Saeed “Hawk” House on Bartending, Cocktail Content Creation & Making Drinks Fun Again

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The Cocktail Academy

Damian Cole

65 episodes

4 days ago

Introducing "The Cocktail Academy" with your host Damian Cole, a seasoned veteran of the hospitality industry. Join Damian and his expert guests on a spirited journey through the world of cocktails, spirits, and all things booze-related.

Whether you're a home cocktail enthusiast or aspiring bartender, this podcast is your go-to source for practical tips and insider knowledge, served straight up with no nonsense. From mastering classic cocktail recipes to exploring the latest trends in mixology, "The Cocktail Academy" has everything you need to shake, stir, and sip like a pro. Tune in for candid conversations, industry insights, and plenty of laughs along the way.

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All content for The Cocktail Academy is the property of Damian Cole and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Saeed “Hawk” House on Bartending, Cocktail Content Creation & Making Drinks Fun Again

The Cocktail Academy

35 minutes 50 seconds

4 days ago

Saeed “Hawk” House on Bartending, Cocktail Content Creation & Making Drinks Fun Again

Saeed “Hawk” House – better known online as @cocktailsbyhawk – joins Damian to talk about his path from Bay Area barback to LA content creator, why he still thinks like a working bartender, and how influencers with real bar chops can shape what guests drink around the world.

They get into the tension between “what works on Instagram” and “what works on a busy Friday night,” the responsibilities that come with reach, and Hawk’s campaign to make cocktails fun (and drinkable) again.

In this episode, we cover:

Growing up in the Bay Area, studying audio engineering and falling sideways into bartending via Burning Man and Chelsea’s nudge behind the bar
Building foundations at Cantina, Prizefighter, Perch and Mrs. Fish – and what high-volume vs high-craft venues each taught him
Picking up a GoPro, posting rough early videos and realising a working bartender could step into the influencer space
COVID as a turning point: brand deals, staying afloat and the decision to leave regular bar work for full-time content creation
The responsibility of bartender-creators: transparency around paid partnerships and learning to say no to brands that don’t fit
The inside story of the Batanga “conspiracy” and what it reveals about how online trends drive real-life orders
Balancing social-friendly recipes with drinks that bars and home drinkers can actually execute
Why Hawk is less interested in rotovaps and more focused on simple, repeatable cocktails you want four of—not just a one-off spectacle
How films, food and ingredients inspire his recipes, including a deep dive into his Joker-inspired cocktail build

About Saeed “Hawk” House

Saeed “Hawk” House is a Los Angeles–based bartender, consultant and full-time creator behind Cocktails by Hawk. After years in San Francisco and LA bars, he now partners with spirits brands, develops menus, runs a mobile bartending business and shares approachable cocktail content with a global audience.

Find Hawk: @cocktailsbyhawk on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and more.

Find The Cocktail Academy: thecocktailacademy.com · IG @welovecocktails · TikTok @welovecocktailsx

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.