Lauren Mote is a bartender, a mentor, advocate, and as it relates to PATRÓN, Global Director of On-Trade Excellence. To introduce Lauren is to highlight the PATRÓN Perfectionists global community, a program that she's working to grow and advance with partners around the globe.

Through this Q&A we learn a little bit about what shaped Lauren's path and her vision for the future of PATRÓN Perfectionists as a competition. Notably, Lauren has participated in, launched, judged, and consulted on competitions and advocacy programs throughout her career, shaping her appreciation for and experience with engaging activations and how they interact within the greater, evolving industry.

We’re excited to feature all the additions and updates to this year’s PATRÓN Perfectionists program and to formally introduce Lauren Mote. Read on to learn more!

How did you find the hospitality industry?

I was always in hospitality - it was the very thing I craved in my family, and the same thing I wished to serve others - a sense of belonging (it takes a lot of work to create spaces like this, both personally and professionally).

What do you love about bartending/bartenders?

Bartenders are the creative, fringe folks of the industry, belonging to a group of individuals that love to serve at the pleasure of the people. Bartenders are usually specialists in a wide range of disciplines and expertly apply that knowledge to their roles in the industry (I did the same!). If it was just about flavours, I firmly believe most would end up in the kitchen, but bartending is unique - it’s the complete package of taste, technique, entertainment and time & place experiential, and no two bartenders are the same.

Describe your current role.

I curate the education and advocacy program for Global PATRÓN. This role means I can take the last 22 years of listening to industry folks, working in a wide range of environments in different parts of the world, as a jumping-off point for the future of brand-led programming. I lean into bartender development from recruitment to the industry right the way up to meaningful placements (and everywhere in between). My role combines creativity, mentorship, development and implementation and covers various topics, audiences, and cultures.

What does it take to compete in PATRÓN Perfectionists as a bartender?

It takes courage to test yourself - understanding and showcasing your story and talent while overcoming your limits and stepping outside your comfort zone - just one part of the recipe to develop yourself into a better professional. PATRÓN Perfectionists is not just about cocktails; it's about hospitality, experiences, professional learning, discovery and connectivity to a broader community of people just like you - the complete bartender.

What advice do you have for anyone competing in PATRÓN Perfectionists for the first time?

Don’t be afraid to ask and to connect with other bartenders and your local ambassadors. We are all here to support you in entering and navigating the program. There are many resources to help you, inspire you and excite you. I speak on behalf of previous participants when I say there can only be benefits from participating. Rise to the challenge, and you will see. It takes one drink to change your life in this industry, so what do you have to lose? Nothing!

How has PATRÓN Perfectionists changed this year?

We have enhanced the existing competition platform to create an integrated bartending program with education at heart. The PATRÓN Perfectionists program aims to provide the aspirational resources and contribution of experts from the hospitality and drinks world to support bartending in all its facets. Bartending is so much more than creating a cocktail; there are personal stories blending with cultures, hospitality, flavours, creativity, self-expression and beyond. The challenges at the national and global reflect these opportunities to share and create, giving bartenders the freedom to express themselves to the world.

What does “more than a competition” mean to you?

Competitions by nature are competitive, but the expansion to a broader Bartending Program means that bartenders have the opportunity to learn a great deal on their journey, invest in their professional development and make lifelong friends along the way. The evolved PATRÓN Perfectionists program provides opportunities for all bartenders to strive, grow, and learn. More than a competition, this is about becoming part of a global community of likeminded individuals.

Who is PATRÓN Perfectionists for?

Bartenders and professionals at every level of the global drinks industry strive for their definition of perfection, explicitly related to education across drinks, ingredients, techniques, or the delivery of everything in guest experiences. PATRÓN Perfectionists exists as a platform to bring these moments to life. We are eager to connect more deeply, more authentically with our broader community, with tequila and our magical home of Mexico at its core.

Tell us about the community that this program creates.

The community you join is what we call PATRÓN Familia because the people, support and connections that come with this program can only compare to those of a family, but it’s a global one. A chosen family of likeminded individuals where everyone belongs.

Can you tell us about the prize for PATRÓN Perfectionists?

The prize is about offering career and personal opportunities - and it's not just a global win that gets you there (of course, read on - the global prize is pretty rad). As I always say to the bartender, "you don't have to win to... win." Take Roberto Nunez Moreno, for example. While Roberto did not win the national finals, he won the company's attention with his heart and soul. Today, he serves as the National Educator & Program Specialist for PATRÓN U.S., creating original programming from his home (and the home of PATRÓN tequila) Jalisco.

Take UK finalist from last year Kat Stanley-Whyte; she has incredible opportunities to flourish in the industry after presenting on the global stage. Kat recently moved to London to take a bartending role behind the iconic American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, one of only a few women to do this.

Cassandra Eichhoff in South Africa continues developing her mentorship training with young bartenders and sharing with a broader audience by travelling to the Philippines to be part of their national final event later this fall.

The journey for bartenders is more than winning a global final, it's about showing up and auditioning for the next step in your career and we're not sure where that will take you, but if you're open, flexible and passionate, the sky's the limit. Some of the prize elements for the global winner, Giulia Cuccurullo (2021) and Harrison Kenney (2022), are both experiencing simultaneously this year. Giulia and Harrison are contributing to the new Academia PATRÓN Perfectionists education program. They'll also be heading out on separate missions. Each will have a customized tour of key cities, training and development sessions for the local bartending community, and returning to the Hacienda PATRÓN for the final global event in March 2023. It's here that Giulia and Harrison will come together again and have the great honour of participating as mentors and judges for the next class of PATRÓN Perfectionists.

What do you hope to see grow within this program?

I hope bartenders from all levels and, eventually, all markets will have accessible education, tools and resources to continue developing themselves. PATRÓN Perfectionists can play a significant role here, and that's the direction we're heading. This program has not been designed for highly trained and expert mixologists alone but for budding bartenders and passionate newbies. This program is a platform to learn and connect, and we hope it continues to be a beacon of community excitement for years to come.

This recipe and introduction is a selection from Lauren's newly released book, "A Bartender's Guide to the World - Cocktails and Stories from 75 Places."

"This delicious drink is inspired by a chardonnay-based sangria, with California chardonnay & cantaloupe."

Serves – 32 sample portions / 20 full sized

"Fifty-four years ago, Señora Elmy Bermejo and her husband, Tommy, opened Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant in the Richmond District of San Francisco. Today, not only do I have the great pleasure of working closely with their son, Señor Julio Bermejo, and their daughter, Señorita Elmy, but I pay tribute to the entire family on the menu I created at the Four Seasons San Francisco with the It’s a Family Affair cocktail. Julio is a legend in our industry— not just in San Francisco— and a brilliant bartender and agave spirits educator.

On the outside, the restaurant is deceiving; it looks like a typical family-owned Mexican joint. But switch gears and head to the bar, and it’s likely that Julio or one of his incredible bartenders will greet you with a perfectly balanced Tommy’s Margarita (which Julio invented, replacing the orange curaçao in the recipe with agave syrup to better connect it to the spirit), an agave spirits tutorial, and a guest versus bartender “fastest hand-juiced limes” contest.

Julio’s signature whiteboard welcomes special guests by the thousands each year (names changing daily), but the motto never rubs off: “Don’t forget how lucky you are to live in San Francisco.” The most important thing, beyond cocktails, is the sentiment. Not only does Tommy’s have the largest agave spirits collection in the world, but their chosen family in San Francisco and around the globe is an example of the incredible impact possible in the drinks industry: they’re building community one drink at a time. We are so lucky to have Tommy’s as a beacon of hospitality, love, and flavor in our industry."

Family Affair Recipe

Ingredients
2 ounces (60 mL) PATRÓN Silver Tequila
¾ ounce (22.5 mL) Basil Cordial (page 46)
2 dashes Bittered Sling Moondog Latin Bitters
4 slices green jalapeño pepper (leave the seeds if you like it spicy)
Pinch sea salt

Garnish: Fresh basil leaf

Method
To a shaker filled with cubed ice, add the tequila, cordial, bitters, jalapeño, and salt. Using some force, shake hard for 5 seconds. Using a small fine-mesh bar sieve to catch the loose ice chips and jalapeño, double strain into a highball glass. Garnish with basil leaf.

Make sure you follow along with this year's PATRÓN Perfectionists program here and @Academia_Patron on Instagram and Facebook. Keep an eye out for future events, educational opportunities and check-ins with the contributing members of the PATRÓN Perfectionists competition. Stay tuned, there's much more to come!