The Savoy has welcomed Shannon Tebay to the position of head bartender at the world-renowned American Bar.
Tebay will join the property in August from New York’s Death & Company.
Her experience in hospitality spans a decade; for seven years she has been part of the team at Manhattan’s celebrated Death & Company where she rose to the position of head bartender.
The American Bar has a global reputation for excellence and innovation.
The pandemic caused its temporary closure, but the Savoy is looking forward to the reopening of the American Bar under Tebay’s leadership in September this year.
Commenting on her appointment, Tebay said: “Becoming head bartender at the American Bar is not just the professional opportunity of a lifetime, it’s also an opportunity to continue building the bar’s legacy as a beacon of innovation and quality – in both the way we create our drinks and in how we deliver our service.
“I hope to honour the historical significance of the American Bar and modernise bartending culture within the community at large, championing under-represented perspectives and re-evaluating best practices in order to maximise sustainability.”
A New Mexico native, Tebay originally went to New York City for graduate school in visual arts, but found herself enamoured with the world of food and drink.
The former French Culinary Institute student has applied her training in the pastry arts to craft cocktails, incorporating various techniques and developing uniquely creative flavour profiles to her lengthy list of original drinks.
Her personal cocktail-writing style is best described as dynamic minimalism, defined by left-of-centre combinations that harmonise in unexpected ways.
Franck Arnold, managing director of the Savoy, commented: “We’re really excited to be welcoming Shannon to the Savoy.
“We admire her vision and her focus on teamwork.
“We’re looking forward to seeing her reopen the American Bar with a menu that will display her reverence for the bar’s history, and showcase the creativity and talent of the team as a whole.”
The American Bar first opened in 1893 and is the oldest surviving cocktail bar in Britain.