Montanya Distillers

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MONTHLY BARTENDER FEATURE - SNOOZE AM EATERY

SNOOZE– 2262 Larimer Street, Denver, Colo.

To kick off Montanya’s 2016 MONTHLY FEATURED BARTENDER Series, we’re introducing you to two bartenders at one of our favorite A.M. spots, Snooze. This restaurant group has a fabulously fun vibe that’s full of energy and we love its innovation with food and brunch drinks. On the menu at Snooze this month, you’ll find a Dirty Drunken Chai that includes Montanya’s Platino Rum with coffee liqueur, chai and steamed milk – yum!

In our January feature, the creative geniuses behind the cocktail menu at the Ballpark Snooze location on Larimer Street in Denver, reveal their inspirations, favorite drinks and brunch-time wishes.

**As we highlight bartenders we have come to love, we’d also like to hear from you. If you have a bartender or bar/restaurant you’d like to recommend for future consideration, please click here to learn more. To see more installments from the Montanya Mixology Series, visit T-Zero Lounge, The Kitchen Denver, Justice Snow’s, Lounge 5280 or Bin 707.**

Andrew Mangan, 
General Manager
Location: Ballpark Snooze, Denver

Years of Bartending Experience:
12 years

Who is your hero and greatest inspiration in your work?

I'm constantly inspired by the entire Denver cocktail scene. There are so many programs that have come up the past couple of years that are really impressive. Having really great cocktails that show off their ingredients, along with great hospitality, is the recipe that I strive to follow. 

Stuart at Mercantile, Alex at Acorn, Adam at Green Russell, I love going to their restaurants to see what they've come up with, see what I can bring back to Snooze and put the AM twist on.

What’s your favorite rum cocktail?

Wintertime would be a Painkiller (I know, coconut and pineapple, but it's delicious!). Summertime, if you can find a place with great orgeat syrup, I love a well made Mai Tai. 

How do you use Montanya Rum in your bar program?

We've been able to utilize Montanya Rum in a number of different ways over the years at Snooze. We've done mojitos with green tea syrup, a hot chai drink with pumpkin and rum, and we've got a new twist out now with espresso, Montanya Rum, coffee liquor and local chai that we're really excited about.

What is your favorite thing about working with Colorado craft spirits?

I love being able to tell our guests the story behind the spirit. If it's a local product, made by people that live down the street, or close by in the mountains, it's so easy to get people excited about that. The quality of Colorado spirits is really high, and I love how collaborative the whole community is in driving the local spirit movement along.

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Per Flood
Server #101 (first Snooze employee)
Location: Ballpark Snooze, Denver

Years of Bartending Experience: 
Almost 10 years

Who is your hero and greatest inspiration in your work?
Author Charles Bukowski

Per Flood rocking the bar at Snooze. Photo courtesy of Westword

What’s your favorite rum cocktail?
When I am in Hawaii I have to have a Mai Tai, but they just don't taste the same anywhere else. 

How do you use Montanya Rum in your bar program?
We use Montanya for refreshing summer drinks and heart warming hot winter drinks.  It is very versatile and clean. 

What’s the most memorable cocktail you have had with Montanya Rum?
ur Snooze Green Tea Basil Mojito was so delicious.

What do you wish more people knew about rum in general or Montanya rum specifically?
I wish people would take a little more time to peruse other brunch drink options besides Bloody Marys and Mimosas to open up their breakfast experience. 

What makes for a great day of bartending?

A great day of bartending is hanging with our many regulars and meeting so many folks who are visiting Colorado from around the world. People vacationing here are so excited and so ready to loosen up with a drink or two. Mix this with industry friends enjoying a day off and I think we have a winner. 

Snooze Staff members