Meet Jason Sorbet of Germantown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Sorbet.

Hi Jason, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started off as a bar back in a small jazz / cocktail bar called 21st Amendment. Through being in the right place and the right time, I became the bar manager at 23, and stayed there for several more years trying to create and maintain something unique in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Eventually I had decided to move on to a new challenge so picked up a few shifts at Barrel Proof and a few shifts at Cure, two iconic New Orleans bars for different reasons. I fell in love with Barrel Proof after only one shift and knew it was where I wanted my career move to be. I was at Barrel Proof for a little over 3 years when Covid hit, which prompted a move from Barrel Proof to The Chloe, a boutique hotel we opened in 2020, as the opening beverage director. I was active as the F&B Director and then the AGM of The Chloe when my current partners, Liam Deegan and Robert Leblanc of Barrel Proof offered me a partnership in Barrel Proof Nashville – the tradeoff being that I had to move here to handle the day to day operations and management. It wasn’t long before I knew this was the path I should take to take my career to a new height.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
All things considered it has been a smooth road. I was lucky to be surrounded by several incredible managers who acted as mentors to me, my partners Liam and Robert included, and a slew of family and friends who were always very present and supporting of me in my choice to pursue this industry as a career. The biggest struggle I had was while being a full-time student, I still prioritized my work and my career over my education. I’d be in bio-chemistry classes researching the differences in sherry styles, or the science behind carbon dioxide solubility for force carbonated cocktails in my physics lab. I was still able to graduate – but I made it harder on myself than I needed to be because I had my sights set on the future of my career and not excelling at what I was doing in the present. Having said that, I wouldn’t have changed a thing that I did, because it led me to where I am today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started off with an interest and focus on cocktails, as that was my gateway into the industry. Being surrounded by peers with different passions and specialties influenced my interests over the years, allowing me to become enamored with something specific for a brief period of time until I felt confident in my understanding of that field. Overtime my shift focused from cocktails to spirits, which was one of the main reasons I wanted to work at Barrel Proof, because as much as they were known for being a whiskey bar they also had a really well curated of a variety of spirits – amari, brandy, rums and agave distillates. It was a new world for me and I dove in head first, and obsessed over knowing every bottle and every story back to front.

I’ve taken that passion and that knowledge and invested countless hours trying to be a resource to my peers and teams, and what I’m most proud of is the fact that I’ve been able to pass on my learnings and experiences to team members who’ve then gone on to open extraordinary projects, and I’ve been very grateful to be in their corner for support when they need it.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I’ve been very lucky to be successful in this industry, and have had a great group of mentors that I still call on for advice even after 10 years. For those who are starting out – be open to making mistakes, they are wonderful, amazing learning experiences if you can take a second to view it that way. Ask for help. Make a bad drink, and ask yourself why it’s bad. Drink with curiosity. Above all, there will always be someone in the room who knows more than you, so be open to learning something new.

Pricing:

• $7 happy hour every day, all day on mondays

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barrelproofnashville.com
• Instagram: @barrelproofnashville
• Facebook: @barrelproofnashville