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Who | Reed Pettit
Where | Toronto, Canada
Current Position | National Brand Ambassador
Past Bar(s) | Miss Thing’s, The Miller Tavern on Bay
Favourite Spirit | Bruichladdich Cuvee 407
Favourite Juice | Does gin count?
Favourite Classic Cocktail | Negroni
Favourite Part of the Job | Speaking and educating the world about single malt whisky, Gin, and Rum
Favourite After Work Drink | Give me those bubbles, champagne, prosecco, lambrusco. Need that effervescence.
Favourite at Home Drink | Cold beer and a whisky
Favourite bar in the world | Third Street Dive Bar (Louisville, Kentucky), The Pot Still (Glasgow)
Best known for | Being modest. Seriously. I’m the BEST at being modest. And sarcastic banter I suppose? Generally being the only Reed in the room.
Best story from behind the wood | These two generally disappointing men came into the bar one day after a Leafs game, as Jay Meyers, and myself are behind the bar being charming as usual. They proceed to order a pitcher of beer. $21.00 and 5 bees was the going rate back then. (Remember, this was on Bay street) It’s a busy night so we slide the pitcher down to them and in my best broken bar sign language signal to them “twenty-one twenty-five” I turn back around, to take another random set of orders being frantically called out, like someone was in the fast money round and I was Louis Anderson. By the time I could respond with the appropriate “good answer, good answer” these two men have vanished. All the way onto Harbour Street and nowhere near our licensed patio with pitcher and glasses in hand. So I go walking out there, cool as a cucumber in a bowl of hot sauce, and following behind me is Jay Meyers scaling the patio barrier much in the same way a ballerina wouldn’t. We grab the beers, and the pitcher, alongside the hopes and dreams of these gentlemen, and we dump them onto the street. One issue though, that $21.25. After what seemed like dozens of seconds we finally managed to get these jerks to fork over the money (I’ve dropped the term gentlemen here for obvious reasons) almost simultaneously I throw the $1.25 into the sewer as Jay Meyers rips the twenty into a million pieces and throws them into the wind. He then proceeds to point his finger at these two and say, “I don’t need your money, but it’s the principle of you not having it!” One quick caddy-shake* high five and we’re back behind the bar.
*caddy-shake high five is where you high five someone but grasp hands at the top and give them a litthe celebratory shake. Golf caddies statistically do this 100% of the time.
What do you collect? Whisky I suppose, and vendettas…
Favourite thing about your city? The people, the community of industry in Toronto is unbelievable, all are welcome.
What was the last photo that you took? The crowd at Barate Kid
Where was your last vacation? Real vacation? I went to Halifax like 3 years ago to eat Lobster and watch Shakespeare by the Sea.
Any claims to fame? I told my college professor I was a Canadian Rock, Paper, Scissors Champion…it’s not true but I still claim it to be. Other than that a few bartending competitions. I was in GQ magazine, that helps with the modesty thing.
Belt or suspenders? Ive always followed the rule “Thou shall not wear suspenders without a jacket.” So behind the bar? A belt.
Fernet or Cynar? Cynar
New Orleans or New York City? NYC
Glass or Tin? Tin
Are you available for freelance gigs? Yeah, why not.
Find him: Instagram