The Industry’s Future
What do you think bars and bartenders can do to elevate the experience beyond just making drinks? Do you see a shift happening in hospitality toward more mindful drinking and spiritual connection?
I see the shift happening everywhere—people are waking up. The hospitality industry needs to keep up. It’s no longer enough to simply serve a well-made drink; guests are craving something deeper. Connection. Meaning. A sense of belonging and care beyond the transactional.
To elevate the experience, bartenders need to realize they aren’t just mixing ingredients—they’re weaving stories, teaching people, setting energy, creating a space where people feel seen.
When we, as professionals, are intentional with every step—the way we source ingredients, the energy we carry behind the bar, the environment we foster—it shifts everything.
That’s the next evolution of hospitality: mindfulness and purpose embedded into service.
You referenced ancient prophecies, healing, and the power of bartenders to influence change. How do you see this playing out in today’s world?
Ernest Hemingway famously stated,
“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings, or city squares. If you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.”
Throughout history, the bartender—or the figure of the person serving drink—has always been more than just a person pouring alcohol. Bars, churches, temples, even courtrooms—they’ve all shared common roots as places where people gather, exchange ideas, and recalibrate society.
Take Ernest Hemingway’s quote, or look back even further. Two thousand years ago, it was crucial to have someone who understood fermentation and could safely make wine to mix with water for sterilization. Why? Because different tribes and communities had different biological makeups, and sharing unclean water could be deadly. That person—the one who prepared and blessed the drink—literally allowed people to gather en masse, safely and in unity. Sounds a lot like Jesus, doesn’t it?
Fast forward to today: bartenders are still in a position to influence collective energy. We can be those connectors—bridging divides, unifying people, offering a moment of peace or healing amidst chaos. But it takes awareness. It takes understanding that every drink served carries not just flavor, but energy, intention, and potential impact.
That’s how we as bartenders can influence real change—not just through the craft, but through how we choose to show up in service to humanity.
