A Columbus Bartender’s Lessons from Tales of the Cocktail

Written by Sangeeta Lakhani
Young woman standing in the streets of New Orleans and smiling.

How a Gala raffle from Service! & the Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour sent Cassidy to New Orleans

Cassidy has spent almost a decade in hospitality, from serving tables to running the cocktail program at Service Bar at Middle West Spirits. At last year's Service! Gala, she won an all-expenses-paid trip to Tales of the Cocktail 2026 in New Orleans, sponsored by the Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour and Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers.

Tales of the Cocktail is one of the biggest gatherings in the drinks industry, a week of seminars, tastings and networking that takes over the city. In late summer, we went to Service Bar at Middle West Spirits and sat down with Cassidy to hear what she learned, how it changed her menu, and why she believes in what Service! does. 

Cassidy’s interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The interview

What got you started in the industry?

I started out serving at Cracker Barrel. Then I took a job as a cocktail server at a small bourbon speakeasy in my hometown, dressed as a flapper girl. I got to watch the bartenders make these intricate classic cocktails with such easy flair, and it sparked a little flame in my brain. I thought, I need to get into that. Ever since then, I've been chasing it.

What is Tales of the Cocktail, and what was your first year like?

It's basically a big convention that brings together whiskey enthusiasts, bartenders, mixologists, anyone who wants to dive into the service industry and learn about it. Every single person I met was so excited when I told them it was my first year. I had no idea how big it was. It just consumed the city, in the best way possible. Everywhere you turned, there was a tasting or a pairing or a distiller. I even got to meet the founder of Jefferson's Bourbon, which was so cool.

I filled every day, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with every seminar, panel and workshop I could get to. Now I have the goal of one day being one of those people, the one telling a first-timer, "It's my fifth year. Let me tell you everything you can learn here."

What did you take away from it?

As a beverage director, I thought, okay, this is it. I've hit the roof. Maybe this is all I can do. After going there, I learned there's so much more. I learned about writing my own book, managing multiple locations, and what it would look like to have my own bar one day. I met people who were way past where I thought I was stuck, and they were excelling. I came home with new goals.

I love my job at Middle West Spirits so much -- I could be happy and content doing this for another 10 years. But now I want to do this and more. I want to be a beverage director here, and I also want to write a book. And I also want to help be a mentor to my new bartender here, who's amazing and wants to learn about the classic cocktails that I love. So it opened up my eyes and lit a fire in me that I felt had been missing for a while.

Was it your first time in New Orleans?

Yes, and I love it. The history and the energy there are insane. The one thing I had to do was go to the Old Absinthe House. I love anything historical that ties in cocktails, so I had to get their absinthe frappé. You could feel the history in every building you went into and every street you walked down.

How has Middle West Spirits supported you?

I basically have a huge team of cheerleaders here, from my staff to our executive chef to my boss. Every single person has been supportive of what I've been [doing], not just as a [bartender] but as a beverage director.

It’s like I have my own workshop to make anything I could possibly want, using fresh produce from the local farmers we work with. No matter how crazy a cocktail sounds in my head, I present it to the team and they're excited to be my guinea pigs. They were all excited for me to go to New Orleans, and when I came back [they wanted to hear everything I learned].

I could not ask for a better place to work. They see my potential and remind me that I have it too.

How did Tales change your menu?

The biggest thing I learned is that savory doesn't have to be salty. It can be fresh and bright. I still have “Girl Dinner,” my super filthy martini for the people who love that, but I also wanted to create stepping stones into savory for people who are just dipping their toes into that trend. So now the menu has drinks with honeydew, shiitake mushroom with barrel-aged soy sauce, and peanut-washed brandy. They lean savory without being salty. Some of them sound bizarre, especially the mushroom one, but I always tell people to just try it.

One guest called it the most eclectic but still cohesive menu they've had. That's the best compliment. We use our own spirits and fresh ingredients in almost every cocktail, and you can taste the love my team puts into them.

What would you tell someone thinking about going to Tales?

I'm very social in my own environment, but I was nervous to go to New Orleans alone, not knowing anyone. The moment I got there and started going to seminars and meeting people, I found that these are my people. I made friends from totally different parts of the country that I'll have for the rest of my life. It was worth the anxiety of getting on a plane. I cannot say it enough: just do it.

Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers & The Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour helped to sponsor your trip -- what does the Service! Relief organization mean to you?

It shows people like me that there's more. There's a feeling in this industry that once you're in it, you can't get out of it. Organizations like Service! highlight how much more you can do. I thought, I'm just a manager, that's it. But there's so much more, and we have a bigger community than I ever realized.

See it, taste it, support it

Cassidy's trip was made possible by the Columbus Craft Cocktail Tour and Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers.


Sangeeta Lakhani
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