Uncle Nearest names mentorship cohort

Tennessee whiskey producer Uncle Nearest has announced the mentees for its Raise the Bar Mentorship Alliance programme.

The first edition of the six-month mentorship programme will commence in January and pairs bar industry experts with emerging talent.

It aims to fast-track its participants’ opportunities in the industry, while also fostering long-term relationships between bartenders and building brand advocacy.

The end goal is to create lasting change in the bar and spirits industries, to encourage a more inclusive future.

Hand-selected by Lucia Creed, head of trade advocacy at Uncle Nearest, and Sarah de Sousa, director of mentor development, the first cohort comprises a diverse group of bartenders from across the US.

The majority of mentees were selected from areas outside of traditional major cities, which typically have less access to guidance from influential figures, Uncle Nearest noted. Moreover, this approach allows those in emerging or under-served markets to connect to industry leaders in the bigger regions and cities.

To be chosen, applicants needed to be working bartenders with at least two years of bartending experience, and supply a letter of recommendation from another member of the industry.

The mentorship pairings are as follows:

• Andre Sykes (Detroit, Michigan) paired with Kate Gerwin (Netflix’s Drink Masters and owner/bartender at Happy Accidents)
• Brandon Archilla (The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club, Nashville) paired with Jon Santer (co-founder of Prizefighter Bar and former President of the San Francisco Chapter of the United States Bartenderʼs Guild)
• Michael ‘Daddy Long Legs’ George (Remora, Salt Lake City) paired with Chris Cabrera (2021 visionary Award winner at Tales of the Cocktail and first LGBTQ+ ambassador for Bacardi)
• De’Qustay Johnson (Mobile Bar Atlanta) paired with Eddie Simeón (founding partner and CMO of Hella Cocktail Co.)
• Diesha Banner (A Glass Above, Apex, North Carolina) paired with Tiffanie Barriere (2023 Visionary Award Winner at Tales of the Cocktail and former beverage director at One Flew South)
• Eli Brown (The Grotto, Missoula, Montana) paired with Miguel Lancha (First Cognac educator in Spain certified by the BNIC and former director of José Andrés Group’s global cocktail programmes)
• Hansel Morales (KoKo Ni, Denver) paired with Kate Boushel (Partner and beverage & education director for the Barroco Group in Montréal)
• Kai Lucas (The Corner Store, New York) paired with Tracie Franklin (whiskey educator, public speaker, consultant, and distiller; former Glenfiddich national ambassador and VP of supply and innovation for Pronghorn)
• Monique Vaughan (Azotea Cantina, Modish Lounge, The M3 Experience, Decatur) paired with Ivy Mix (author and co-owner of Whoopsie Daisy and Leyenda & Fiasco! in Brooklyn, co-founder of Speed Rack)
• Rhianna Fairchild (Williams & Graham, Denver) paired with Anu Apte (CEO of Canoe Ventures, co-owner of James Beard nominated Rob Roy, Navy Strength, and Vinnie’s Wine Shop in Seattle)
• Shelby Burgess (Odd Birds, Gainesville) paired with Erick Castro (co-founder of Polite Provisions and Raised by Wolves in San Diego, owner of Gilly’s House of Cocktails)
• Sho Jackson (Pluck Wine Bar, New Orleans) paired with Karl Franz Williams (Founder of 67 Orange Street in NYC and The Anchor Bar & restaurant)

The agenda

To begin, mentees will each define their project, aligning with their personal goals and vision for industry change, and mentors will then help to create a roadmap to achieve the ambitions.

Specific details on the projects are confidential but range from improving bartender education access to supporting the inclusion of formerly incarcerated individuals within the industry.

De Sousa commented: “The range of ideas coming from our mentees is truly inspiring. We’re excited to support these bold initiatives and watch them evolve over the next six months.”

Within the programme, there’ll be workshops on essential topics (such as financial planning and mental health), and in spring, there will be an in-person retreat at Nearest Green Distillery.

The sessions will start on 7 January 2025 and finish in late June.

At the end of the programme, mentees will get to present their projects to Uncle Nearest leadership, when two people will be chosen to receive US$10,000 grants to fund ongoing work towards their finished projects.

Creed explained: “Raise the Bar Mentorship Alliance is about more than just guiding our mentees, it’s about empowering bartenders – both mentees and mentors – to be the change-makers and innovators who will shape the future of the bar industry.

“We are deeply committed to providing these individuals with the support they need to make a lasting impact, not just within the industry at-large, but also within their communities.”

In August, The Sprits Business caught up with Creed for a more in-depth understanding of what the mentorship alliance is all about.

Uncle Nearest was founded by Fawn Weaver and aims to elevate Black-owned brands alongside its whiskey production.

Speaking to SB in 2020, Weaver said: “Uncle Nearest is the only major African-American-owned [spirits] brand, period. We need more Uncle Nearests.”