The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has revealed the class of 2025 for its Cocktail Apprentice Program (CAP), which this year includes Judith Zhu of Little Cooler in Sydney.
This is the CAP’s 17th year, having been founded in 2008 with the aim of offering rising bar professionals the opportunity to work alongside respected hospitality mentors during the Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans. So far the program has mentored over 570 apprentices from more than 60 countries.
This year will see 40 first-time apprentices, known as Red Coats, work alongside Grey Coats to execute cocktail service across TOTC’s educational seminars and premier events, including Tales Catalyst and the Spirited Awards.
White Coat Manager, Trevor Kallies, said: “The Cocktail Apprentice Program’s core pillars are mentorship, community, and elevating the craft of bartending beyond the bar and mixing glass. Each year, our goal is to select a diverse group of forty new bartenders from hundreds of applicants – individuals who bring unique perspectives and experiences to help move our program forward.
“We’re incredibly excited about this year’s class and the passion and dedication they demonstrated in their applications. These 40 bartenders are coming from around the world to learn, grow, and immerse themselves in our industry. While they’ll each serve a few thousand cocktails during Tales of the Cocktail, the CAP program is about so much more than that. We can’t wait to see what this next generation of Cocktail Apprentices will do.”
The apprentices for this year’s CAP class hail from seven countries as well as 20 states across the US and Puerto Rico, with the selection process looking at professional experience, future goals, and the ability to work with a fast-paced, global team. TOTCF said the class is designed to ensure a balance between newer and experienced professionals.
In its statement about the 2025 CAP, TOTCF said: “By working directly with seminar presenters, program apprentices hone their skills while simultaneously learning about both the history and future of their craft.
“After the conference, apprentices are able to apply their new skills to their home and work environments, taking the impact of CAP back to their communities. In addition to technical skills, the valuable professional connections and the team camaraderie fostered during the event have been consistently praised by members as the most valuable assets the program offers.”
The CAP Class of 2025 features:
- Kaleb Barry
- Roka Dubai, Dubai, UAE
- Eli Bennett
- Sushi San River North / The Omakase Room, Chicago, IL
- Chris Crowley
- American Beverage Marketers, Cork, Ireland
- PJ Ford
- Stories on High, Columbus, OH
- Michelle Freed
- Baby Gee, Long Beach, CA
- Emmy Garcia
- The Waiting Room, Durham, NC
- Sally Groves
- The Coldroom, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Sawyer Hill
- Detroit City Distillery, Detroit, MI
- Sierra Ho
- The Wren, Baltimore, MD
- Nicholas Hu
- Laowai, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- De’Qustay Johnson
- Mobile Bar ATL, Atlanta, GA
- Keith Kammer
- The Aviary / The Office, Chicago, IL
- Erin Katz
- Pony Up, Denver, CO
- Benji Kirk
- Hotel Anna & Bel / Bastia / Caletta, Philadelphia, PA
- Kristen Kraft
- Standby, Detroit, MI
- Aidan Lawrence-Devine
- T.C. O’Leary’s, Portland, OR
- Jess Long
- Atwater Cocktail Club, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Ari Mayaudon
- Hawksmoor, New York, NY
- Eliza Mayer
- Remora / Quarters Arcade Bar, Salt Lake City, UT
- Bri Morales
- Happy Accidents, Albuquerque, NM
- Sebastian Moreno
- The Quarter / Dram and Draught, Winston Salem, NC
- Val Nakic
- Elixir / War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA
- Charlotte Neitzel
- Bar Mordecai / Shaw’s Crab House, Chicago, IL
- Marco Noriega
- South House, Jersey City, NJ
- Emma Osmond
- Odd Duck Wine & Provisions, Kitchener, ON, Canada
- Quincy Palou
- Chyna Club, Las Vegas, NV
- Kyle Peete
- Napa Valley Distillery, Napa, CA
- Bri Rahoy
- Grind and Prosper Hospitality, San Diego, CA
- Adri Ramos
- Employees Only, Los Angeles, CA
- Hope Rice
- Crane Club, New York, NY
- Robinson Rivera Gil
- Jungle Bird, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Lauren Robinson
- Parliament, Dallas, TX
- Scott Roe
- Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Michael Silva
- The Eddy / BĀS, Providence, RI
- Nicole Slater
- The Pontiac, Hong Kong
- Heatherlyn Stickel
- Tartan House, Louisville, KY
- Milton Joel Toledo
- Roquette, Seattle, WA
- Daniela Useche Téllez
- Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Cindy Zahnd
- Freelance Hospitality Worker, Interlaken, Switzerland
- Judith Zhu
- Little Cooler, Sydney, NSW, Australia
2025 Grey Coat Apprentices:
- Ryan Betts
- Dean and Nancy on 22, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Joseph Coleman
- Doublespeak Cocktails, Aquebogue, NY
- Kelly Dcruz
- The Secret Mermaid, Singapore
- Sahil Essani
- Muro, Bengaluru, India
- Cande Ferros
- Eye Cocktail Bar at Atto di Vito Mollica, Florence, Italy
- Aliya Harrison
- Dorothea Fine Greek, Albuquerque, NM
- Rory Kerwin
- J. W. Heist, Bozeman, MT
- Kai Lucas
- The Corner Store, New York, NY
- Chris Lui
- LOUISE, Hong Kong
- Madeleine MacDonald
- SAIT, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Alfonsina Medina
- Rompecabezas, Tafí Viejo, Argentina
- Jessica Neblina
- Bar Ni Modo, Riverside, CA
- Lynette Perez
- MONEYGUN / The Victor Bar, Chicago, IL
- Lauren Pileggi
- PMA Canada, Sudbury, ON, Canada
- Antoinette Rangel
- The Saloon at Clover Club, New York, NY
- Kate Shofler
- The Hey! Hey! Club, Kansas City, MO
- Joel Spencer
- Hand In Glove Bar, Worcester, UK
- Nicole Stankovic
- The Doctor’s Office, Seattle, WA
- Joshua Thompson
- Bar Contra, New York, NY
- Sabrina Touzel
- Restaurant Foxy, Montréal, QC, Canada
2025 Black Coat Apprentices:
- Samantha Casuga
- Temple Bar, New York, NY
- Aaron Hatchell
- Ace Hotel Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rylen Komeiji
- Todo Bien Tiki Tequileria, Las Vegas, NV
- Brandon Thrash
- Middle Child Clubhouse, Philadelphia, PA
2025 White Coat Apprentices:
- Alexis Belton
- The Corner Store, New York, NY
- Richie Delahoyde
- Barry and Fitzwilliam, Dublin, Ireland
- Glenn Eldridge
- Pernod Ricard, Dubai, UAE
- Kaleena Goldsworthy-Warnock
- Proof, Chattanooga, TN
- Trevor Kallies
- JOEY Restaurant Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Juyoung Kang
- Corner Bar Management, Las Vegas, NV
CAP Advisor:
- Cris Dehlavi
- Diageo Hospitality Partnership, Columbus, OH