Thousands of cocktails were shaken and stirred by top mixologists from around the country and the world at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, held in New York this past May.

Cheers magazine spearheaded the conference’s trade seminar content with a fast-paced discussion on producing high-quality cocktails at peak times. The panel included Ame Brewster, beverage manager and for the Myriad Restaurant Group and assistant sommelier at Corton; John Fischer, associate professor in hospitality and service management at the CIA in Hyde Park; Allen Katz, director of mixology and spirits education for Southern Wine & Sprits of New York; and Thierry Pradines, director of wine and spirits for Restaurant Associates, a division of Compass Group, NAD. It was moderated by Cheers editor-in-chief Liza B. Zimmerman.

The discussion focused on how key staff training can be, both prior to service and in pre-shift meetings. It also covered the importance of maintaining a clean and well-stocked bar and carefully edited mis en place. Other topics included the importance of fine-tuning a cocktail list in order for guests to be served efficiently and swiftly as well as the importance of choosing the right brands to feature at your bar.

The hour and a half seminar also detailed best practices on how the bar can work with the kitchen on best cocktail synergies. The importance of greeting the customer and other “tricks of the trade” used to help bartenders buy needed time on busy nights were also top of mind during the event. The seminar was attended by a solid cross section of operators whose on-point questions throughout the seminar added to the event.