Bartenders are the unsung heroes of community connection who serve as uniquely pivotal figures within the social and cultural ecosystem of their city. More than just drink slingers; bartenders are vital community connectors creating meaningful bonds with their guests. Stationed at the heart of social interaction, they foster a welcoming atmosphere of belonging around the bar where strangers can become acquaintances, friends and even chosen family. With a listening ear and friendly demeanor, bartenders are experts at reading the room, facilitating conversations and offering a “safe space” neutral ground for diverse individuals to connect. They help celebrate milestones, listen to stories, share laughs, provide meaningful space, and have their fingers on the local pulse of their local communities. Beyond simply pouring drinks, bartenders pour connections as they weave into the social fabric of their neighborhoods, one conversation at a time. To celebrate these special Bartender Bond builders, we have teamed up with Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey to showcase Bartender Talents who embody the vital role of bond builders and community connectors. Let’s get Bonded by the Bar with Bartender Meredith Barry of St. Louis, Missouri.
What would you say is your superpower as a Bartender that builds bonds with your guests and invites them to become your regulars?
My true bond building superpower, I believe, is empathy. It surfaces in intentional kindnesses, perhaps a remembered drink upon arrival or providing the simple sacred created space by truly listening. Sharing empathy gives us both value to our interaction. Seeing people authentically requires offering genuine care and an act of vulnerability from my side that quietly opens the door to real connection across the bar. From there, naturally weaving connections between guests, until the bar feels less like a barrier and more like a shared hearth.
Ultimately, it’s this deep desire to make guests feel genuinely seen and understood, which stems from my deep desire to be seen and understood. I believe bartenders can foster shared moments through our presence and a welcoming atmosphere, that transforms visits into the meaningful bonds that bring regulars back.
What makes your Bar a welcoming space for community in St. Louis to gather, meet up, make connections and build bonds?
My bar strives to be a vital third space by creating a safe, unpretentious environment where everyone can truly come as they are with no pretenses. By hosting community-focused events such as charitable neighborhood fundraisers, zero-proof inclusive Pride parties, and political forums, we actively encourage connection, conversation, and support for the people. This is so personal to me, as a Queer human, forever desiring a place of belonging that honors our history and existence. Even the connections we build through our live music and dance programming is intentionally communal. This transforms the bar from just a place to drink into a crucial hub for community gathering.
Through a shared beat of live music or the vital spark created in community forums, we aim to be more than just walls and drinks, but rather a hearth where diverse lives can connect and find mutual strength. Community is finding a common ground to create mutual aid for each other. If you have ever witnessed karaoke at our bar, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
How can the Bar Industry work together to create a welcoming bar culture that fosters a sense of belonging for every guest that comes in looking for community?
Fostering a Cheers (everybody knows your name) culture requires intentional effort from everyone involved. Bartenders can lead with empathy, making eye contact, remembering names, and genuinely engaging with guests to make them feel acknowledged. Patrons contribute by being open to conversations and interacting with all those around them with respect and appreciation.
As operators, we have a responsibility to cultivate community through offering diverse inclusive events. We must actively be a part of the neighborhood and city that surrounds us and create thoughtful bar design that encourages interactions. Also, offering different menu options is a crucial way ensure everyone feels welcome, protected, celebrated, and cared for, especially those who are marginalized. All of this combined, we can hopefully provide an antidote to loneliness. Maybe even, perhaps, our own.
Can you share a little backstory about your bond with the Regular guest who inspired your Bonded by the Bar cocktail?
While countless connections built across the bar have impacted fundamental changes in my life, this cocktail is a heartfelt thank you to my dear friend, Christopher Pesce. Christopher's journey from an incredibly supportive regular at my former bar to becoming part of my chosen family truly embodies and illuminates the bar’s connective magic. Our bond was forged exploring Chicago's heart. Together, we visited every gay bar in the city that I had not yet experienced, and our bond was strengthened by lakeside sunsets while spilling 'tea' of secrets and sorrows that offered us both calm during life's storms. We celebrated with diva anthems sung loud enough to touch the very sky we were looking upon.
Christopher is a person who knew where the ice machine was located and would fill up our bins during the madness of a busy night. Pesce embodies the profound friendships that root themselves across the polished wood— offering steadfast comfort much like his favorite spirit, Jack Daniel's, which anchors this drink, honoring the souls and spirits that are the life force of any bar.
Which specific flavor notes in Jack Daniel's Bonded did you highlight in your Regular Bond Inspired cocktail?
This cocktail breathes new life into a classic cocktail memory, an elevated echo of a Jack & Coke in an Old Fashioned form. Strong, reliable and steadfast. I sipped upon Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey as if it was a friend I was getting to know– embracing its soft vanilla whispers and deep caramel currents. A velvet cloak of vanilla brown butter deepens that comforting sweet nuttiness, while caramel tea syrup offers a refined echo of Pesce’s nostalgic favorite. With amaro and a dash of bitters adding just a shadow of complexity and familiar cinnamon; each sip feels like coming home – an embrace of grounded warmth and the enduring comfort of true friendship.
.png)
Beyond The Usual
- 6 parts Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey
- 1 part Sicilian Amaro
- ½ part Caramel Brown Sugar Tea Syrup
- 2 dashes of Bitters
Stirred and served in a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Topped with housemade Salted Citrus Air.
Enjoy Meredith's Beyond The Usual cocktail with Jack Daniel's Bonded Tennessee Whiskey and we hope to see you building Bonds by the Bar turning strangers into friends and friends into family in your community.
Please Drink Responsibly. responsibility.org ©2025 Jack Daniel's.
Jack Daniel's is a registered trademark. ©2025 Jack Daniel's. All rights reserved.
Please do not share or forward this content with anyone under the legal drinking age.
Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee Rye Whiskey, and a Blend of Straight Whiskeys, 50% alc. by vol. (100 proof). Distilled and bottled by the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lynchburg, Tennessee.
