Dennis J. Cappuccilli
Winooski
Summary
Experienced bartender and front of house manager with an expertise in creating custom cocktails for house menus. Also excel at creating bespoke cocktails with a deep knowledge of classics. Bringing over 20 years in the industry, 15 years behind a bar, 10 in front of house management and expert mixology skills to help deliver an elevated experience for guests.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Lead Bartender
Apres Cocktail Lounge
Stowe
06.2025 - Current
- Oversee the creation and curation of all menu cocktails, as well as all prep
- Bartend four to five shifts a week
- Maintain a clean environment for staff and guests alike
- Foster good relations with all guests to create an intimate and unwieldy experience for them
- Help guests with any questions they may have about flavor profiles and ingredients
Bartender
Devil Takes A Holiday
Burlington
10.2021 - 06.2025
- Greet customers and provide excellent customer service.
- Create each house cocktail menu, including my own submissions and jurying those of others.
- Curate and maintain the beer program, including full autonomy over ordering, inventorying and draft line maintenance.
- Oversee and perform all bar prep, duties including but not limited to: all juicing, syrups, tinctures, cordials, infusions, specialty garnishes, alcohol batching & crystal ice program.
Front Of House Manager/Catering Manager
Black Diamond Barbeque
Morrisville
05.2018 - 10.2021
- Oversaw three years of full service food and beverage catered events, ranging in size from 4 to 1500 people per event, and from paper plate BBQ style to five course white glove settings.
- Oversaw the front of house operations at the restaurant.
- Helped flawlessly transition from a full service, sit down restaurant to a no contact, curbside service establishment during the COVID lockdown, resulting in zero days of business lost and zero positive COVID cases amongst the staff.
- Inventoried and restocked beer and liquor regularly and after events.
- Recommended food and drinks to patrons based on preference, pairings and specials.
- Built house cocktail menus to effectively supply customer demand while optimizing cost to profit per glass.
- Interviewed, hired and trained both servers and bartenders the steps for both the restaurant and catering company simultaneously.
Assistant Manager/Head Bartender
Lost Nation Brewing
Morrisville
10.2013 - 04.2018
- Mentored staff to enhance skills and achieve daily targets, using hands-on and motivational leadership.
- Maintained inventory accuracy by counting stock-on-hand and reconciling discrepancies.
- Completed inventory audits to identify losses and project demand.
- Implemented training processes for newly hired employees and supervised department managers, shift leads and production personnel.
- Assisted supervisor in evaluating employee performance and cultivating improvement initiatives.
- Trained team of 20+ to deliver outstanding customer service, boosting customer satisfaction ratings.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Music Composition
Johnson State College
Johnson, VT 04.2001 - 05.2005
Skills
- I am a fully trained mixologist with a vast knowledge of almost all liquors and their place in the cocktail world
- I can create wonderful cocktail lists that can be tailored to both the season, the local harvest and its terroir and the regular menu items
- I have created my own cocktail recipes and curated a different cocktail special each week, trying to incorporate the fresh produce available during the appropriate season
- I am a level one Cicerone, certified to serve both craft and imported beers with the knowledge of a brewery employee
- I am very knowledgeable about the beer world: from brewing processes to styles, from glassware and the historical socio-economic impact on civilization, I am able to effectively converse and convey in a skilled manner
- I have a fundamental knowledge of wines and champagne
- I have a talent for pairing beverages with menu items
- I can train both new and experienced bartenders and servers to elevate their current level of knowledge and skill
- I am excellent at both dealing with new clients and maintaining relationships with regulars
- I am great at learning on site and taking direction
- I excel at leading others and empowering a team to believe in themselves and their abilities, as well as quickly evaluating and solving any interpersonal issues should they arise
- I have beyond proficient abilities on several POS systems, including Toast and Square, both on the customer service side and programming side
Timeline
Lead Bartender
Apres Cocktail Lounge
06.2025 - Current
Bartender
Devil Takes A Holiday
10.2021 - 06.2025
Front Of House Manager/Catering Manager
Black Diamond Barbeque
05.2018 - 10.2021
Assistant Manager/Head Bartender
Lost Nation Brewing
10.2013 - 04.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Music Composition
Johnson State College
04.2001 - 05.2005