Bar Owner Profile - Tyler Hollinger

Farm-to-Bar Concept

with TYLER HOLLINGER

Festivál Café, New York City

Photos by Luis Ruiz @larufoto

Notorious FIG

Ingredients

2 oz. Sazerac Rye ½ oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. Crème de Mure 1 oz. fig compote syrup

Preparation

Shake and strain over pebble ice. Garnish with fig and fresh winter thyme.

Tyler Hollinger is the multitalented co-owner and head mixologist at Festivál Café in New York City. Leading one of the Big Apple’s Farm-to-Bar concepts is a demanding role, but Tyler’s history of hard-earned success suggests he is more than qualified for the task. Tyler has nearly two decades of experience coordinating some of the city’s most dynamic events and experiences. Not to mention, he also has ground in the entertainment industry as an actor and filmmaker for many popular NYC-based shows.

As a pioneer of the Farm-toBar movement, Tyler intends to familiarize the masses with his unique approach to running his concoction café. He remarks, “The Farm-to-Bar cocktail program features hyper-seasonal mixology, which celebrates our local farms and fresh produce. We change the menu four times a year based on the season and primarily serve what is currently in the ground or recently harvested.” Most of Festivál Café’s ingredients, liquors, and beers are sourced within 100 miles of NYC.

When planning its drink menu, the first step is to contact local farmers and inquire about which crops they are excited about each season. Afterward, Executive Chef Andrew Maturana and Hollinger have a lengthy chat about seasonality and what specific produce they intend to highlight on the food and beverage menus. From that point onward, the two narrow it down to key ingredients that can be replicated repeatedly across the menu in various creative iterations. They refer to the resulting cuisine as “New American,” emphasizing small snackable shareable plates to pair with their signature cocktails.

To those who Farm-to-Bar may happen to inspire, Tyler offers a few words of advice:

“Find local partners. Just going through your produce distribution companies isn't enough. Reach out to local farms, breweries, fisheries, and apiaries and develop long-lasting partnerships where they eventually grow specifically for you!”