Portland Cocktail Week Students and Bartenders will be paired with industry mentors for one-on-one sessions focused on taking their careers to the next level. Brought to you by Diageo Bar Academy, these life-changing meetings help form mentorships, boost careers, and provide invaluable connections and information. Sessions fill up fast, so don’t hesitate to sign up once the schedule is available for booking. Be sure to check back as new sessions and mentors become available.

Please note: we are in the process of taking on Mentors. If you are a Sponsor, Industry Professional, Media member, or Educator who would like to be a Mentor for a session or two, please click here to sign up!

Learn more and sign up for a mentoring session once the schedule of Mentors is live at pdxcw.com/careercounseling

Career Counseling Hours: Monday, October 13-Thursday, October 16, 9-13:30 am
Location: The Jupiter Hotel, 800 E Burnside Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Diageo and Diageo Bar Academy

Make this your first stop at Portland Cocktail Week!

Pick up your PDXCW pass in The Jupiter Hotel lobby next to the DreamTENT.

A physical pass/badge is required for anyone attending PDXCW events. This includes Student, Bartender, Industry, Media, Educator, and Staff.

Sign up for your pass online before you arrive, then pick it up at Registration. Learn more about Registration & Passes here.

Location: The Jupiter Hotel, 800 E Burnside Ave, Portland, OR 97214

A perspective reorienting look at the language of visual presentation as explained by design. The students gain knowledge of both the elements and principles of design and how they apply to varying types of compositions. With the framework of a constructive group critique we apply those ideas to see the working mechanisms of successful compositions and the doomed flaws of failed attempts. The concept of composition is explored both in the round and via photography and social media applications. The student is left with a sequential work flow of how and where the elements and principles of design can be used to create consistent results. These abilities to set targets and evaluate results as a team precede the techniques needed to execute garnish and presentation.

Featuring: Máté Hartai, Director of Bars

Education Classes are for pre-assigned Student Pass holders and Bartender Pass Auditing.
Location: The Arium at Jupiter NEXT, 900 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Lush Life Productions

Máté Hartai, Director of Bars
Prized export of Budapest, Hungary. Máté has been exploring his sensory gifts within liquid mediums for the better part of two decades. Applying a visual design focus, bubble centric mindset, and a "what box..." style of execution, His career has spanned all avenues of hospitality and has landed him behind bars (not jail) in multiple countries on multiple continents, with comically mixed results. Máté is currently hiding from sunlight in Houston Texas where he can be found daily, struggling with gravity. Fond of cool color palates, run-on sentences, ranunculi, and sometimes answers to "Frank". Favorite sport: competitive shushing and waterpolo.

The Hot Drinks Workshop is an exploration in the world of Hot Cocktails sponsored by Baileys. We will cover their history, process, progression and techniques along with a tasting of Baileys!

We will also cover the practical application of how to make them and execute them in your account. Workshop includes hands-on portion for attendees to make their own Hot Chocolate and Iced Coffee with Baileys!

Featuring:
William Codman, National Educator, Baileys

3-Hour Educational Workshop for pre-assigned Student Pass holders.
Location: SoHo House, 1025 SE Pine St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Baileys

William Codman, National Educator, Baileys
William is a seasoned and accomplished bar/restaurant veteran with over 25 years of experience in the spirits industry; as a bartender, bar manager, and brand ambassador, all of which set him up for success as the National Educator for DHP. Energetic, happy, and fun, he is driven to be the best educator he can be and draws inspiration from his life and mentors. He is a former Master of Whiskey, where he worked firsthand in distilleries all over the world. Later, becoming a Program Specialist for all Diageo Reserve brands. Mentoring team members, educating trade and working national distributors. He enjoys creating programming and sharing his learnings with people who have a thirst for knowledge. William believes that while hospitality isn’t fixing rainy days, it does bring sunshine. “There are so many amazing things to learn about our industry, I am lucky and get to share the science, history and techniques that were taught to me”.​

His passion for wine took him to Burgundy where he lived and worked a full harvest. His skills as a mixologist won him multiple spirits and cocktail certifications, and he has competed in many national cocktail competitions, including being awarded "Boston's Best Bartender '10" and an appearance on TV’s “On the Rocks, America's Best Bartender.” He is the creator of the nationally recognized bartending competition, Cocktail Wars, and has executed the event for more than 7 years. He has been the Director of Operations for large high-volume companies, successfully overseeing multiple bars and restaurants at one time.

A lifelong student, Bill believes there’s always something new to learn, and he strives to learn and teach as much as possible— his philosophy is never one-size-fits-all. A graduate of Douai Abbey School, Farnham College, and Portsmouth University, he has also completed the Malt Advocate certification. 

A passionate snowboarder (he even teaches lessons), Bill also loves to surf, run, play tennis, go to concerts, and ride motorbikes. You might be surprised to learn he can even fly a non-powered sail plane! He resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A new category of whiskey has been ratified, and it’s taken hard work and determination to get there. Join us for a 2-day immersive educational experience, where you’ll learn straight from the brands that helped build the category from the ground up, as well as some emerging brands that are helping it grow. 

Dandelion BevEd has partnered with the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and Edinburgh Whisky Academy to bring you the full EWA Certificate in American Single Malt, panel discussions, and one-on-one interactions with leading distillers and producers, in-depth tasting and sensory experiences, a distillery tour, interactive games, and more! You’ll leave Portland Cocktail Week with a deeper understanding of this exciting new category and ready to earn top marks in the certification exam the following week!

Featuring:
Gina Fossitt, Founder, Dandelion BevEd
Kyle McHugh, North America Market Director, Edinburgh Whisky Academy

Two-Day Educational Workshop for pre-assigned Student Pass holders.
Location: The Evergreen, 618 SE Alder St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Dandelion BevEd, Edinburgh Whisky Academy, American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, Balcones Distilling, Bird Creek Whiskey, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Westland Whiskey, McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt Whiskey

Gina Fossitt, Founder, Dandelion BevEd
In her beverage industry adventures, Gina has spread the whisky gospel in many roles. After being behind the stick and managing beverage programs in NYC, she became a member of the esteemed Diageo Masters of Whisky program and started earning several spirits certifications. She led the team hosting ambassador internships at The George Dickel Distillery and developed a 6-month mentorship to prepare ambassadors for the revered IBD General Certificate of Distillation. She went on to become the U.S. National Ambassador of Lot No. 40 for Corby Spirits and Wine, where she eventually took the role of Trade and Education Manager, leading the trade and educational programming globally and developing all trade and sales assets for the Canadian Whisky brands. Gina spearheaded the creation of the first-ever certification in Canadian whisky, providing a deep-dive on the category. Her newest endeavor, Dandelion BevEd, now leads production and business development of the four-week course independently, as well as with partners such as WSET, Lush Life Productions, and Bourbon Women. She is the founder of this new agency, creating custom educational programming and engagement pieces for suppliers, distributors, enthusiasts and consumers, as well as being an Educator for the Edinburgh Whisky Academy.

Beverage Industry Certifications and Education:
- Certificate in American Single Malt Whiskey, Edinburgh Whisky Academy
- Spirits Level 3 Certification, WSET
- Spirits Level 2 Certification, WSET 
- 6 Day Distillers Course, Moonshine U 
- North American Blending Certification, Diageo 
- General Certificate in Distilling, IBD 
- Executive Bourbon Steward, Stave and Thief Bourbon Society 
- History of Bourbon Certification, Filson Bourbon Academy 
- Malt Advocate Certification, Diageo 
- Advanced Level Wine Certification, WSET 
- Intermediate Level Wine Certification, WSET

Kyle McHugh, North America Market Director, Edinburgh Whisky Academy
After 10 years running restaurant bars in cities across the United States, Kyle has been consulting in the beer, wine, and spirits industry as “The Boozehound” since 2007 with current clients such as CVH Spirits, the Edinburgh Whisky Academy, and Tequila Curado. Other career roles include the Global Director of Advocacy and Education for the craft spirits collective Samson and Surrey, where he oversaw all aspects of education and ambassadorship for FEW Spirits, Bluecoat Gin, Brenne Single Malt, Widow Jane, Mezcal Vago, and Tequila Ocho. Kyle also worked as a Diageo Master of Whisky and is a former Professor of Wine and Beverage at Le Cordon Bleu – Chicago. He regularly serves as a spirits judge for the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, World Whisky Awards, TAG Global Spirits Awards, and the Beverage Testing Institute.

Kyle served as National President of the USBG from 2018 to 2020 and Chairman of the Board from 2017 to 2021. He then joined the Board of Directors of the USBG National Charity Foundation, where he currently serves as President and Chairman.

Beverage Industry Certifications:
• General Certificate in Distillation, Institute of Brewing and Distilling
• Certified Spirits Professional with the U.S. Bartender’s Guild
• Certified Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers
• Cicerone Certified Beer Seller
• Trained BJCP beer judge
• Executive Bourbon Steward
• Graduate of the IBA Bartender Training Center Europe
• Graduate of the BAR 5 Day program

Hospitality by Design with Ricky Gomez (Owner Palomar, Side Eye), Blaze Montana (Owner Happy Accidents), and Anna Mains is a full-day workshop exploring how every detail—liquid, space, story, and systems—shapes the guest experience. 

From the spirit in your glass to the flow of the bar, and even how you recover when things go sideways, this seminar unpacks the intentional choices that create true hospitality. Expect a mix of practical tools, creative inspiration, and hands-on exercises (including 3D printing and building your own zine of hacks & ideas) designed to level up your craft. 

Split into morning and afternoon sessions—with a three-martini lunch with Fords Gin’s Martim Mattson and Tim Cooper in between—basically the best day of school ever.

Two-Day Educational Workshop for pre-assigned Student Pass holders.
Location: Spirit of 77, 500 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland , OR 97232
Sponsored by: Fords Gin

The age old question that is always asked... how does it taste? I mean, we are tastemakers by trade, but do you know how the body registers taste and how it affects the perception of flavor? What even is flavor? Does everyone taste the same? is it subjective? Objective? There are so many questions that aren't taught when you learn to bartend so take a deep dive into flavor creation so you can produce the most effective menu for your guests. This class has information for beginners and advanced and all will walk away will a little clarity and excitement on how to create better drinks for all.

Featuring:
Kate Gerwin, Owner, Happy Accidents

Education Classes are for pre-assigned Student Pass holders and Bartender Pass Auditing.
Location: The Arium at Jupiter NEXT, 900 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Lush Life Productions

Kate Gerwin, Owner, Happy Accidents
Kate Gerwin is a trailblazer in the world of cocktails and hospitality, known for her remarkable accomplishments as both a bartender and a consultant. As the first woman to win a global bartending championship, a James Beard Semi Finalist, Bartender of the Year, Finalist for Best Mentor and more… Kate’s career has been a whirlwind of groundbreaking achievements. But her journey is far more than a series of trophies—it’s a testament to her creativity, expertise, and tireless dedication to the craft.

With over 20 years of experience, Kate has earned a spot on Drinks International’s list of the “Top 100 Most Influential Figures in the World,” for five years, currently ranking #37. Her accolades span beyond bartending—she is a certified advanced master sommelier, having worked at some of Napa’s most renowned wineries, and has consulted on the hit show Bar Rescue and Netflix’s Drinkmasters where she finished as runner-up. She has also taught at prestigious institutions such as the Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale and the New England Culinary Institute, and continues to inspire the next generation of bartenders as an instructor at the Bar 5 Day program at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and Flair Camp in Albufeira, Portugal.

In 2015, Kate was inducted into the Tales of the Cocktail Hall of Fame Catalyst Awards—one of the few peer-judged honors in the industry—cementing her reputation as a pioneer in the field. But what really fuels her passion is her bar and distillery, Happy Accidents, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Co-founded with her longtime business partner Blaze Montana in 2021, the bar quickly became a game-changer. It was named Best New American Cocktail Bar twice—at both the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards and the liquor.com Awards—and in 2023, Kate and her team were crowned Best U.S. Bar Team at the Spirited Awards. In 2023, she was also named Bartender of the Year, and Happy Accidents was awarded Bar of the Year at the Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas in 2024. Kate and Blaze were both named Drinks Industry’s Innovators of the Year by Seven Fifty Daily for their innovative approach to the way they run their business and prioritize staff wellbeing. And 2024 the bar was awarded a Pinnacle Pin for excellence. Most recently, Kate was named a semifinalist for a James Beard award for 2025, with the winners being announced in June and she was also one of Imbibe’s 75 people shaping the future of the industry for 2025.

Kate’s creativity doesn’t stop at the bar: she is designing a custom glassware collection for Onis, a prize from her global win in the 2023 Glassology competition in Athens. Her flair for innovation has also earned her a finalist spot in the Best Bar Mentor and Best American Cocktail Bar categories at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail.

But Kate’s latest adventure has been in front of the camera. Her TV show Free Spirit, which airs on the Very Local platform, is a hit, exploring the diverse and dynamic world of bar culture across the country. It became the top-viewed show in the station’s history, and season two is already in the works. Kate’s infectious enthusiasm, coupled with her deep knowledge and love for the industry, has made her an ambassador for the craft and a true force in the global hospitality scene.

In short, Kate Gerwin’s influence spans far beyond the shaker—she’s a mentor, an innovator, and a passionate ambassador for all things cocktail, inspiring both seasoned professionals and aspiring bartenders alike. With a career still on the rise, the world is her stage, and she’s just getting started.

A telescoping overview of maneuvers design, starting with concept-specific constraints being used as sources of creativity and freedom. The session will then cover the logistics of menu planning and the executable checklists needed pre-menu launch through launch and reporting options for menu performance review. The hour will end in a focus on the illusive "banger", what it is and how to make them, consistently.

Featuring: Máté Hartai, Director of Bars

Education Classes are for pre-assigned Student Pass holders and Bartender Pass Auditing.
Location: The Arium at Jupiter NEXT, 900 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Lush Life Productions

Máté Hartai, Director of Bars
Prized export of Budapest, Hungary. Máté has been exploring his sensory gifts within liquid mediums for the better part of two decades. Applying a visual design focus, bubble centric mindset, and a "what box..." style of execution, His career has spanned all avenues of hospitality and has landed him behind bars (not jail) in multiple countries on multiple continents, with comically mixed results. Máté is currently hiding from sunlight in Houston, Texas where he can be found daily, struggling with gravity. Fond of cool color palettes, run-on sentences, ranunculi, and sometimes answers to "Frank". Favorite sport: competitive shushing and waterpolo.

Great cocktails aren’t hard to make when you’ve got ten guests at the bar and all the time in the world. The real test of a bartender’s technique — and a bar’s systems — comes when you’re staring down a full ticket rail, three-deep at the bar, and still expected to deliver drinks with the same precision and consistency as that first round of the night.

In this seminar, Shawn Soole takes you behind the stick to break down how to scale craft cocktails for volume without losing what makes them special. Drawing on decades of experience running high-volume cocktail programs, Shawn will walk through the tools, techniques, and systems that allow bartenders to deliver high-quality drinks at speed.

From batching and pre-dilution methods to kegging, freezer cocktails, and modified specs, you’ll learn how to apply production techniques usually reserved for the kitchen to the bar. Just as importantly, you’ll explore the service side — how to design your well, set your stations, and train your team to move like a single organism under pressure.

This is not about cutting corners. It’s about understanding process, engineering consistency, and creating systems that free bartenders to focus on hospitality when it matters most.

Whether you’re running a neighborhood bar that suddenly gets slammed on weekends or a cocktail den that pumps out 300 drinks a night, this seminar will give you the playbook to keep craft alive at scale — and keep your sanity while doing it.

Featuring: Shawn Soole, Principal Consultant, Soole Hospitality Concepts

Education Classes are for pre-assigned Student Pass holders and Bartender Pass Auditing.
Location: The Arium at Jupiter NEXT, 900 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by:

Shawn Soole, Principal Consultant, Soole Hospitality Concepts
Shawn Soole is the founder of Soole Hospitality Concepts (SHC), where he helps bars and restaurants thrive through tailored training, systems, and education. A BNIC-certified Cognac educator and passionate industry leader, he shares insights on business, culture, and creativity as the host of the Post Shift Podcast, inspiring hospitality professionals to grow smarter and stronger.

Join Lush Life and Jameson Black Barrel as we celebrate the launch of our Irish Whiskey Certification with this after-school special during Portland Cocktail Week. Featuring guest bartenders from Thunderbolt LA alongside Jameson Ambassadors Joe Nicol and Neasan Guilfoyle, join us for an extra-curricular celebration of cocktails, interactive whiskey "classes," and learn how to apply for one of our upcoming certification cohorts. This happy hour combines serious whiskey knowledge with serious fun – no homework required, just good drinks and great company.

Happy Hour. All PDXCW pass holders can attend.
Location: Besaws, 1545 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Sponsored by: Jameson Black Barrel, Pernod Ricard

A celebration of Latine bartenders in partnership with No Us Without You, a non-profit advocating for Latine hospitality workers in the U.S.

Nighttime Event. All PDXCW pass holders can attend.
Location: DreamTENT at The Jupiter Hotel, 800 E Burnside Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Sponsored by: Glenmorangie, Altos Tequila, Del Maguey Mezcal