CHRISTOPHER JAMES
“There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that aren’t as good as others.”
MIXOLOGIST
CHRISTOPHER JAMES
Growing up in New Jersey and being only a short distance from NYC, Christopher James became enamored with the bar life at a young age. Thanks to geography there was no shortage of inspiring bars and restaurants to influence him as a young man. He frequented many a watering hole, asking questions of seasoned bartenders and taking in all the info (and cocktails) that he could.
Cocktail books were also an integral part of Christopher’s development as a mixologist. He owns a full library of current and vintage cocktail books, to which he refers frequently. Sure enough, the bartender life became his life. Before he knew it, bartending became a full time career for him. The bar life has afforded him opportunities in business and travel that he never imagined possible. Christopher has earned many mixology certifications and awards. He was also nominated for a 2018 Garden State Culinary Arts Award for Spirits Professional.
He has had cocktail recipes featured in Imbibe, Liquor.com, Forbes, and the NY Times amongst others. He has gained notoriety in mixology circles for creating cocktails that evoke nostalgic memories as well as always being armed with a story. Christopher believes that storytelling and connecting with the guest are the most important things for a barman to master.
Christopher has worked in a range of venues throughout his career. His hospitality talents have been mentored by many stalwart professionals, most notably Chris Cannon of Jockey Hollow Bar & Kitchen, Tom Collichio of Temple Court in the Beekman Hotel NYC, Anthony Bucco of Felina and of course longtime friend, Chef David Burke. Christopher strives to be a more complete hospitality professional by continuing his intense study of fine wines & spirits and further refining his service skills.
