We recently connected with Kate Bauersachs and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
” @katescandidcocktails” actually started out as just “@katescandids”. I was at the time working for a social media company called ” Synchronous Social Media” part time as a content creator for various restaurants and small businesses in the area while also working as a server in Piermont , NY. I created the page to highlight some of my favorite images from sight visits in hopes to build a portfolio to attract more social media work.
I was soon offered a position to learn how to bartend and immediately fell in love with wowing people with cocktails and was always rushing to work to make a new special and grab a photo to post to try and get people in the doors. I was soon greeted with an opportunity to be head Mixologist at a new French fine-dining restaurant that would be opening nearby and ran with the opportunity.
When I developed the menu I knew I wanted the cocktails to be show stoppers, the ones that make someone take their phone out and take a picture because they HAVE to show their friends, and that’s exactly what happened. I soon made myself a business card and added “cocktails” to the end of “katescandids” and every time I spotted a guest taking a photo of their drink , I slid them a card and told them that if they were going to post it, tag me, and suddenly “@katescandidcocktails” was born and growing rather quickly.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I changed my major seven times and went to three different colleges, I ended up with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management. It was not until recently that I’m finally feeling comfortable with that decision. It’s not an easy industry and it doesn’t promise stability but I have just always adored the world of restaurants and what it entails to run one.
When I first started bartending I had no clue how much it was going to become a huge part of my identity. It’s something that went from a seemingly temporary job to my livelihood and passion.
When I first started behind the bar I always knew I just wanted heads to turn with whatever it was they saw me making. My Instagram soon became an online portfolio of my drink specials.
As my instagram grew, I was met with a lot of different offers. From private bartending to menu curation to a photo shoot with Crown Royal. You truly never know the hands your work or art will land on because of apps like Instagram and Facebook.
It wasn’t until I found myself out of work that I came up with the idea to do ” Mixology Workshops” for clients in their homes. You and your friends would learn to make three different cocktails utilizing various mixology techniques. I would bring all the tools, all the mixers, fruit, ice, and anything else to execute the party while my clients provided the alcohol. I made a flyer on a whim, posted it in a few community Facebook groups and on Instagram and was met with a huge response..I was soon completely booked for three months. People loved doing something different in the comfort of their own home and I went from having no work to having back to back bookings.
I’m extremely proud of the depths I”ve gone to learn and absorb as much as I can about different and various cocktail trends and techniques to ensure a wow factor for guests. I enjoy creating art in a glass and I love seeing the smiles that come from my craft.
Right now when I’m not behind the bar I enjoy helping clients with menus, event planning, and social media consulting.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When I changed my instagram handle to be cocktail focused I immediately purchased a business card. When a guest would snap a photo of their cocktail I would hand them a business card and ask them to follow me for specials that I post and to tag me in their photo.
This method has always helped me gather new followers, especially when you start working in a different area and are trying to gain new regulars.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Being a creative and my medium being cocktails has always been rewarding in the aspect that you get to use your creativity and see the response immediately. It’s not like a painter waiting to show their art once it’s done, your building the art in front of your guest or client, you see if they are impressed or not before they even taste it, and the moment they do, when they’re beaming because you nailed it and they can’t believe their eyes or taste buds, that’s the reward. Of course you don’t always nail it with everyone but it does come to a point in your career behind the bar where it does become rather easy to be able to observe someone, ask them what they typically drink and make something you know they’ll enjoy.
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Image Credits
Luna Bee Photographee