“No matter how much it gets abused, the body can restore balance. The first rule is to stop interfering with nature.” Deepak Chopra
The nature of the bar business is late nights, long hours and physical exertion. Bartenders, Brand Ambassadors and Salespeople spend a lot of time in bars, selling and drinking alcohol, and putting out a lot of energy talking with people. All of this is fun, on the surface, but the lifestyle can also take a toll. Not getting enough sleep, over-indulging in food and drink, smoking, partying, not getting enough time to walk in the mountains or chill out at the beach leaves a body sluggish, and depleted of its natural vitality.
Implementing balance was the concept behind this year’s 3-day wellness event called “Keeping It Real: Mind, Body, Spirit(s).” Many people in the liquor industry – especially bartenders – are striving for more balance in their lives and work. Patricia Richards, Dushan Zaric and I wanted to bring this idea to Tales of the Cocktail 2014, so we started with Tales’ founder, Ann Tuennerman.Producing the largest cocktail event in the liquor industry is a feat unto itself. There are so many moving parts to coordinate – from sponsors to attendees to staff – that Ann’s team works on the now 20,000+ person event all year. Dr. Anil Shah likes to run, eat healthily and keep fit, in order to balance her own workload, and felt a seminar such as this would be useful to the bar professionals at Tales of the Cocktail, too. She explains, "With the nightly demands of bartending, it’s not always easy to put your health first. This year at Tales of the Cocktail we wanted to encourage bartenders to consider the importance of balancing a healthy lifestyle while working in the spirits industry.”
Our seminar was created in partnership with Tales of the Cocktail but we were responsible for organizing and fundraising the event ourselves. It was a wonderful revelation to see the companies willing to sponsor our event, and further spread the message of balance. In addition to making it financially possible to produce, our sponsors also provided:
- William Grant & Sons: fresh juice, daily – and Jim Ryan to pour it and partake in the event each morning!)
- Pernod Ricard: the coolest water bottles from customwater.com that also have milliliter / ounces measurements (making them useful for transporting liquids for off-site bar work, too!)
- Belvedere Vodka: luscious beach / pool towels large enough to also use on yoga mats
- Bacardi provided Colin Asare-Appiah two mornings out of three. We were quite happy about that.
- The 86 Co. contributed financial assistance as well as Dushan Zaric, our co-creator of this event.
- Perfect Puree: yoga mats, and sponsored Kirsten Amann to teach yoga on the first morning
Once the above was in place, we reached out to various health experts and health-influencers in the bar industry. We brought in a hormone doctor to speak about the effects of stress on the body and mind, a nutritionist, and an Eastern Medicine specialist to speak about keeping energy flowing. We had a Tai Chi / Yoga / Qi Gong specialist named Fa Jun come in from Santa Cruz to do some really cool energy exercises with the group. And, we invited bar industry leaders Keith Waldbauer from Kathy Casey's Liquid Kitchen in Seattle, and Sean Kenyon from Williams & Graham cocktail bar in Denver to join the panels, as well. Having people who work in the liquor industry was especially helpful, in my opinion, because they deal with the issues of balance everyday, and can share inspiring experiences. (Thanks to Allison Levine from Please the Palate in Los Angeles for serving as our photographer!)
This event took place from 8:30 -10:00 am, which is very early by bar industry standards. We chose this time because we wanted to make sure we didn’t conflict with other Tales seminars, and also kind of hoped people might think about this early morning extravaganza of balance when decided whether to have that “last cocktail” the night before.One morning, Effie Panagopoulos (a liquor professional and personal trainer from Miami) also conducted a 'bartender bootcamp' interval training workout at the New Orleans Athletic Club. It was awesome, and she kicked ALL of our butts…even the guys who looked like they did this regularly! Personally speaking, knowing I had to be up early each morning helped me take an earlier cab ride back to the hotel and hit the sheets before the clock struck midnight. And, doing so, I will admit that I enjoyed this Tales of the Cocktail more than the ones I attended in the previous 7 years!During my first Tales (in 2007), I pulled every rookie move imaginable. I enthusiastically tasted (and finished) every cocktail put in front of me. I was hungover for the first full day of seminars. I did not know that it was OK to say “just a taste” or “no, thank you.” Moderation doesn’t make one less of a spirits professional… in fact, quite the opposite!Now, in my 8th year at Tales of the Cocktail, I was proud to partner with the amazing people, mentioned above, to share tools and conversations about how we can serve our guests while nurturing ourselves. I also took time-outs to walk around the French Quarter, try new restaurants, and find a home for a rescue dog with my friend (and Dirty Sue owner) Eric Tecosky from L.A. (random! And, that’s a story for another blog post!). Bringing down the pace gave me a chance to actually talk to friends from near and far, and feel great everyday. It was a great exercise in practicing what I was sharing. Sure, I had some wine, a few cocktails and even chowed down a peanut-butter-bacon-cheeseburger! But starting the day with health consciousness set me up for success. And, rather than fall into bed to recover after 5 days in New Orleans, I was able to hit the mountains for a hike the next morning before a long restaurant shift when I returned to Santa Fe. After all, a well-balanced cocktail is the most delicious. Doesn’t a well-balanced life follow suit?Below are some tips shared by some of the people participating in our series. Please share with your bar staff, your friends, or whomever would benefit from these things we know - but sometimes forget to remember: Ann Tuennerman, New Orleans (Tales of the Cocktail)“We have a tremendous amount of respect for the amount of physical and emotional work it takes to be a successful bartender. Ideally this series will energize and educate our attendees so they take good care of themselves and their guests." Dushan Zaric, Los Angeles / NYC (Employees Only, Macau Trading Company, 86 Co)“In our craft you mostly lead by example. Young bartenders learn from the more experienced by adopting their styles and copying their attitudes. The goal of this health and awareness series is to provide professional bartenders with information how to physiologically and physiologically survive the industry, latest research on addictive behavior and best practices on how to implement a more balanced approach to their profession and private life, so that they can be of service to their co-workers and guests by creating conditions that are wholesome and benefit all. A fully grown-up bartender is able to work a full shift without once getting upset and the hope is that we'll have many more of those after the last day of the series.” Natalie Bovis, Santa Fe (The Liquid Muse)“Finding balance is a daily endeavor, and finding a community that supports balance helps make it a way of life. As a community, we can balance the joy of work with the joy of living a well-rounded existence. By sharing support for each other’s balance and asking it for ourselves, we all rise together both professionally and personally because we better serve others when we, first, nurture ourselves. I feel the most work / self balance when I do 3 things:1) Find an hour each day to be active outdoors – early morning hike in nature, bike instead of drive, walk a homeless dog.2) Express gratitude through personal effort – write a snail-mail thank you note, make a sandwich for a homeless person, celebrate another person’s accomplishments.3) Reboot away from booze – Be committed to at least one hobby outside the liquor industry, spend time each week with a good friend outside the booze biz, visit special places (in my own city or when traveling) that have nothing to do with bars.” Patricia Richards, Las Vegas“LIFE: The object of life is learning to love who you are, to embrace (accept) who you are, then to allow who you ARE (heart-centered self, not ego-centered self who lives in fear & lack) to express beauty and divinity with the rest of the world. Each and every one of us is gifted in our own unique and individual ways. Its about discovering your gifts and following your heart and path, not a path predefined or marketed to you by others. This takes courage, strength, and discipline at times, but the rewards can be great!” Sean Kenyon, Denver (Williams & Graham)“Our responsibility as bartenders is to effectively absorb negativity and radiate positivity.” Claire Smith, London (Belvedere vodka)“Epicurus wrote; 'Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance'.
Moderation in our industry is a word often quoted, but rarely adopted. 'Drink with moderation' doesn't actually sound very exciting; a dictate that serves to remind us that drinking without moderation can cause damage. For me, moderation is about finding the right balance; to move my body, to eat whole foods regularly and to try and get enough sleep. Rather than consider moderation to be a restriction on my lifestyle, I use Epicurus’ words to empower me to make the right decisions; knowing when to take a break will often prevent me from breaking down. We’re not here to see how much we can consume, but rather consume enough to allow us to appreciate the skill and creativity of those who inspire us. Our ‘joys of life’ are truly in abundance, and I find my balance in being able to recognise when too much of a good thing really is getting a bit too much, and act accordingly.” Chris Patino, New York (Pernod Ricard USA)“Life on the road can be demanding of your health, both physically and mentally. Since most hotels have gyms, I always bring workout clothes and a pair of running shoes. I also keep a book on me at all times. Finding time to sneak in a quick work out, or read a few pages here and there, helps me to keep alert and stay focused. And remember, you don’t always have to be the last one at the party. Listen to your body, there will always be another party.” Keith Waldbauer, Seattle (Liquid Kitchen)“Mindfulness is the art of paying attention with an open and curious mind to present-moment experiences. It is a calm awareness, not only of yourself but of your place in the world immediately surrounding you. Mindfulness doesn’t eliminate life’s pressures, but helps us respond to them in a calm manner. The more you cultivate this, through meditation and practice, the easier and more automatic it becomes. Developing Mindfulness also naturally develops our sense of compassion for others, and the ability to see more clearly the world through their perspectives. This can be applied to your bartending in an infinite amount of ways:
- Whether your mind is occupied with managerial responsibilities or coping with the needs of hundreds of guests over the course of a busy night, having the ability to calmly meet these stressors through mindfulness practices will give you a longer life in this industry.
- A broad awareness helps you see more clearly everything that is happening around you, even things and events that those with a clouded and occupied mind don’t see. I call that talent “seeing the whole board” (a chess reference – seeing your own and your opponent’s moves several moves in advance) helps you anticipate your guests needs and allows you to move accordingly.
- It helps you develop compassion and empathy, two of the most critical elements in elevated hospitality.
- You can even help with your cocktail technique using “mom’s potato salad” theory. In a contest, my mom would likely lose out to a trained chef, but because she devotes so much motherly love to her potato salad when she makes it just for me, it is easily the best potato salad I will ever have. The same applies to your Negroni when you make it with mindfulness and affection. You can taste the difference between a rushed and distracted Negroni and one made with care and empathy for the person you are serving it to.”
Rev. Fa Jun, Santa Cruz CA (Medical Qigong and Taiji instructor)"The most important part of any wellness or stress relief program is consistent practice. Many people get stuck because they get too ambitious about changing their lives - or think that it needs to be more "serious" than it actually does. In reality, even 5 minutes per day of tai chi or yoga, or even a minute of mindfulness can radically alter a person's well-being. Find the places in your life where it would be easy to incorporate just a little bit of relaxation, then you can begin to taste the results in your real life, and in a real way!" Kirsten Amann, Boston (Fratelli Branca Ambassador, Yoga Instructor)“Begin again. Keep tweaking and gaining understanding of what balance means to you on this day, in this moment. We all have nights or weeks where we have too many cocktails, eat too much cake, travel too many miles, work too many doubles. Cultivate compassion for yourself and begin again. It doesn't matter how many times you fall, what matters is how you get up. Cultivate habits of self care. This amazing industry is physically, mentally, and energetically demanding. Acknowledge it's toll and honor body and mind with short moments of self care as part of your daily routine. Hot water with lemon right when you wake up, 10 deep breaths with eyes closed 3 times a day, 5 or more minutes of meditation, time alone in nature. Choose one a week and once it's habit, add more.”