Airing between regular episodes of the VinePair Podcast, “Covid-19 Conversations” takes an inside look at how the coronavirus crisis is impacting all areas of the alcohol business.
In this installment of “Covid-19 Conversations,” VinePair’s Erica Duecy interviews Ivy Mix, head bartender and co-owner of beloved Brooklyn bar, Leyenda. The bar made its name serving inventive cocktails and Latin-inspired bites in a way that is both comfortable and elevated.
At Leyenda (Spanish for “legend”), Mix has used mezcal and tequila to introduce her guests to other Latin spirits, such as cachaça and rhum agricole. She does this once more with her first book, “Spirits of Latin America,” which debuts this month. The book explores Mix’s passion for the region, using its distillates — and more than 100 original cocktail recipes — as lenses into Latin American culture.
Like many small bar and restaurant owners, Mix is invested in remedying the impact of the coronavirus on hospitality. She believes current circumstances call for an industry-wide federal bailout to stabilize the industry, much like the one applied to airlines. Mix is hopeful that the rallying cry of hospitality workers, and their supporters, will help advance a path forward that allows independent bars and restaurants to successfully rebound.
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