From Bartender to Global Tastemaker: Rebecca’s Journey with Ellis Adams Group

"My number one goal is to leave inspiration—even more than education."

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Zaylan: Where is home to you?

Rebecca: Home is Columbus, Ohio.

Zaylan: What’s your favorite food and drink?

Rebecca: Oh, great question. Aperol Spritz is my go-to. In fact, I was the National Aperol Spritz Ambassador about six years ago. I got a chance to tour the country and drink Aperol Spritz’ everywhere—it stuck with me.
That’s my favorite drink, but honestly, any craft cocktail excites me. And for non-alcoholic drinks, I love coconut water. So those are my two favorites.

Zaylan: Was that with the Aperol company? They had a national program?

Rebecca: Yeah, it was a marketing event—a six-month tour. I got to drive a little orange Fiat across the country, talking about Aperol Spritz.

Zaylan: So this was an activation at different hotels? And is that pretty standard, or was it unique in the industry?

Rebecca: It was an activation at different hotels, cocktail bars and restaurants. And it was  really unique! I’ve seen things that are similar, just through different lenses. But yeah, I had a branded Fiat—I was literally driving this orange-wrapped car that said Aperol Spritz on the side.

It kind of reminded me of the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile or Goodyear Blimp-type marketing. I’d go to bars, do activations, and talk about Aperol’s history, the cocktail itself, and how to make and prepare it.

Zaylan: Very cool. How about a favorite book—if you're a big reader?

Rebecca: I am a reader! I don’t know if I have a favorite, but right now I’m into the Sarah J. Maas fantasy series. I’m reading A Court of Thorns and Roses—there are like 600 pages per book—and I’m on the fourth one out of six. So, that’s been keeping me entertained in my downtime.

Zaylan: Any books you recommend for bartenders—especially if you're working with someone new?

Rebecca: I have a lot of great books in my personal collection, and I try to share them with young bartenders. A couple I always recommend are Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s The Bar Book, Cocktail Codex, Liquid Intelligence, and the Death & Co Books.  I’m a big collector of cocktail books—they’re amazing resources for bartenders.

Zaylan: I’ve heard from a beverage director in Seattle once that , “My team doesn't like to learn. It’s impossible to get them to do anything.”

And I haven’t really had that experience. I find a lot of people want to learn and improve. What do you see, training people all over the world—do they want to grow in their careers? Or is it a struggle to get them engaged?

Rebecca: Honestly, I’d say it’s 50/50. When we go into training environments, my number one goal is to leave inspiration, even more than education.

Education is relatively easy—most already have some experience behind the bar—but inspiring them to continue their education is key.

Once I see someone show even a little interest, I try to connect with them—share a book recommendation, suggest social media accounts to follow, or highlight local opportunities. That’s really what built the foundation of my career.

Back in Columbus 10 years ago, we were considered a small market. A very niche group of us were obsessed with the cocktail scene. To make any real difference, we had to push ourselves nationally—go to conferences, read constantly, watch YouTube videos, follow blogs, and connect on social media. That helped grow our community and our careers.

I try to bring that energy into my training. I share my backstory and hope it leaves people inspired. Before I started traveling, I mentored a lot of young bartenders in Columbus. Many of them have gone on to build great careers that started through our work together.

Zaylan: Do you think the 50% who don’t seem to care ever will? Or are you hoping that your inspiration helps turn that around?

Rebecca: I hope they eventually do, especially as they adjust to the industry’s evolution.
The people I’m talking about—those who seem disengaged—are often veteran bartenders who are still adapting to new styles, menus, and what the future looks like. And change is hard.

But if, as a trainer, you make it approachable—not intimidating—and sprinkle in some inspiration, it really helps convert and encourage them.

Zaylan: What’s your favorite hotel that you’ve stayed at over the years?

Rebecca: One of my favorites is the St. Regis Deer Valley. I’m actually heading there this weekend for some mountain time.

Zaylan: Wow, that’s in Utah, right?

Rebecca: It is—Park City. It’s beautiful. It sits on its own mountain, and you have to take a lift up to the property. It brings you down into Park City.
It’s just a really picturesque hotel. I first went during COVID, when it was more affordable for me. Now I just plan ahead and make it a luxury weekend.

Zaylan: That sounds amazing. Is that also your favorite place you’ve ever been?

Rebecca: No—I love traveling, even outside of work.
At the beginning of this year, I did a trip to Europe—five cities, four countries. So I’d say my favorite travels are definitely to Europe. I love exploring new places.
Right now, my favorite place is probably Lisbon. I had a really wonderful time there.

Zaylan: So you’re excited about the EMEA openings? Will you be heading over there more?

Rebecca: I hope to! I’m not currently involved in those openings, but fingers crossed. Any support I can offer, I will. And if I get the chance to go—it would be a dream.

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"Hospitality is home... not just my career, but my community, my family—it’s the foundation of everything for me."

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Zaylan: What does hospitality mean to you?

Rebecca: That's a great question. Hospitality is home. And I mean that in the sense that it has been the foundation of not just my career, but also my friends, my family—all of my family members have worked in hospitality, and my best friends as well. It's home to me.

But in a professional lens, I would say hospitality means welcoming others and providing that feeling of home.

Zaylan: What first drew you to the industry—and then particularly into beverage design and cocktail programs? Where did that all start?

Rebecca: I first started in the industry as a supplemental job through college, alongside what was then my career in the fashion world—doing merchandising and design. Once I got my foot in the door, I realized, not only the financial rewards, but also that sense of community and home I felt.

Then, I found the cocktail bar where I got my first real cocktail job, and I became obsessed. I could see art through cocktails. The environment of a craft cocktail bar, especially the one I started at—Curio in Columbus, Ohio, which is now closed—was really special.

We were leading the cocktail scene in our community, and everyone kind of came to us for inspiration. We cultivated this community—it was really wonderful to be part of. But realizing that we were in a small market, I knew I had to put myself out there. I started going to national seminars and events like Tales of the Cocktail, and I also started entering competitions like World Class and Speed Rack.

That opened up a whole new home for me—a national community. I started making friends and family all across the country and realizing how close-knit this industry really is.

All of that sparked my creativity and my desire to dive in as much as I could—not only to be a mentor for others but also to create. I supported development at that cocktail bar, and when it closed, I found an opportunity in the hotel world. That’s where I really got full ownership of my creativity—and the sky was the limit.

I had a great mentor, and that’s something I always recommend to those just starting out: find a mentor. Find a leader who resonates with you, someone doing great things who makes you feel empowered—and learn from them.

I’ve been really fortunate to have two incredible mentors. One from Curio, and one from the AC Columbus Dublin. He gave me creative freedom, within reason, and encouraged education, foundation, team building, and bonding.

Then it was game over—I became obsessed with menu development. We started doing seasonal menus, and I really leaned into my team to inspire and collaborate with me. We’d go on educational trips—to the farmer’s market, for example—pick out fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices we weren’t familiar with, then come back and do tasting panels. We’d roundtable it and really challenge our senses and palates.

We brought seasonal ingredients into the culinary side of our beverage program. I remember my mentor at the AC looking at me and saying, “Rebecca, I want to win some awards this year. Let’s shoot for Top 50.”

That wasn’t heard of in the hotel world—especially not in Columbus, Ohio. But we went for it. Next thing you know, we’re being nominated for Tales of the Cocktail – Best Hotel Bar in our region. We got that nomination three years in a row under my leadership. That came from his inspiration as my mentor, but also from the power he gave me to believe in myself.

It’s so important to find mentors and leaders who encourage you to push yourself, to educate yourself, and to build your confidence.

From there, I leaned hard into development. Fast forward five years, and now I lead a lot of the development for Ellis Adams Group—on a global level.

In the past two weeks alone, I’ve developed cocktails for four different clients—probably 75 cocktails total. This year has been busy, and I love it. Because I’m not just building menus—I’m still challenging myself.

I’m writing cocktail menus in places like Turks and Caicos, so I have to do my research. I’m still learning, still educating myself—even while also working on menus for properties in places like Chattanooga. I have to understand the location, the culture, the guest—before I can create the menu.

That’s what makes it fun. That’s what keeps me motivated—knowing these properties will have a menu that not only drives revenue, but hopefully inspires their bartenders and gives them the same kind of spark I try to leave behind when I’m on property.

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"It all came full circle—back to that moment I asked, ‘How do I get your job?’ And the real answer was: connect with the right people, keep learning, and stay inspired."

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Zaylan: Awesome. Getting into a couple of questions related to EAG—tell us about how you came into the company. What do you resonate with the most? How do the values align with how you were already approaching the beverage and hospitality industries? And how did this match come together?

Rebecca: I met Chris Adams when he was a guest at my bar—I was his bartender.‍

I asked him the most famous question: “How do I get a job like yours?”
Come to find out, he was very good friends with my mentor—or rather, someone who ended up being my boss when I moved into the hotel world, and who’s now one of my mentors.

I always found it funny that I was Chris’ bartender and asked him the question I now get asked all the time: “How do I get your job?”
But we stayed in touch through social media, and I feel like he was watching my career blossom, just as I was watching EAG come to life.

We would check in from time to time and stay connected about what was happening in the industry. Then, we ran into each other again at Tales of the Cocktail—which, honestly, is where so many people in our industry make career-shaping connections.

That reconnection with Chris was exactly what we needed to really align. We continued to remain friends—both personally and professionally. Then, once he started really growing EAG, he reached out to me just to see how I was doing, if I was happy, and to let me know there might be an opportunity for a new Account Executive to join the team.

He said, “Rebecca, this would be a lifestyle change from what you’re used to, but I think you might be interested.” He gave me the chance to shadow him at an opening, and I was hooked.

The moment I saw him jump up on that stage, I was like, “Yep—this is what I’m doing.”

And it all came full circle—back to that moment I asked, “How do I get your job?”
I think the real answer was: connect with the right people. Whether that’s your leaders or other professionals in your industry, maintaining healthy relationships and learning from each other is everything.

That reconnection with Chris gave me a new platform to do what I love—development, training, education, mentoring—but now on a much larger scale.

I was already doing all of that within my community and workplace, but now I could really run with it. That’s how I got involved with EAG.

When I first started, my title was Beverage Specialist, and I remember asking, “What is a Beverage Specialist?”Chris just looked at me and said, “Well, what do you think it means?”—again, giving me the power to help shape my own role.

So I got to use my talents, but I also had no idea what I was doing at first. I was like, What do you mean I have to do this?
But I leaned into what I was great at and started learning from those around me at Ellis Adams Group.

We all have our specialties, our niche—and we learn from each other to become a powerful, unified team.

I was definitely a different person when I first started. I thought it was all just beverage, beverage, beverage. But I’ve since learned so much more over the past three years—and I’ve grown immensely.

And that’s one of the things I love most about being on Chris’ team and with EAG: I’m constantly learning. I’m constantly gaining new skills. And it’s amazing.

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“Whether it’s a bucket-list hotel or a neighborhood bar, I want guests to remember what they drank—and the bartenders to remember who inspired them.”

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Zaylan: Awesome. Can you share a few of your favorite projects? Either hotels you've opened or programs you've designed.

Rebecca: I think all the projects I’ve worked on have been impactful. There’s always something I either take with me or leave behind in a positive way—whether it’s an opening, a training, or a menu launch.

That’s the beauty of this fast-paced, ever-changing position we have. We’re in a different state, city, or country every week, and working with new people every day. So I always leave something—and always take something with me.

That said, a couple of my favorites come to mind—not even because of the work itself, but because of the experience. One that really stands out was the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua in Hawaii.

I remember flying there thinking, this has been on my bucket list my entire life. There was an emotional attachment from the very beginning. And then, while I was on property, I launched one of my first menus with Ellis Adams Group.

It was such a meaningful experience—a bucket list trip turned professional milestone. I’d wake up three hours before work every day to go snorkeling, then come back, change into business clothes, and spend the rest of the day working with bartenders.

I couldn’t have been happier during those seven days—it was one of my absolute favorites.

But there have also been emotional openings that stick with me because of the people. You form connections very quickly. They’re not small—they’re just fast. Those relationships leave a lasting impact too.

Zaylan: When you're working with a new team, what do you hope they remember from their time with you? What kind of impact do you hope to have?

Rebecca: I’m going to say this jokingly—because we drill it into our trainings—but: “Shake 20 times, stir 40 times.”

If this were a podcast with one of my trainees, they’d probably laugh hearing that because we say it constantly for consistency.

But on a more serious note, what I really hope they take away is the inspiration to keep learning.

And I think tools like Nitecapp are going to help with that—especially in this modern, tech-driven world. Now they have an app on their phone.

When I first started, I had to buy books and attend every event and tasting I could. I still encourage that, but I also encourage bartenders to lean into the technology and resources available to them now.

I also remind them that I’m a resource—even after I leave. I share my social media with them, sometimes even my personal number, and tell them to reach out with any questions, whether personal or professional.

Because who knows? Five years from now, we might be working together again or crossing paths at an event. I want to remain connected.

Zaylan: What about the guests who experience a cocktail program you’ve put together—or who interact with someone you just trained? What do you hope they feel or remember?
And second part—after interacting with someone you’ve worked with for a while, what do you hope they take away?

Rebecca: I want guests to say, “That was the best experience of my life.”

Whether it’s their most memorable vacation, a work trip, or even just a visit to a bar or event, I want those memories to include food and beverage—especially the beverage piece.

They already have the ambiance, the music, the sounds… but I want the food and drink to shine.

We really try to think like chefs when designing menus. That means leaning into culinary garnishes, textures, flavors, and even the verbiage on menus. Everything needs to feel cohesive with the overall food and beverage experience.

Because we know guests are going to walk away with memories of the property or event—but if they also remember what they drank? Then we did our job right.

And maybe they even post it on social media.
Then I get to say, “That’s cool—I helped train that bartender,” or “I developed that cocktail.”
And seeing it out there in the world? That’s a really rewarding feeling.

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"Minimalism, theater, and mindful consumption—those are the three things I focus on in every menu I develop."

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Zaylan: And a few last questions on future visions. What industry trends in beverage and hospitality are you paying attention to right now that you think have the potential to really shake things up?

Rebecca: “To really shake things up”—I like that.

I think this has been happening for a while now, but not everyone has fully caught on—especially from a development perspective. For someone like me who creates menus, one of the biggest shifts is the move toward minimalism: using fewer ingredients, but maximizing each one.

More minimal—more intentional. Use quality products and reduce what goes into the glass. You can create a very sophisticated, sexy cocktail and elevate it through your glassware, your ice, and your ingredients.

And I think that applies to anything we eat or drink. There's a lot of filler out there—it doesn’t have to go into your body just because it’s available.

Whenever I go to Europe, I’m reminded of this. I’ll order something as simple as a Campari soda, and it’s the best Campari soda—not just because I’m sitting in Italy—but because they use premium soda water, the glassware is etched and beautiful, and the garnish is fully expressed, trimmed with precision.

It’s the attention to detail. That, paired with a minimalistic approach, is something I hope to see more of.

I also love molecular gastronomy, so I’m always excited about using acids in cocktails—malic acid, citric acid, foams, things like that. Guests still love a drink with bubbles, a cocktail that’s smoked—it brings a theatrical element.

People thought for a second that the showy cocktail trend was dying, but it’s not. I’m still seeing it, and I’m still putting it on menus, because guests love it—especially in the Instagram era.

The theater of the cocktail is still very relevant.

And then of course, no-proof and low-proof cocktails—those are no longer just a trend. They’re here to stay. Every menu should include them.

It’s also about educating bartenders on how to talk about those drinks with guests and how to incorporate them meaningfully into programs.

So those are the three areas I’m most focused on when it comes to menu development:
minimalism, theater, and mindful consumption.

Zaylan: What are you most excited about for the future with EAG?

Rebecca: Our growth. Things are changing all the time, and the fact that we’re supporting Europe regularly now—that’s amazing.

The growth we’ve seen as a team—especially with new account executives joining—has been exciting. I think we’ve added three or four people in just the last two years.

That’s important because it’s not just about expanding support globally—it’s about learning from each other internally, too. We’re becoming stronger as a team.

Personally, I’m really excited about my upcoming travels. I’m heading to Turks and Caicos in a week and a half to support a property there, and I’m so excited about it.

Professionally, I’ve also set a few personal goals for this year and next—and I’m really looking forward to tackling them.

Zaylan: Awesome. And then the final question—you’ve already touched on this in a few places—but if you could leave one piece of advice for someone entering the hospitality industry who wants to build a successful career, what would it be?

Rebecca: Find a great leader. Find a great mentor.

Lean into education. Use your resources. And—have fun with it! Don’t forget the fun part.

Build a community around what you do, whether it’s local or on a national level. Go to events, connect with people who inspire you to grow in a healthy way.

And I mean healthy in a few ways—creatively healthy, meaning you're always pushing your limits and thinking outside the box; and personally healthy, by avoiding some of the bad habits that can come with this industry.

Surround yourself with professionals who elevate you.

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