Pre-Batch #9 - Kate Gerwin

Episode #9 is live on Pre-Batch Podcast. In this episode, host Gavin Wrigley sits down with Kate Gerwin, owner of the award-winning Happy Accidents in Albuquerque and a standout competitor from Netflix’s Drink Masters. They dive into real, behind-the-bar conversations around: - The Drink Masters Experience: Kate reveals the grueling reality of competing on Netflix, including the strict 90-minute "hard stop" time frames and the "learning curve" for producers who initially treated cocktails like pastry . - Representing the Craft: Why Kate joined the show to demonstrate the deep study, production knowledge, and humanity required in bartending, aiming to give bartenders the same professional respect as celebrity chefs . - The TV Reality Check: Kate shares her unfiltered experience on Bar Rescue and why the famous "Butt Funnel" was actually a design mistake rebranded to "sound smart" for TV . - The $750 Distiller’s Loophole: How Kate bypassed a $500,000 liquor license by opening her bar under a distiller’s license . - Team-First Hospitality: Why Kate intentionally designs her bar for the team, not the guest , and the real-world impact of providing a safety net like health insurance for her staff . - The Death of Flavor: Why Kate is "so sick" of the clarification and RotoVap trends that she believes strip the soul and color out of modern cocktails . Cocktails discussed: - Bitter Courage: A "smashable" gin and Aperol classic Kate used to win world titles . - The Adult Chocolate Martini: Swapping Hershey’s syrup for Cacao Vodka and PX Sherry to educate small-market palates . - Oreo Negroni: A nostalgic, distilled twist on a classic designed specifically for non-Negroni drinkers . Subscribe and follow for weekly conversations on bartending, mixology, spirits education, and hospitality industry insights. 🎧 Watch the full episode also on: Youtube → ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@prebatchpodcast ⁠⁠⁠ Follow us for more behind-the-bar conversations: Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/prebatchpodcast/ ⁠⁠⁠ TikTok → ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@prebatchpodcast/ ⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/prebatchpodcast/⁠⁠