Erin Goldman

As a bar supervisor, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve walked past a bartender who’s clearly in the weeds. When I ask if they need a hand, they’ll often say they’re fine, even when it’s obvious they’re overwhelmed. Refusing help doesn’t just make things harder for that bartender—it affects everyone. Service slows down, guests have a worse experience, the bartender’s tips suffer, and ultimately it reflects on the entire team and the property.

it’s just food and booze. None of this is life or death. We aren’t performing surgery or curing cancer. I’ve seen so many people in this industry completely unravel because a guest is upset, a ticket is taking too long, or a drink wasn’t made exactly the way someone wanted it.

We get to be part of people’s biggest celebrations and sometimes their hardest days. A free birthday shot, a perfectly made cocktail, or simply taking the time to listen to someone who’s having a rough day can have a real impact.

Learning to stay calm, adapt, and focus on solving the problem instead of panicking will make you a better hospitality professional. Guests take their cues from you—if you stay composed, smile, and confidently offer a solution, most situations are much easier than they first seem. Keep perspective. Care deeply about your guests and take pride in your work, but don’t let a bad ticket or an unhappy guest ruin your day. In hospitality, the ability to stay calm and pivot is one of the most valuable skills you can develop.

I love taking flavors that people already know and have an emotional connection to, then presenting them in a completely unexpected way. Sometimes it’s using familiar ingredients in a new format, and other times it’s using unconventional ingredients to recreate a flavor people recognize instantly.

My boyfriend jokes that we can’t have a normal conversation anymore because I’ll suddenly blurt out something like, “I wonder if green Chartreuse and snap peas would work together?” Sometimes those ideas become great cocktails, and sometimes they’re complete failures. But I think that’s the fun of the craft. Curiosity is what keeps me creating, and I’m constantly chasing flavors that tell a story or make someone remember something they haven’t thought about in years.

I created the cocktail itself, so I was incredibly proud of the drink we put forward. But creating a great cocktail was only half the battle. I’m not the most naturally outgoing person. While I love the creative side of bartending, working a crowd and actively selling a product isn’t where I shine. That’s where my teammates made all the difference. While I focused on making sure every cocktail that left the booth was consistent and represented us well, my coworkers were out front engaging with guests, telling the story behind the drink, and encouraging people to try it. Their energy and ability to connect with people brought guests to our booth in a way I couldn’t have done by myself. That experience reinforced something I believe is true in hospitality: success comes from recognizing everyone’s strengths and trusting each other to play those roles. I may have created the cocktail, but earning second place was absolutely a team achievement, and it’s something I’m proud we accomplished together.

Whether it’s an unavailable ingredient, an unexpected request, or a problem during service, I enjoy figuring out how to adapt rather than focusing on what we can’t do. Some of my favorite cocktails—and some of my best lessons—have come from situations where I had to pivot rather than follow the original plan.

That mindset has carried over into my career, and I don’t think there’s ever a point where someone knows everything. As much as I’ve learned and as confident as I am in my craft, I’m constantly reminded of how much there still is to discover—and I love that.

Instead of feeling embarrassed, I get excited because it’s an opportunity to learn something new. That same curiosity drives everything I do. I love visiting new cocktail bars, studying menus, reading cocktail books, following other bartenders and creators, and diving into the science behind techniques like fat washing, clarification, and foams. I even find inspiration outside the bar by talking with our chefs about how they build sauces or pair flavors.

There’s always another technique to learn, another ingredient to explore, or another flavor combination to test. Some ideas work beautifully, and some fail spectacularly—but every experiment teaches me something. At the end of the day, though, all of that learning serves one purpose: creating an experience that makes people happy. My favorite moment is when a guest looks at one of my cocktails with a little skepticism, asks about the ingredients, takes that first sip, and you can see their expression change. Watching someone discover a combination they never expected to love is incredibly rewarding. That’s what keeps me growing. I want to keep learning, keep creating, and keep giving people those moments of surprise and delight. Hospitality should be fun, and I want every drink I make to reflect that.