Amie Ward with Aspen Bingham

Tell us about your journey through the hospitality industry.

When I was younger, my mom and I would always go out to eat; she had been a server and opened her own restaurant as well. She always pointed out when people were giving great service and appreciated the employees. When I graduated high school, I stayed in my hometown for a while and went to community college. I interviewed for my first hospitality position and was hired as a server. I was so thrilled because it helped me gain financial independence. When I moved to Phoenix, I transferred to a bar to become a cocktail server and eventually taught myself to make my drinks and quickly progressed to being a bartender. I was attending community college and getting my academic certificate in sustainability at that time. When I went to work, I would make many connections with what I was learning. This really opened my eyes to how I could combine my education and the career I had worked years in. The hands-on work I was doing daily in hospitality helped me relate to my studies and excel in that area as well. Working and going to school full time is tough, but when you're learning things that you can apply in your current career, it makes it a whole lot easier and way more fun. I now work at Garden Bar PHX as the lead bartender, and I am so happy that my commitment to sustainability has helped me find a workplace where sustainability is an important goal. When creating cocktails, I use the wonderful science of sustainability to dive deep into my creations. It has been super rewarding and allowed me to work on many projects that promote and fund sustainable initiatives. People always ask what I want to do after I get my bachelor's and my answer is "continue to use my education in the hospitality industry."

What is the Heat Island Effect, and how have you used cocktails to spread awareness on the topic?

Think about a concrete jungle and the countryside: one is cooler than the other, especially at night. The urban heat island effect has impacts on cities all over the world. In our community of Phoenix, it is especially prominent. Phoenix is warming at a rate of 3x the rest of the world as a whole. Some populations are disproportionately affected by the heat island effect, and parts of our city face harsher conditions than others. This can cause environmental, economic, and social issues. Creating cocktails that are inspired by this issue allows me to discuss this with people in a casual way. In general, I am really inspired by how cocktails are universal and give an opportunity to talk about some complicated issues. It makes the issues a bit more palatable and fun to discuss.