Behind the Stick: R&R Smash At Sepia Restaurant

By Paul Leddy in Food on Dec 28, 2012 8:00PM

When dining out, it is often the first impressions that make or break the dining experience. Was the valet particularly surly to you, or did the host/hostess keep you waiting for several minutes before checking you in? Either could result in a miserable dining experience. The same could be said for the bar staff at restaurant bars. The bartender is the first person to serve you at the restaurant. If they ignore you or are not helpful, the mood can sour quickly.

Visiting Josh Pearson at Sepia Restaurant, a guest can see first-hand the way Josh makes sure the guest feels at home. His cocktails are inventive and interesting and help make the customer feel at ease and relaxed.

Josh, who has been a bartender at Sepia for almost four years, has made quite the journey over his 12 years as a bartender. What started as a part-time job in a liquor store while attending college in Australia quickly became a career as a bartender. He has worked at locations in Sunshine Coast and Brisbane Australia, Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and finally (lucky for us) Chicago.

In this video, Josh demonstrates a cocktail that has been a customer favorite on his menu for years. It is a perfect example of Josh’s approach to cocktail making: take local, seasonal products and make cocktails that complement the food and desserts at Sepia.