![]() Not long after that, he reached out to me and was like, "I won, but not by much. I was in a competition against Nathaniel Smith. But we did have the pandemic in the middle, which was a weird, elastic kind of time.Īctually, the way I got hired here was funny. I've been in charge of this program for nearly three years. Eventually he started preparing me to take over. Q: How did you come to work at Spoon and Stable?Ī: Robb Jones, who now owns Meteor, took an interest in me right away and saw that I was ambitious, thirsty and wanted to learn. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. We sat down with Pollak in Spoon and Stable's sun-soaked dining room to talk about all things cocktails and how an impromptu séance helped bring home the title. in Sydney, Australia, where she hopes to bring home the title of World's Best Bartender. "It was so incredible to see someone work so hard for something and be rewarded for that hard work. It's like any athlete training," said Kaysen. "I remember we would be in for prep in the kitchen at like 10:30 a.m., butchering fish, and there would be Jessi, practicing and working on her speed. She would speak to the wall, honing her cocktail presentations. (Kaysen is team president.) She then took those pointers and got to work, coming into the bar early in the morning, pouring bottles filled with water to practice her speed and precision. To prepare for the competition, Pollak asked Kaysen how he and Team USA trained for the Bocuse d'Or, the world's most prestigious cooking competition. Not only do they throw a no-hitter, but they hit a grand slam," said Gavin Kaysen, chef/owner of Spoon and Stable, of Pollak's win. "This is the underdog shows up for the World Series. Pollak beat 15 of the country's top bartenders after two days and four challenges at the competition, held in Nashville in late June. Bartenders' Guild national competition, which pits the best of the best against one another for the title of U.S. Just four years after starting at Spoon and Stable, she entered the U.S. That job lit a spark that eventually propelled her to lead the bar program at the North Loop's prestigious Spoon and Stable restaurant.īut she didn't stop there. Despite being a novice in the hospitality world, she quickly fell in love with the art of working with seasonal ingredients, building flavor and serving guests. But instead of packing up once her independence hit, she found work in the cocktail room at Du Nord Social Spirits in south Minneapolis. Pollak moved here with her parents as a teen, and immediately began dreaming of a way out. She's also the best bartender in the country. If you haven’t already, you can sign up to become a member and unlock exclusive, inspirational content from our global industry mentors helpful resources and career boosting insights.Jessi Pollak is a self-described witchy goth kid from Florida who never meant to stay in Minnesota. We like to think of ourselves as a community – where emerging, skilled and master industry professionals join together. Why The Blend? Here at The Blend, we celebrate bartenders every day, but we believe they deserve a day dedicated to them every year! We’re an innovative and inspiring hospitality engagement program, brought to you by Beam Suntory. Don’t forget to get involved and tag your bartending friends! How can you get involved? Head over to our global social channels on Facebook and Instagram, where we’ll have some fun games, interviews and a little bit of help from a few of our friends from around the world. When is it? It takes place on Wednesday 24th February, but we’ll be celebrating it over the next two weeks. What is World Bartender Day? It’s a global celebration of bartenders and their craft. World Bartender Day is well and truly on it's way, and we want you to celebrate with us! Whether you’re a bartender, know someone who is, or just want to celebrate bartenders in general - this is for you! ![]()
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