Meet Chilled 100 Bartender Laura Pica

New York City based Chilled 100 bartender and influencer, Laura Pica, tells Chilled about her background in the food and beverage industry and what she is up to now.

Email: nycraftcocktails@gmail.com

What inspired you to become a bartender?

I am a New York based mixologist and recipe developer for beverage brands with 15 years in the beverage industry. I started like most of us in this industry… making my way behind various bars and restaurants and then, eventually delving into the creative aspect of recipe development and content creation. What originally started as a creative outlet for me has led to a successful venture that keeps bringing new opportunities. Let’s be honest, the food and beverage industry runs through my blood at this point.

Where do you tend bar now? What makes it unique?

I currently work cocktail pop-ups and create cocktails and recipes for beverage brands remotely. My home bar is pretty epic, and I have two unpaid (kitty) interns that don’t help much at all.

Who has been most influential in your development as a bartender?

I draw inspiration from the industry itself, from the love of hospitality and the desire to create. I’ve immersed myself into food and beverage culture and I truly believe that there are so many beautiful and necessary stories that can be told through creating something for others to taste.

Do you have any advice for novice/at home bartenders?

Keep at it, try new and funky things even when you’re unsure of how it will turn out. Learn that some mistakes are happy mistakes and some of the best cocktails can come of it. If you have a passion for it, all else will follow.

What is your favorite ingredient right now and why?

Dill has been my inspiration lately. I focus on using different fresh herbs in my cocktails, but I’ve been on this savory dill martini kick, experimenting with dill rapid infusions with vodka and gin and building on that with caper or pepperoncini brine for fun takes on a dirty martini.

How do you go about creating a cocktail? Is there a specific process or simply a moment of inspiration?

My partner jokes that my creativity works wonders under pressure. I typically will look at what ingredients I have, and thoughts come to me in the moment. I don’t like really pre-planning my drinks or over analyzing them too much, unless it’s for a client, then obviously it’s a bit of a different process with more planning involved.

Do you have a special technique you use or a tip for making a particular drink?

Not a tip necessarily, but more of a suggestion: if you’re a home bartender, invest in an ice machine. It’s worth every penny.

Where do you see the bartending/cocktail culture headed?

Cocktail culture is here to stay. What I do see a shift in during these post-pandemic times is that more and more people are taking an interest in learning how to craft their own cocktails. With prices soaring across the country, I think there is this genuine interest growing in how to recreate cool and high-end cocktails at home.

Original cocktail 

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