Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kate Gerwin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kate, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

When the pandemic hit, hospitality workers were left with a bitter taste for an industry we love so much. But with the prior existing problems of obtaining health insurance, sustainability in the work place and more, the pandemic piled more on top of an already heavy plate. We knew something needed to change in terms of equity in the workplace, as well as sustainability and profits for owners. Happy Accidents was born. Using the “distillery bar” concept, we were able to create a model that not only created a healthier space for workers, but a more sustainable model for the independent business owner.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Bio:

Kate Gerwin, a widely celebrated bartender and hospitality consultant, is well-known in the drinks industry for being the first woman world bartending champion and first American to win the Bols Around the World Bartending Championship in 2014, but this is just one of her many worthy accomplishments. In her more-than-20-year career, Gerwin has been named by Drinks International as one of the industry’s “Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the World,” from 2019-2023, she has worked as a certified advanced master sommelier for some of Napa’s top wineries, consulted on the docuseries Bar Rescue, was a finalist in the Netflix reality competition series “Drinkmasters”. She taught at the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts campus in Scottsdale, Arizona and the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt., and she is currently one of the instructors for the prestigious Bar 5 Day program, hosted yearly at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.

In 2015, She was inducted into the Tales of the Cocktail Hall of Fame Catalyst Awards, which celebrates the contributions of hard-working people to the spirits and cocktail industry and is one of the only “peer judged” awards in the industry.

But it is her bar and distillery in Albuquerque, New Mexico that she is most passionate about. When she and her long time business partner, Blaze Montana opened Happy Accidents in 2021 on the tail end of the pandemic, they set out to set a new standard in cocktail bars. Happy Accidents won “Best New American Cocktail Bar” two times, for both Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, and the liquor.com awards. Kate’s crowning moment happened this year, as the bar was awarded “Best U.S. Bar Team” at the Spirited Awards, the award Kate has coveted the most. Kate and Blaze have also been named the Drinks Industry’s Innovator of the Year Award 2023 from Seven Fifty Daily. Kate was also awarded “Bartender of the Year” 2023 and the bar just brought home the prestigious “Bar of the Year” 2024 award at Bar & Restaurant Expo awards in Las Vegas. Kate is currently designing a glassware collection for Onis, a prize for her global win in the Glassology competition in 2023 in Athens, Greece.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think there is a lot of problematic themes in the hospitality industry that need to change, One of the most important things for me was the idea that women needed to be “tough” or have “thick skin” to be in the industry. The misogyny, sexism, and harassment was always seen as part of the territory. I myself remember telling young women that to survive in the industry you had to have thick skin or learn to grin and bear it. And boy, was I wrong in those instilled views. It was never the women who had to change, it was the industry itself. The idea that the customer is always right or that a hospitality worker should be forced to endure unwanted behavior by a guest or co worker because we are in the job of service is counter intuitive to the idea of hospitality at its core. We firmly stand by the safety and respect of all of our staff at Happy Accidents – because after all a happy staff means they will take care of your happy guests.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

We have the swan story of investment at Happy Accidents, Our investors were regular guests who supported us for years. They always said “let us know if you ever want to open a bar, we would love to help”. Ten years later the day came when we thought it was time to open Happy Accidents. It was a simple phone call that led to dinner that led to a personal loan to open our dream. Our investors have been the most incredible supporters, both financially and emotionally and we couldn’t have had a better shot at success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.happyaccidentsbar,com
• Instagram: @alchemistkate @happyaccidentsbar

Image Credits

Piebald Photography for headshot
Bernardo Flores Photography for bartending shots