SETH BURGESS
Brooklyn,NY
Summary
Highly Thoughtful And Motivated Bartender Seeking An Opportunity To Provide Clarity To My Team, Property, And Company. I Will Be Able To Achieve My Goals By Consistent Communication With My Fellow Team Members And Providing Support In Any Area Of Service That Needs Attention; Ensuring Compliance With All Health And Safety Measures To Produce A Safe And Inviting Atmosphere For Our Guests.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
BAR MANAGER
Helen Restaurant
Birmingham, AL
08.2023 - 12.2024
- Bar managing responsibilities at Helen include ordering liquor, handling inventory every month, and overseeing the day to day success in flow of service behind the bar
- A large focus while being in this position has been curating unique and seasonal cocktail menus
- More importantly, I wanted to create the space for a collaborative team experience in pursuit of making our guests feel as special as we do making these cocktails
- One goal has been to challenge myself and the team to think beyond just simply riffing off of a classic when creating a drink for a menu
- While that is fine and will always have its merit, there was a need to challenge everyone
- We played heavily off of food profiles and nostalgic flavors to our own individual pallets
- I got the opportunity to take myself and my team down a creative rabbit hole and it was an unforgettable experience
- I was able to teach them batching, milk washing, fat washing, infusions, foams, tinctures, saccharums, cordials, shrubs, and various other techniques to get the bartender truly involved in what they're creating
- It has been very fulfilling to watch them grow into artists towards the drink they're making as well as the experience they're creating for the guest
- We held bar meetings every friday before service to fine tune any pre/during/post service miscommunications, brainstorm drink ideas, plan for distillery trips, cocktail competitions, and menu prep
- Earlier this year, Helen was a semifinalist where our Chef Rob Mcdaniel was nominated for a sixth time for best chef in the south
- It has been an honor to manage the bar for a place that demands such excellence while creating a comfortable place for the guest
- Putting together menus and have everyone collaborate along the way has been an enlightening experience
BARTENDER
Helen Restaurant
07.2020 - 11.2023
- Bartending responsibilities include providing an intentional, inviting, and celebratory experience to our guests
- Day to day flow includes setting up the bar you're working at and acquiring everything to help you succeed in flow of service (linens, towels, silverware, back up juices, syrups,etc.)
- Attention to every detail when setting up your well is vital
- Making sure we have proper garnish(as well as back up garnish), aligning your juices and syrups in a manner that allows for efficiency and speed, and making sure your whole station is set up around you for optimum neuroplasticity
- Helen is an establishment that thrives off of simplicity met with creativity
- This thought process is woven into making highly thought out drinks to pair with the seasonality of the food
- Cocktails like 'Golden Hour', I made a brown butter washed bourbon with Cynar and a toasted marshmallow syrup
- I finished it with a simple flamed orange peel
- The one I'm most proud of is a mocktail called 'What's Up Doc?' where I made a stock with ginger, carrot, rosemary, sage, thyme, and peels from lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit
- I infused that for several days, strained it, and that was my base
- I then made a sour/herbal soda out of it, and topped it with a pineapple and carrot foam
- It was thrilling to see guests get so excited about the work put in for those who can't or choose not to drink
- The cocktails I've helped create and had prepared well in advance for the menu is in a way that ideally complements and adds to an overall dish
- Another skill set I've found hospitable is riffing off of one or two flavors of a guest's desire
- Guests love it when the bartender shows that they can be improvisational
- It tells them you really care about creating an experience for them
- It also helps you discover how to build a drink from the ground up for moments when someone says they love mint and lemon, so the bartender's brain can immediately hop into the realm of 'Mint French 75' and base your creation off of a solid foundation
- Lastly, my duties have included training several employees at Helen at the bar, some who are now bartending, and some who are now serving on the floor
- I feel I've given the people I've trained the knowledge, comfortability, and confidence to talk about our drinks the same way we talk about wine
- Name a fruit
- Describe the body
- Is it dry
- Is it briney/funky
- Is it spirit forward
- If so, what is the spirit trying to highlight in flavor for the overall beverage
- I've helped instill this mindset in people we've had at the bar along with helping them find the most efficient flow in maintaining the bar and keeping their teammates afloat during a busy service
BARTENDER
The Elyton Hotel
02.2019 - 03.2020
- Bartending responsibilities at the Elyton included tending at The Yard fine dining restaurant, as well as Moonshine rooftop bar
- Having to have knowledge in both types of bars had me well versed in classic cocktails as well as new signature cocktails
- At Moonshine, I was asked to make cocktails for the menu, juice, make syrups/compote, and act as lead bartender when the supervisor would be off that day
- Some of the drinks I was able to create included: Malina Mojito, The Sour Patch, and The Blushing 74
- At Moonshine, I was asked to Bartend for Weddings, parties, business meetings, etc
- So I do have good experience in a fine dining service atmosphere as well as event associated bartending
LEAD SERVER, BARTENDER/SUPERVISOR
Redmont Hotel
08.2018 - 11.2018
- My responsibilities from this promotion included helping create an opening/closing checkout list for The Harvest restaurant, bartending all weekend banquets, running team meetings to discuss new menu items, daily specials added to the menu, taking tables, overseeing all tables periodically through a shift, and running all servers checkouts to ensure the restaurant was completely closed
BARISTA/SERVER
Redmont Hotel
03.2018 - 07.2018
- My responsibilities are providing top notch service to guests, collecting money and maintaining a balanced register, creating new drink menus for café, counting and stocking inventory, and assisting with set up for buffet as well as taking tables
BARISTA/LINE COOK
Redcat Café
06.2015 - 04.2018
- My responsibilities at Red Cat included preparing juice/sauce/syrup mixtures, opening/closing the café, cooking breakfast (breakfast/lunch sandwiches, grits, wraps, etc) keeping up syrup inventory, cleaning bathrooms, helped with hiring and training new employees, and contributed to our ever-changing drink menus and seasonal specials
BARBACK
The Woolworth
11.2018 - 01.2018
- Barback responsibilities included making sure that glassware is constantly stocked, changing out kegs, taking people's drink and food order, pouring beers, opening and closing the bar, keeping the establishment clean of glassware throughout shift, keeping liquor, juice, and fresh cut fruit stocked on the main/back bar and in storage
Education
THEATRE PERFORMANCE -
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
12.2017
Skills
- Public Communication
- Strong Work Ethic
- Multitasking
- Customer and Personal Service
- Adapting to Various Environments
- Cocktail menu creation
- Bar service efficiency
- Beverage creativity
- Sales optimization
- Training and mentoring
- Time management
- Conflict resolution
- Attention to detail
- Adaptable communication
- Cocktail development
References
- Rob Mcdaniel, (205) 603-2842
- Emily Mcdaniel, (205) 977-1920
- Daniel Goslin, (256) 794-4794
- James Neale, (850) 699-0420
- Kristine Brown, (706) 580-1285
- Seth Dunagan, (251) 599-6296
Accomplishments
- Old Forrester 2023 Birmingham Bartender of the Year
Timeline
BAR MANAGER
Helen Restaurant
08.2023 - 12.2024
BARTENDER
Helen Restaurant
07.2020 - 11.2023
BARTENDER
The Elyton Hotel
02.2019 - 03.2020
BARBACK
The Woolworth
11.2018 - 01.2018
LEAD SERVER, BARTENDER/SUPERVISOR
Redmont Hotel
08.2018 - 11.2018
BARISTA/SERVER
Redmont Hotel
03.2018 - 07.2018
BARISTA/LINE COOK
Redcat Café
06.2015 - 04.2018
THEATRE PERFORMANCE -
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
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