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Amy Faulkner, founder of event company, Gilly Wagon, is pleased to announce the appointment of noteworthy bartender Abigail Gullo to her team as Director of Industry. Gullo brings her skills, expertise and cleverness to curate Bartender’s Circle– a free, bar industry program that will offer a framework for independent bartenders and those in the hospitality industry to collectively encourage each other through education, events and peer collaboration.
Gullo worked as a bartender at top bars in New York City (The Beagle and Fort Defiance), later moving to New Orleans to open SoBou for the famed Commander’s Palace family of restaurants in the French Quarter. She moved to the other side of Canal Street to open the lauded Compere Lapin with Chef Nina Compton and Ricky Gomez. While there, the bar won Best Hotel bar in America from the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards and she received a top ten nomination for Best American Bartender. Abigail’s original cocktails have been recognized in numerous national and international competitions. Her cocktails have been featured in The New York Times, Imbibe, Garden & Gun among others and she appeared on NPR’s On Point as an expert in her field and the Today show as a weekly guest bartender. She is a member of the United States Bartenders Guild, LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) and a proud supporter of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans. Says Abigail: “I’m excited for our community to come together as a worldwide audience to learn, taste and prop up one another. With Bartender’s Circle, we’re building an inclusive place for our wildly witty circle of global beverage professionals.”
Faulkner is thrilled to have Abigail join her at Gilly Wagon: “I’ve been involved with bartenders and bar owners for some time. I hear about the kinds of programs they would like to access as an industry. Abigail has a lot of fantastic experience. She is well-respected and she has a great perspective on the education that is needed.”
Four core initiatives will be the pillars of Bartender’s Circle:
Industry Education: Bartender’s Circle will curate industry-focused education for bartenders working with some of the trade’s biggest talent as they share their tips, tricks and techniques.
Bartender’s Circle Podcast: The podcast will cover everything from new products to busting myths behind the bar.
Bartender’s Circle Summit: The Bartender’s Circle Summit will happen annually during Seattle Cocktail Week and provide those in the industry with education taught by the leading experts in the industry.
Online Community: Bartender’s Circle has established a channel for members to connect for peer-to-peer communication.