Meet The Mixologist: Krystin Reuber

Krystin Reuber is beverage director at Postboy in New Buffalo, MI.

What was your first job in the beverage or hospitality industry?

My first job in hospitality was at a little breakfast spot called Memo’s House of Pancakes when I was 15. I worked weekend morning shifts as a server, and it gave me my first taste of the pace and energy that I ended up loving. 

My first bartending job happened completely by chance at a restaurant called Casey’s, which is funny because it’s right across from PostBoy now. A bartender called off for a lunch shift, and when the manager asked if anyone had bartending experience, I jumped at it even though I had absolutely none. Google got me through that shift. I didn’t become a full-time bartender until a few years later, but that moment was the spark that set everything in motion.

What is your favorite spirit to work with at the moment?

Right now, I’m very into tequila. It’s as versatile as vodka in many ways, but it has so much more personality and depth. The range of styles and the quality coming out in the past few years has been incredible, and there’s always something new that inspires me to build around.

Tell us about your approach to bartending: combining comfort and curiosity.

I want people to feel relaxed and taken care of the moment they sit down… that sense of familiarity and warmth is really important to me. At the same time, I’m always exploring new flavors, techniques, and ideas. Curiosity keeps me evolving and makes the cocktails more dynamic. When those two things meet, when something feels both inviting and a little unexpected, that’s where I think the best guest experiences happen.

What are some of the ways you eliminate waste in your bar program?

Waste reduction is a big part of how we run our prep and production. We use super juice for our citrus, which gets much more yield and brightness out of the fruit while drastically cutting down on how much we throw away. Any fruit we peel for twists gets sliced and dehydrated for garnishes, so every part of the fruit finds a purpose.

We also keep a close eye on our prep levels and constantly adjust our par sheets so we’re not overproducing syrups, batches, or juice. Between utilizing every scrap we can and staying on top of production, we’re able to keep waste low while still maintaining consistency and quality.

What are some of the popular cocktails on the menu currently?

The Me, Espresso has been one of our top sellers since day one — it’s our coconut-water Espresso Martini, and people really connect with how smooth, familiar, and slightly unexpected it is. Another one that guests love is Be Kind, Rewind, our tamari-caramel fat-washed Old Fashioned. It has this nostalgic warmth with a savory depth that surprises people in the best way. 

Now that the weather’s shifted, Sweater Weather has become a seasonal favorite. It’s my version of a cozy hot toddy: miso-chai syrup, St. George spiced pear liqueur, Sazerac rye, Calvados, lemon and hot water, finished with a dehydrated orange. It basically tastes like fall in a mug, which makes it an easy go-to for guests this time of year.

What’s your own current go-to cocktail or beverage?

Right now I’m really enjoying a stirred upside-down tequila Martini made with blanco tequila, blanc vermouth and orange bitters. It’s clean, bright, simple and it lets the tequila shine, which I love.

Would you share the recipe for one of the most popular cocktails at Postboy, or one of your favorite drink recipes?

Here’s the Sweater Weather recipe.

Want to meet more mixologists? Check out our recent interviews with Kirk Gibson, Leanne Favre and Zak Lindahl.

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