Bartender Showcase
Meet the Bar Meisters from across the nation
Cecil Usher
Welcome to BARTENDER SHOWCASE featuring Pittsburgh's own Cecil Usher, an industry veteran and amazing Bartender! BARTENDER SHOWCASE brings the best Bartending talent from all across the country. These passionate and talented artists of their craft are leaders within the industry and are educating and inspiring through their shaker tins.
- Press Play on Cecil's Spotify Playlist & Enjoy the Tunes.
- Learn About Cecil's San Diego Inspired Cocktail.
- Scroll Down to Get to Know the Amazing Cecil Usher.
Cecil's Spotify Playlist & Inspiration
The inspiration for this playlist is deeply related to my connection with Pittsburgh. I want to make an all Pittsburgh list to show off this city's exceptional talent. You may know some names and some dope artists you will discover. Pittsburgh is so much about community, and I love bridging the gap between artists; and there is one song on the list that gets played in the 4th quarter of every Steelers game that just blows the roof off the stadium and gets everyone so hyped. Let's Go!
Cecil Usher
The Steel Curtain
Created by Cecil Usher
Cocktail Name: The Steel Curtain
Recipe:
- 1 part Jägermeister
- 1 part Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon (Wigle)
- 3/4 part Ginger-Peach Brown Sugar Syrup*
- 1/2 part Fresh Lemon Juice
- 3 part Iron City Light Mango
Glass: Collins
Garnish: Mint Sprig & Candied Ginger Piece on a Skewer
Method: Shake and strain over ice in a collins glass top with Iron City Light Mango, stir, garnish & serve!
Inspiration: My inspiration for this cocktail is to make an ode to Pittsburgh's blue-collar nature. We are a steel town, and after their grueling shift, the workers migrated to the bar for a beer and a shot. The steel mills have all but closed, but that energy is ingrained into the city. Pittsburgh is a beer and shot town. Jägermeister itself is synonymous with shots, and pairing that with a springtime staple of Iron City Light Mango sounded like a perfect pair. Fruit flavors pair well with Jägermeister's spice profile of star anise and licorice. This reinvention of the classic beer and shot is just like Pittsburgh in that you get all the grit and blue-collar feel of the original, but now it's mixed with some modern and diverse flavor.
Cecil Usher is the Co-Owner of Mindful Hospitality Group and a Managing Partner of a well-known bar and restaurant in Pittsburgh. He is a transplant from New York City with 19 years of hospitality experience, including but not limited to FOH & Bar Management aspects. Cecil spent time as Beverage Director for a highly regarded Restaurant Group, crafting five award-winning restaurant concepts. He was an essential part of the team that helped garner two James Beard Award Semi-Finalist Nominations for the "Outstanding Bar Program." He has also spent a reasonable amount of time doing additional private consulting with nonprofits like Big Brothers & Big Sisters, United Urban League, and Carnegie Mellon University. Cecil is highly sought after for private events and works with national liquor brands to launch new products and conduct engaging activations to arouse brand engagement. He also is a multiple-time winner of national-sponsored cocktail competitions and former Vice President of the United States Bartender Guild: Pittsburgh Chapter.
Cecil's Tips & Tricks
Ginger-Peach Brown Sugar Syrup
- 2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced into wedges
- 540 g Brown Sugar
- 540 g Water
- 5 g peeled and sliced ginger
- Vacuum seal in a bag and put in sous vide bath at 145 degrees for 3 hours
What Do You Love About Your City?
What I love most about Pittsburgh is the people. This city has some of the friendliest people I’ve met anywhere in my travels. It also has a tight sense of community in it. Visit during a football Sunday and you see how strong the energy is when the whole city joins with one focus. It was amazing to see them for the first time and hard not to buy into its infectious nature. This city has been able to adapt and be reborn into something better and strong, bringing a whole new meaning to a steel town.
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