Aviary Mixologist Named Bartender Of The Year
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The barkeep at a trendy West Loop watering hole has been named the American bartender of the year at a national competition in New Orleans.
WBBM Newsradio's Regine Schlesinger reports, like his boss Grant Achatz in the culinary field, bartender Charles Joly is becoming a star in bartending circles.
Joly is beverage director at The Aviary, a cocktail bar owned by Achatz.
Aviary Barkeep Named Bartender Of The Year
He said being a top mixologist involves more than just creativity; it's about hospitality.
"Every day, when we show up to work, we're basically throwing a party in our home," he said. "We open our doors to all of our friends to come in."
The Aviary will soon get new neighbors – and probably a lot of new customers – when Google moves its Chicago office across the street.
"I actually went over to the current offices, and made cocktails when they announced the acquisition of that property … just to kind of celebrate them as new neighbors," he said.
Besides winning the top award at the annual Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Joly also is launching a new line of prepared cocktails called Crafthouse.
