Eryn Reece has worked in the restaurant industry for over two decades. It was her 2007 move to New York City, however, that jump-started her career and set her on the path she walks today. Her concept of cocktails was revolutionized under mentor Tony Abou-Ganim at the storied Bar Milano. Since then, she’s had the opportunity to work at some of the most celebrated bars in the city. At the beloved East Village destination Mayahuel, she fell in love with tequila and mezcal, harnessing her knowledge of all things agave. From there, she segued into her noteworthy tenure as head bartender at world-renowned Death & Company.
Today, she is the Beverage Director of the long-celebrated Freemans Restaurant, having helped pioneer the concept of its upstairs speakeasy-style cocktail bar, Banzarbar.
Eryn has earned the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines and holds the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) 5-Day Certification.
She and is a founding member and secretary of LUPEC NYC, an organization that champions female bartenders everywhere. In 2013, she became Speed Rack national champion as well as a Dame Hall of Fame Inductee by Tales of the Cocktail.
Since then, Eryn has been a long-time mentor in the Cocktail Apprentice Program at Tales of the Cocktail and has judged a variety of cocktail and spirits competitions, including Speed Rack and the Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge. She has taught seminars at Tales of the Cocktail and Portland Cocktail Week and her work has been featured in numerous publications including Imbibe and The New York Times, with cocktails featured in a wide array of cocktail books. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Eryn now resides in Manhattan.