FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW ORLEANS, LA (May 1 2025)— Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is proud to announce the 2025 Cocktail Apprentice Program® (CAP) Class. Since its founding in 2008, the Cocktail Apprentice Program has offered rising bar professionals the opportunity to work side-by-side with hospitality’s most respected minds during the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans. Now entering its 17th year, the program has mentored over 570 apprentices from more than 60 countries and continues to be a catalyst for professional growth and global community-building in the drinks industry.
For 2025, 40 first-time apprentices, known as Red Coats, have been selected to join CAP. These emerging talents will work under the guidance of Grey Coats to execute cocktail service across TOTC’s educational seminars and premier events, including Tales Catalyst and the Spirited Awards®. The program offers a hands-on opportunity to strengthen technical skills, build global professional networks, and gain leadership experience in a high-volume environment.
“The Cocktail Apprentice Program’s core pillars are mentorship, community, and elevating the craft of bartending beyond the bar and mixing glass. Each year, our goal is to select a diverse group of forty new bartenders from hundreds of applicants—individuals who bring unique perspectives and experiences to help move our program forward,” said White Coat Manager, Trevor Kallies. “We’re incredibly excited about this year’s class and the passion and dedication they demonstrated in their applications. These forty bartenders are coming from around the world to learn, grow, and immerse themselves in our industry. While they’ll each serve a few thousand cocktails during Tales of the Cocktail, the CAP program is about so much more than that. We can’t wait to see what this next generation of Cocktail Apprentices will do!”
This year’s incoming CAP Red Coat class represents a broad geographical range, with apprentices joining from seven countries, 20 states, and Puerto Rico. Apprentices were selected through a competitive process that considers professional experience, future goals, and the ability to work with a fast-paced, global team. The class ensures a balance between newer and experienced professionals.
By working directly with seminar presenters, program apprentices hone their skills while simultaneously learning about both the history and future of their craft. After the conference, apprentices are able to apply their new skills to their home and work environments, taking the impact of CAP back to their communities. In addition to technical skills, the valuable professional connections and the team camaraderie fostered during the event have been consistently praised by members as the most valuable assets the program offers.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation would like to thank the 2025 CAP Title Partner: Brown-Forman; Presenting Partners: Campari and Pernod Ricard; Supporting Partners: Cheech & Chong, Crown Royal, Heaven Hill, and William Grant & Sons; CAP Bag Supporters: Bartender Magazine, Branca USA, Spiribam, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka; and the official CAP 2025 Media Partner: Pre Shift.
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is pleased to announce the 2025 CAP Class:
2025 Red Coat Apprentices:
Kaleb Barry
Roka Dubai
Dubai, UAE
Eli Bennett
Sushi San River North / The Omakase Room
Chicago, IL
Chris Crowley
American Beverage Marketers
Cork, Ireland
PJ Ford
Stories on High
Columbus, OH
Michelle Freed
Baby Gee
Long Beach, CA
Emmy Garcia
The Waiting Room
Durham, NC
Sally Groves
The Coldroom
Montréal, QC, Canada
Sawyer Hill
Detroit City Distillery
Detroit, MI
Sierra Ho
The Wren
Baltimore, MD
Nicholas Hu
Laowai
Vancouver, BC, Canada
De’Qustay Johnson
Mobile Bar ATL
Atlanta, GA
Keith Kammer
The Aviary / The Office
Chicago, IL
Erin Katz
Pony Up
Denver, CO
Benji Kirk
Hotel Anna & Bel / Bastia / Caletta
Philadelphia, PA
Kristen Kraft
Standby
Detroit, MI
Aidan Lawrence-Devine
T.C. O’Leary’s
Portland, OR
Jess Long
Atwater Cocktail Club
Montreal, QC, Canada
Ari Mayaudon
Hawksmoor
New York, NY
Eliza Mayer
Remora / Quarters Arcade Bar
Salt Lake City, UT
Bri Morales
Happy Accidents
Albuquerque, NM
Sebastian Moreno
The Quarter / Dram and Draught
Winston Salem, NC
Val Nakic
Elixir / War Memorial Opera House
San Francisco, CA
Charlotte Neitzel
Bar Mordecai / Shaw’s Crab House
Chicago, IL
Marco Noriega
South House
Jersey City, NJ
Emma Osmond
Odd Duck Wine & Provisions
Kitchener, ON, Canada
Quincy Palou
Chyna Club
Las Vegas, NV
Kyle Peete
Napa Valley Distillery
Napa, CA
Bri Rahoy
Grind and Prosper Hospitality
San Diego, CA
Adri Ramos
Employees Only
Los Angeles, CA
Hope Rice
Crane Club
New York, NY
Robinson Rivera Gil
Jungle Bird
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Lauren Robinson
Parliament
Dallas, TX
Scott Roe
Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
Bangkok, Thailand
Michael Silva
The Eddy / BĀS
Providence, RI
Nicole Slater
The Pontiac
Hong Kong
Heatherlyn Stickel
Tartan House
Louisville, KY
Milton Joel Toledo
Roquette
Seattle, WA
Daniela Useche Téllez
Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Cindy Zahnd
Freelance Hospitality Worker
Interlaken, Switzerland
Judith Zhu
Little Cooler
Sydney, NSW, Australia
2025 Grey Coat Apprentices:
Ryan Betts
Dean and Nancy on 22
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Joseph Coleman
Doublespeak Cocktails
Aquebogue, NY
Kelly Dcruz
The Secret Mermaid
Singapore
Sahil Essani
Muro
Bengaluru, India
Cande Ferros
Eye Cocktail Bar at Atto di Vito Mollica
Florence, Italy
Aliya Harrison
Dorothea Fine Greek
Albuquerque, NM
Rory Kerwin
J. W. Heist
Bozeman, MT
Kai Lucas
The Corner Store
New York, NY
Chris Lui
LOUISE
Hong Kong
Madeleine MacDonald
SAIT
Calgary, AB, Canada
Alfonsina Medina
Rompecabezas
Tafí Viejo, Argentina
Jessica Neblina
Bar Ni Modo
Riverside, CA
Lynette Perez
MONEYGUN / The Victor Bar
Chicago, IL
Lauren Pileggi
PMA Canada
Sudbury, ON, Canada
Antoinette Rangel
The Saloon at Clover Club
New York, NY
Kate Shofler
The Hey! Hey! Club
Kansas City, MO
Joel Spencer
Hand In Glove Bar
Worcester, UK
Nicole Stankovic
The Doctor’s Office
Seattle, WA
Joshua Thompson
Bar Contra
New York, NY
Sabrina Touzel
Restaurant Foxy
Montréal, QC, Canada
2025 Black Coat Apprentices:
Samantha Casuga
Temple Bar
New York, NY
Aaron Hatchell
Ace Hotel Toronto
Toronto, ON, Canada
Rylen Komeiji
Todo Bien Tiki Tequileria
Las Vegas, NV
Brandon Thrash
Middle Child Clubhouse
Philadelphia, PA
2025 White Coat Apprentices:
Alexis Belton
The Corner Store
New York, NY
Richie Delahoyde
Barry and Fitzwilliam
Dublin, Ireland
Glenn Eldridge*
Pernod Ricard
Dubai, UAE
Kaleena Goldsworthy-Warnock
Proof
Chattanooga, TN
Trevor Kallies
JOEY Restaurant Group
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Juyoung Kang
Corner Bar Management
Las Vegas, NV
*denotes Jr. White Coat
CAP Advisor:
Cris Dehlavi
Diageo Hospitality Partnership
Columbus, OH
Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Program:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation continues to support the growing network of past apprentices by offering exclusive opportunities for scholarships and financial aid to support their growth within the industry further. Following TOTC 2025, CAP members will be eligible to apply for the Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Program. The annual Scholarship Program has helped former apprentices pursue continued learning opportunities over the past decade. After undergoing a rigorous selection process, former apprentices are selected to receive funding for a wide variety of projects that benefit their careers and their communities.
For more information about the Cocktail Apprentice Program, please visit the TOTCF website.
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About Tales of the Cocktail Foundation:
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the global hospitality industry through education, advocacy, and community support. As the world’s leading spirits education platform, the Foundation provides year-round programs and initiatives that foster professional growth and drive meaningful change. Each July, the industry gathers in New Orleans, the beating heart of cocktail culture and hospitality, for a one-of-a-kind conference that blends education, networking, and celebration like no other. Guided by its core pillars—Educate, Advance, and Support—the Foundation’s impact extends far beyond the U.S. reaching professionals and communities around the world.
About Pre Shift:
Pre Shift is a trade newsletter for the hospitality industry, by the hospitality industry. The platform is a joint venture between acclaimed food and drink brands Eater and Punch, and is part of the Vox Media portfolio. Pre Shift sources first-person accounts from the front lines of the food and beverage world, exploring topics of relevance to today’s most ambitious and forward-thinking bartenders, account owner and operators, sommeliers and trade professionals. The newsletter has featured sends from Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana, Bobby Heugel of Anvil Bar & Refuge, Avish Naran of Pijja Palace, Alex Day of Death & Co., Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski of Lord’s, and Paul Aguilar of Himkok, among many others. Learn more and sign up for Pre Shift here.
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