Meet this talented, young head bartender making a name for herself in downtown Macon
Editor’s note: The Telegraph is launching a new series featuring local bartenders. To find out more, email jbaxley@macon.com.
Taylor Couey is the head bartender at Kinjo Kitchen and Cocktails on the corner of 2nd Street in downtown Macon. Here’s more about how she started in the business, what she likes about her job and her favorite cocktail.
Q: What made you want to go into bartending?
A: I have been in the service industry since I was in college. Red Lobster was my first restaurant job. The bartenders always seemed to be the higher-ups but without having to be in management. It is something that I wanted to aim towards. I have been in the service industry since 2012 and I finally got the opportunity to bartend at Kinjo. Chelsea (Hughes, Kinjo owner) saw that I had an interest in cocktails and that I enjoyed making them at home. So she took a chance on me and put me behind the bar. Chelsea showed me her ways and gave me books. I did a lot of research on my own to build my knowledge bank.
Q: As a new bartender, what are some of the challenges that you face?
A: One of the big things is that you have to accept that there is nothing that you can make that is truly brand new. Someone has probably already done it, so a lot of bartending is about trying to put creative twists on things... As a new bartender you have to try and find what your signature is.
Q: What sets Kinjo’s cocktails apart?
A: We are able to take a classic cocktail and put our own twist on it while still honoring the original. We also try to come up with things that are relevant to things happening in the world or around the city of Macon. We will have pink drinks for the Cherry Blossom Festival and we just try to incorporate things like that into our specials. This special will be a twist on the French 75 with a housemade syrup for Cherry Blossom.
Q: Kinjo has several quality bartenders — Chelsea, Haley Bozeman and Jamie Helms. What it is like working with other talented people?
A: Everybody here is so uplifting here. Everyone here wants the others to succeed because our individual successes mean that the restaurant will be successful and that is the goal at the end of the day.
Q: The owner, the head chef and the head bartender are all women here at Kinjo. What does that mean to you to be a part of that?
A: As someone who has been in the service industry for so long you see that a lot of the managers and higher ups are men. Sometimes it can turn into a bit of a boys club. So having a place like this where we have talented men on staff but also have women who are powerhouses feels new and exciting. Sometimes it makes me want to cry a little bit because I am so proud of all us and it is just really inspiring.
Q: I saw recently that you got a shoutout on the Facebook page. What does it mean to get recognized like and have your work put on display for Macon?
A: It is something new for me. It is not something that I am used to in the service industry. I come here and Chelsea always tells me how great I am doing and how thankful she is for me. That really makes the time and effort that I have put into becoming the best version of myself that I can worth it. It feels like I am actually working towards something.
Q: What are some of your goals in the service industry?
A: My short-term goal is just to continue to grow as a bartender. My long-term goal is going into management and if I play my cards right then I would love to have my own place and be an empowering leader like Chelsea is for me.
Q: Was there a moment that stands out for you where you felt like this job was meant for you?
A: This is so silly but it was one night after work, I saw Chelsea and Haley whispering and talking. I hadn’t been behind the bar very long and technically I was still in training. They came over and started telling me all their plans that they had for me. They told me that they wanted me to be like the face behind the bar at Kinjo. That was the moment where I felt like they were paying attention to me and appreciated what I was doing. And I thought I don’t want to leave, this is where I want to be.
Q: What is it like when you have customers who come in for you specifically?
A: It makes you feel warm and fuzzy a little bit because you are making someone else’s day better. I recently had a lady who said she had a rough day and she called her husband and said she needed to come have one of my cocktails because she likes mine the best. I felt pretty awesome to know that I took someone’s bad day and turned it around to get them a bright ending.
Q: When you are not behind the bar at Kinjo, what do you like to do outside of work?
A: I have my one-year-old who takes up a lot of my time. He is full of spunk and sass. He is my main priority. But outside of that I have a great group of friends. We started a murder mystery game over quarantine. That has been an escape for me. It is like a mixture of Dungeons and Dragons with a bit of online role-play. That gives me a chance to just relax and have fun.
Q: Is there anything else that people should know about being a bartender?
A: There is a better cocktail out there than vodka and soda, come to Kinjo and let me make you something delicious.
Terry’s chocolate orange Negroni
Taylor’s favorite cocktail is a classic called the Negroni. She recently put a twist on it with a Terry’s chocolate orange Negroni. Here is the recipe:
- 1 oz Old Fourth Distillery Gin
- 1 oz house-made creme de cacao using Plantation 3 Star white rum
- .5 oz High Wire amaro
- .5 oz Campari
- 1 dash of orange bitters
- Garnish with an orange twist
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.