Since 2008, the Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP) has hosted more than 400 apprentices who have gained valuable experience working and managing large-scale, high-volume events during the annual Tales of The Cocktail Conference (TOTC). This year, 32 accomplished and up-and-coming bartenders have earned the opportunity to become Red Coat CAPs and learn alongside some of the world’s most respected bartenders and cocktail experts as apprentices, assisting with seminars and events at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans from July 25–29, 2022. The 2022 CAP Class and Program is generously sponsored by our partners at Campari, Courvoisier, Crown Royal, Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Lyre’s, and Sazerac.
First-year CAPs will work together under an assigned “Grey Coat” mentor to prep and execute cocktails and tastings presented during seminars as well as the Dame Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Spirited Awards ceremony, and other headlining events taking place at TOTC’s 2022 host venue, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.
“After not having an in-person Tales of the Cocktail for the past two years, we were beyond excited to get back to the application process. It is always so amazing to read the stories of the applicants, and this year was no exception. 2022 brings a smaller team, so we had that much more of a challenge selecting, but we cannot wait to bring our 32 new CAPs, and of course, our 16 returning CAPs to New Orleans with 2022 being an opportunity for a new era of both Tales of the Cocktail and the Cocktail Apprentice Program” said the CAP Leadership Team, Alexis Belton-Tinoco, Cris Dehlavi, John Deragon, Trevor Kallies, and Juyoung Kang.
This year’s incoming class, known as Red Coats, are selected from 14 U.S. states; Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico; and six countries, including Canada, Ghana, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. Apprentices were selected through a competitive process that considers recipe submissions, professional experience, and the ability to work with a fast-paced, global team. The team was selectively chosen in order to promote global diversity and ensure that a balance exists between newer and experienced professionals.
These first-time apprentices will be joined by an experienced group of veteran apprentices, who will use their previous experiences to lead this year’s program. Throughout the festival, apprentices can be identified by the color of their chef coats: white for managers, black for assistant managers, grey for leaders, and red for first-time apprentices.
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 festival, apprentices are able to apply their new skills to their home and work environments, making the experience of being a CAP member a long-term investment. In addition to technical skills, the valuable professional connections and the team camaraderie fostered during the event have been consistently praised by former members as the most valuable assets the program has given them.
2022 Red Coat Apprentices:
- Patience Adjei
- Twist Night Club and Level Up Lounge
- Accra, Ghana, West Africa
- Gerald Akins
- Hamlet and Ghost
- Saratoga Springs, NY
- Israel Baròn
- Casa Prunes
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Tammy Bouma
- Bluebird Cocktail Room
- Baltimore, MD
- Dylan Brentwood
- Bar Kismet
- Halifax, NS, Canada
- Napier Bulanan
- Viridian
- Oakland, CA
- Yosue Cordero Badillo
- Fairmont El San Juan Hotel
- Carolina, Puerto Rico
- Chelsea DeMark
- Thompson Hotel Savannah
- Savannah, GA
- Milton Deya
- Melinda’s Alley
- Phoenix, AZ
- Linda Douglas
- Curly Bartender
- Los Angeles, CA
- Kai Duarte
- Pacifico on the Beach and Down The Hatch
- Wailuku, HI
- Cody Dunavan
- Breakthru Beverage Virginia
- Richmond, VA
- Glenn Eldridge
- ROKA
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Tim Frandsen
- Jane Jane
- Washington, DC
- John Fry
- Rumba / Inside Passage
- Seattle, WA
- Delena Humble-Fischer
- Golden Pineapple Craft Lounge
- Tempe, AZ
- Princess Johnson
- Allegory
- Washington, DC
- Maria Kim
- Southside Parlor
- Seoul, South Korea
- Sungjoo Koo
- Midnight Rambler
- Dallas, TX
- Rylen Komeiji
- Here Kitty Kitty / Zouk Group
- Las Vegas, NV
- Lars Lunstrum
- The Black Cypress
- Pullman, WA
- Jacob Mentel
- Polite Provisions
- San Diego, CA
- Brian “Vito” Morales
- Saso Bistro
- Pasadena, CA
- Julian Bella Robins
- Pursuing MS in Hospitality Management at FIU
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Jomar Santos
- The Peacock Lounge Savannah
- Savannah, GA
- Jeremiah Simmons
- Seven Three Distillery
- New Orleans, LA
- Colin Simpson
- The Aviary
- Chicago, IL
- Taylor Sweeney
- Bar Shiru
- Oakland, CA
- Vivi Szalavari
- Uptown Cafe
- Bloomington, IN
- Irlanda Vargas
- Bacal
- México City, Mexico
- Noor Wafai
- The Eddy & Durk’s Bar-B-Q
- Providence, RI
- Tim Weigel
- Vegas Vickie’s
- Las Vegas, NV
2022 Grey Coat Apprentices:
- Hagay I. Abramovitz
- Imperial Craft Cocktail Bar
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- Justine Bock
- Gin & Juice
- Bristol, UK
- Patrick Braga
- Happy Accidents
- Albuquerque, NM
- Fifi Bruce
- Barrel Brothers
- Berlin, Germany
- Richie Delahoyde
- Lyre’s Non Alcoholic Spirits
- Dublin, Ireland
- Amy Dunki
- Barr Hill and Caledonia Spirits
- Los Angeles, CA
- Arianna Hone
- High West Saloon, Post Office Place
- Park City, UT
- Renson Malesi
- House of Sage Cocktails
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Nicholas McCaslin
- The Ritz-Carlton Nomad
- New York City, NY
- Allie Phifer
- Cayo Coco Rum Bar and Restaurante
- Birmingham, AL
- Jessi Pollak
- Spoon and Stable
- Minneapolis, MN
- Eric Scott
- Thyme X Table
- Bay Village, OH
- Britt Simons
- The Eddy
- Providence, RI
- Joey Smith
- Chez Zou
- New York City, NY
- Sarah Syman
- The Dandy Crown
- Chicago, IL
- Nigal Vann
- The Berkshire Room
- Chicago, IL
2022 Black Coat Apprentices:
- Cam Brown
- Self-Employed
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Kaleena Goldsworthy-Warnock
- The Bitter Bottle and Proof Bar and Incubator
- Chattanooga, TN
- Alex Lerman
- Pearl Street Hospitality
- Denver, CO
- Samm McCulloch
- Red Wall Distillery
- Sedona, AZ
2022 White Coat Apprentices:
- Alexis Belton-Tinoco
- Johnnie Walker/Proof Media Mix
- Chicago, IL
- Cris Dehlavi
- Diageo Hospitality Partnership
- Columbus, OH
- John Deragon
- Resy
- Brooklyn, NY
- Trevor Kallies
- Freehouse Collective
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Juyoung Kang
- Zouk Group at Resorts World Las Vegas
- Las Vegas, NV
CAPs Ongoing OpportunitiesAfter Tales concludes, CAP members will be eligible to apply for the Cocktail Apprentice Scholarship Program when the application reopens in January 2023. Founded by Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, the Scholarship Program has annually helped former apprentices pursue further learning opportunities over the past ten years. After undergoing a rigorous selection process, former apprentices are selected to receive funding for a wide variety of projects, from those designed to further their career to those designed with the intent to educate the cocktail community.
For more information about the Cocktail Apprentice Program, please visit the TOTCF website.