236: Elevating Your Home Bar with The Cocktail Guru

Bourbon Lens

Perfect for summer, our guest today is here to talk about all things Cocktails! He is Jonathan Pogash, also known as “The Cocktail Guru”. Jonathan joins Jake to talk about being creative with cocktails at home and his tips for any home bartender. Join us as we expand our palate from our usual whiskey neat to more complex drinks. Cheers!

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Cheers,Scott and JakeBourbon Lens

About Jonathan Pogash:

Jonathan Pogash is the founder, owner and President of The Cocktail GuruTM - one of the most premier cocktail and full-service hospitality consultancy companies in the country. He was initially trained by cocktail-world luminaries Steve Olson, Gary Regan, Julie Reiner, and Albert Trummer. Under these legends, he studied technique, cocktail history, fresh ingredients, and seasonality and developed his hallmark techniques.

Jonathan launched The Cocktail Guru in 2006 initially as a side hustle, while he worked as an actor and craft cocktail bartender in NYC. The demand for The Cocktail Guru’s services skyrocketed quickly, which turned into a full time, multi-platform hospitality consulting business. Jonathan swiftly assembled an all- star team of world-renowned mixologist, drinks experts, and scholars dedicated to bringing liquid joy and cocktail knowledge to the roster of clients.

Today, The Cocktail Guru is an eclectic collective that has expanded its’ offerings. The unique mix of creative, engaging, and informative services that the Gurus deliver are inspirational and impactful. In addition to consulting services for bars, brands, restaurants, and hotels, the team has expanded to accommodate requests for a growing number of special events for the public. The Collective of Gurus offer not only trainings, but menu & signature cocktail development, event hosting, company happy hours, bachelor and bachelorette parties, private parties, weddings, media appearances and more.

Jonathan and his savvy team of Cocktail Gurus execute private and corporate events, design signature cocktails for small to large spirit brands, host team building mixology courses and Masterclasses, and develop craft cocktail programs for restaurants, bars, hotels and resorts.

Jonathan himself represents beverage brands by leading educational experiences, training bartenders, presenting consumer‐facing classes and seminars, and acting as media and industry spokesperson. With nearly 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Jonathan shares his insights with the most influential publications from around the world and frequently contributes his unique talents to morning television shows and national radio. His signature cocktails can be seen and enjoyed in many of North America’s most upscale cocktail lounges and restaurants.

In 2021, Jonathan and his father, notable author and celebrated spirits industry veteran Jeffrey Pogash (“How to Read a Wine Label”, “Bloody Mary”) launched The Cocktail Guru Podcast, where they host and toast everyone from spirits industry icons to celebrities.

Press Coverage and Show Links:

• The Cocktail Guru
• The Cocktail Guru Podcast