Bartender Showcase
Meet the Bar Meisters from across the nation
Yolanda Báez
Welcome to Bartender Showcase featuring Yolanda Báez, an amazing bartender on the rise from Miami by way of Puerto Rico who now resides in NYC and is slaying the competition circuit! Bartender Showcase brings the best bartending talent from 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 Yolanda's Spotify Playlist & Enjoy the Tunes.
- Learn About Yolanda's New York Inspired Cocktail.
- Scroll Down to Get to Know the Amazing Yolanda Báez.
Yolanda's Spotify Playlist & Inspiration
My inspiration for the playlist is all of my favorite songs that give me the motivation to open and close the bar. I hope you enjoy it!
Yolanda Báez
Divine
Created by Yolanda Báez
Cocktail Name: Divine
Recipe:
- 1 ½ parts Jägermeister
- 1 ½ parts White Rum
- ¾ part Lime juice
- ½ part Orgeat syrup
- ¾ part Pineapple juice
- ¾ part Aquafaba
Ice: Large format 2x2
Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: Edible glitter along with pineapple frond.
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a rock glass with a big rock. Garnished with edible glitter and pineapple frond.
Hey Yolanda, what was your inspiration for this amazing cocktail?
My inspiration for this cocktail was the performer best known as “Divine,” who revolutionized the world of cinema and theater in the '60s and '80s; described as "The Drag Queen of the Century." I wanted to put together powerful and colorful ingredients that represent his legacy in this cocktail.
Yolanda Báez was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She moved to the U.S. ten years ago to finish her degree in cinematography at the Center for Cinematography of Art and Television in Miami, Florida. Just after moving to Miami Beach, she was given a career opportunity that would change everything. In 2015, Yoli began working at a bar that is of the top fifty best bars in the world - known for its cocktail program and good vibes. With twelve years in the hospitality industry and enthusiasm to be on the team, she began working as a server and within her first year, became one of the lead bartenders, making cocktails and sharing her love of the human experience with her guests. Yoli kept building her knowledge of spirits and techniques during her time there, and her hard work reached new heights last year. As a finalist for the Miami Regionals for Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender in 2017, she also was a top ten semifinalist in the Miami Regionals for Bacardi Legacy, won the Louis Salgar Casa Noble Paloma Competition, won the Hendricks Gin/ BarLab Bartender Death Match and won the Bartender’s Face Off, a two person team competition based out of Puerto Rico. Another exciting accomplishment, she was voted The People’s Choice by Spirited Miami, and given a Pineapple Award as the “Rising Star Bartender.” In April 2018, Yoli packed her bags and moved to New York to work for the bar and people she loves to call family. The same bar opened a New York City location and it is her new home. You can find Yoli behind the bar, continuing her craft.
Yolanda's Tips & Tricks
Yolanda, what are some tips & tricks regarding the cocktail you created?
Shake it hard to have a nice foam, spray with edible glitter on top of the foam and mix the glitter togetherness with a straw to have a nice design. Aquafaba is used as an egg white substitute; egg white can be used if desired.
What do you love most about New York City?
What I love about NYC is the different seasons of the year; in each of them, you find an inspiring setting to create photographs, cocktails, and fashion. Another thing that I love about my city is the cultural mix, the gender acceptance, and where you can meet people from all over the world with dreams where they grow tall. It is a city where you can achieve everything you set your mind to and grow as a person, learn from others, and where opportunities have no limits.
