definitely follow me if you have, you know, definitely want to come to the bar. Definitely we're there. We're open Thursday through Sunday. We just do brunch on Sundays with Thursday Friday Saturday.
We have a lot of DJ. We open at five o'clock. Definitely come through. Have a cigar and a great cocktail.
Awesome. Well, thanks again to Teresa. It was a pleasure meeting you. This was awesome conversation and thanks again for doing it.
Of course. Thank you guys. I appreciate it. Yeah, let's talk.
Bye.