Tender Bar & Grill head bartender Isaac Grillo’s passion for food and drink took hold when he moved to Hawaii for college. “I was exposed to many different cuisines, and I began to learn about interesting ingredients that would become the backbone of my cocktail style,” he says. Upon moving back to his native Colorado he began bartending consistently and soon realized it was here that his passion was rooted. After culinary school and bartending his way through Miami, he ventured to New York, where he can be found at Times Square sushi and steak go-to Tender Bar & Grill. We caught up with Grillo to learn about the most important trait for a bartender today, his two favorite times of a shift, and what he’s drinking and spinning on a deserted island.
BoozeMenus: How would you define your approach behind the bar?
Isaac Grillo: I like to take a laid back approach. You can't be too serious when it comes to making drinks. I definitely take a culinary point of view and enjoy using exotic and fresh local ingredients while using kitchen techniques to create innovative cocktails.
BM: You've lived in a bunch of places and worked behind bars in many of them - which city has felt the most like home when it comes to bartending?
IG: While Colorado will always feel like home, Miami is my cocktail home. I've taken my influences from my time in New York, LA, and Hawaii, but it all came together in Miami. I say this because this is the city that honed my aesthetic.
BM: How have your travels and past cities lived in informed your cocktails?
IG: My travels have greatly influenced my cocktails. I've been blessed to get to travel all over the world. I've been to many different distilleries for many spirits and gotten to see first hand local interesting ingredients from so many cool places. I take things away from every trip that I put my own spin on at home.
BM: What are the most important qualities for a bartender to possess in today's cocktail scene, in your opinion?
IG: For me, passion is the most important quality for a bartender. There are so many cool things to learn and experiment with that this job can never get boring. You can't ever stop pushing the envelope! Part of passion that is sometimes overlooked is for us to instill passion in others. I strongly believe that with more success it is your duty to pass on that knowledge and work ethic. We need to set up mentorship programs and education for our staff and keep them excited and motivated.
BM: At what moment did you know for sure you wanted to make bartending your main focus?
IG: I knew when I was running clubs in Denver that this was what I wanted to do, but I had no idea what direction that would take at the time. I just knew that I wanted to be in this industry and I had to find a way to make it a career.
BM: What's your favorite time of the shift?
IG: The end! I'm pretty sure any bartender will agree, after a long shift in the trenches getting smashed, there is that moment when you pour yourself a drink, sit down for a second, light a cigarette and relax for the first time in many hours, and it is an amazing feeling. Other than that moment, it's when you’re slammed, you find your rhythm, and you’re just banging out drinks.
BM: What was a game changer in your career?
IG: Probably my first consulting gig. I started to realize how many opportunities and avenues were possible in this industry, and I knew this would be my career.
BM: What's your favorite spirit to work with?
IG: My favorite spirit to mix with is gin because there are so many different styles and flavor profiles, but my favorite spirits in general are agave-based spirits.
BM: On a deserted island, what are you drinking, who are you drinking with, and what are you listening to?
IG: In this particular scenario, I'm going with a Miami Vice made from fresh ingredients, with my wife, with good old relaxing Tool playing.
By Nicole Schnitzler
(Photos from left: Tender Blush Sangria; Isaac Grillo; Interior)