Bartender Will Isaza predicts the future of Boston bars and restaurants
"Those who are able to make it through the winter, aside from making great food and drinks, need to give people an experience like never before."
We’re excited to introduce the Boston.com Cocktail Club, a weekly subscription box and event series highlighting local bartenders who will mix a drink of the week with host Jackson Cannon of Eastern Standard and The Hawthorne. Sign up for our newsletter and join us every Thursday evening to learn about mixing your own cocktails, the local bar scene, and how you can support the industry during COVID-19.
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Will Isaza wants to make you smile. The director of operations for Blossom Bar and Ivory Pearl in Brookline mixes drinks, like his award-winning “Gloria,” and throws bottles as a hobby — remember “Cocktail”? He can tell you about his wildest story with guests and has a lot to say about the future of his industry in a post-pandemic Boston.
While Isaza, who is first-generation Colombian American and was born and raised in East Boston, has welcomed spending more time with family during the pandemic, he also misses late night shenanigans with co-workers and connecting with people over good food and drink. Ultimately, one of his favorite parts of working in hospitality is being able to provide an escape for people.
On Thursday, Isaza joined the new Boston.com Cocktail Club for a virtual class highlighting rum cocktails. We spoke with Isaza ahead of mixing drinks about the business of making people happy, why ice is the key to a great cocktail, and his wildest story on the job.
Watch our virtual cocktail class with Will Isaza:
What’s your favorite part of the job?
At the end of the day for me it comes down to one thing, and that is in fact hospitality. Though I very much enjoy the creative process of writing a menu, developing cocktails, and running a smooth service, my favorite part would undoubtedly be the ability to be able to turn a guest’s day around. Being able to connect with different people in one night, and providing an escape, with the ultimate goal of having a guest leave with a smile on their face or an experience they otherwise would think of as just a dinner out. We are in the industry and business of making people happy through food and beverage, it’s hard to top the feeling of successfully doing so.
You must hear a lot of interesting stories while serving people. What’s the wildest one?
Wow, this takes me back a long time. Maybe it was memorable and wild because it was my very first bar gig and first time making drinks. Though it is rather unfortunate, a couple I was tending to began dinner very happy, proceeded to disagree on some everyday topics like sports and news, in which I was asked my opinion several times. By the time dessert came around, I was heavily involved in the conversation and developed a great — yet awkward — relationship with the couple. A drink later, one of the guests became very frustrated with the other, looked at me and said, “You seem like a good guy, what would you do if you felt you didn’t feel the same about the person you married?” I responded with, “Well, I have no intentions of getting married anytime soon, but I’d probably try to remember the first moment I fell in love with that person, and if I had a hard time remembering, I’d know it’s not meant to be.” They immediately began crying, looked at their partner and said, “I need a divorce.” They paid and left quietly.
Will Isaza is the operations director for Blossom Bar and Ivory Pearl in Brookline.
What’s getting you through the pandemic?
Until very recently, building out and creating a whole new concept, and in fact opening a new bar was keeping my mind occupied, while becoming an uncle to my first niece and spending much needed extra time with family kept me emotionally very happy. I think aside from the pandemic being a detriment to all of our businesses, it has allowed for us as humans to connect with the people and things that matter most to us in a way we haven’t before because of how much happens on a day to day basis. For me in particular, I think I was able to find that balance of life and work, and how important that balance is to my mental health, but just overall happiness.
What do you think a post-pandemic Boston will look like for bars and restaurants?
Post-pandemic Boston for bars and restaurants currently can only be described as uncertain. For those that are fortunate enough to stay open, I think there is going to be a huge responsibility for us to come together as a community and really remind the city of why bars and restaurants exist. That is in fact for the people!
We want to make people happy, we want to make people’s days. And we want to create memories. For the hospitality industry in this city, I think those who are able to make it through the winter, aside from making great food and drinks, need to give people an experience like never before. People will be hungry for that experience, simply because by the time post-pandemic happens, it’ll be over a year of people being told, “No, you can’t go out to bars” or “No, you can’t be out late.”
It will be in our hands completely to provide that escape, and reminding our co-workers that we are in this business because of the genuine joy of providing that outlet for people over just making a good dish or drink. It’s going to be very interesting to see what styles of bar become more popular though. That is something I haven’t been able to pinpoint yet: Will people have an elevated expectation because a lot of the pivots bars and restaurants have made is for the average person to cook or shake up a cocktail at home? Or will people be so excited to be out and about that it won’t matter? No matter the answer, we are all really looking forward to when that time comes.
What do you miss most from before the pandemic? What don’t you miss?
Pre-pandemic after-work shenanigans were always the best. Even if it happened to be a slow shift, you could always count on being able to go out with co-workers afterwards to the late night spots and forget what had just happened, or in some cases talk about it in length. It was drinks and dinner with family. … Now, if it’s slow or busy, you just get in your car and go home. Part of our jobs was also being able to visit our friends and colleagues at other bars after work, [I] definitely miss that the most. I don’t necessarily miss going to sleep at 4 or 5 a.m. and potentially seeing the sun rise before having to go right back for another service.
What’s a must-have ingredient to make a great cocktail?
Ice! Some people don’t realize how important ice is to making a great cocktail. Often times, home freezer ice trays are even better than large ice machines meant to crank out hundreds of pounds of less dense ice. Presumably, you’ll have the spirits and flavors you naturally like already at home, so make sure to fill those ice trays.
Is flair still a hobby of yours?
Definitely! The flair will never stop. It is how I started my bartending career and will always play a huge part in any bar shift I work. Honestly right now might be the best time to learn some flair. It takes hours and hours of practice to get something right. Typically bartenders don’t have enough time in the day to practice. My best tip would be to watch some videos online to get started with some beginner moves, but always remember that you will never look like the person on the screen. Only you can figure out how your body moves and what feels comfortable, if you feel awkward doing it, there’s a good chance you look awkward doing it. So get comfortable, and once you are, practice until you can’t fail.
How can people support you and your colleagues right now?
Blossom Bar at Sichuan Garden in Brookline Village is currently open six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Both takeout and dine-in is available as well as our Ready To Drink Cocktail Cartridges and Craft Blossom Mixers. The menu for our mixers can be found here.
Our full cocktail menu including your favorite classic cocktails and Bartender Choice cocktails are available in Ready To Drink single serving form. Ivory Pearl is temporarily closed in an effort to refocus our efforts into the next patio season. However you can still support us by ordering a gift card by contacting [email protected]. All gift cards are electronic and sent directly to your preferred email address or via text to your cell phone.
In an effort to support our out of work staff, any tips received from guests viewing the Cocktail Club class via Venmo @Will-Isaza will be dispersed to our furloughed Ivory Pearl staff who is eager to get back into the swing of things.
Join the Boston.com Cocktail Club for rye whiskey cocktails
to join host Jackson Cannon and special guest Sabrina Kershaw as they make cocktails with rye whiskey on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.
Order the cocktail kit: Order the rye whiskey cocktail kit through Gordon’s Fine Wine and Spirits. For next day delivery, order no later than Jan. 27 by 3 p.m.
The purchase of each cocktail kit provides income to a local restaurant worker, who prepares a warm meal for a Boston frontline worker or resident in need through our local non-profit partner Off Their Plate.
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