Bar / Beverage Director at Vale

Empregara; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Vale, a farm-and-restaurant project in the Catskills, seeks a beverage program lead to craft a nuanced program across coffee, tea, spirits, and wine. You will work closely with our chef and farmers to spotlight seasonal produce and integrate it into the beverage offerings.

You will build and maintain relationships with distributors, oversee the full beverage menu for both daytime and evening services, and manage inventory to ensure a smooth service with the GM and servers.

Qualifications

• Experience creating and managing a beverage program in a restaurant setting.
• Ability to work with chefs and farmers to highlight seasonal offerings.
• Proven ability to build relationships with distributors and manage menu development for day and evening services.
• Strong knowledge of coffee, tea, wine, spirits, and related service procedures.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage the beverage program including coffee, tea, spirits and wine.
• Collaborate with the chef and farmers to showcase what is grown and produced on site.
• Establish and maintain distributor relationships and oversee beverage menu development for day and night menus.
• Operate espresso machines, mix drinks, and pour wine; supervise service with GM and servers.
• Monitor inventory and communicate ingredient needs across kitchen and bar teams.

Skills

Beverage program development

Wine knowledge

Espresso & coffee preparation

Mixology

Inventory management

Service coordination

Tools

Espresso machines

Wine service equipment

Job description

Company description
The team behind the critically acclaimed Take Root in Brooklyn, earning both James beard recognition and a Michelin star, are opening a restaurant set on a farm in the Catskills. More about the project below...

Vale is a mountain farm and restaurant nestled in the heart of the Catskills. Family owned and operated, we have been stewarding this land for nearly eight years. That time has given us an intimate knowledge of what grows, lives, and thrives here, from native flora and fauna to the produce we cultivate each season. The farm is both the backdrop to our dining room and the backbone of our kitchen, shaping the food we serve, the way we work, and the experience we hope to create for our guests.

The farm currently encompasses nearly an acre of produce, a 40-foot greenhouse, maple trees, and mushroom logs. We are also home to forty laying hens, five roosters, four goats, and four honeybee hives, with more animals and plants added each season. Our long-term goal is for the farm to sustain the restaurant almost entirely, and eventually to feed the broader community as well.

The restaurant is small but mighty, with just 26 seats and we are open Thursday through Sunday. The four-day week gives our team time to explore and lay roots in the region, rest, and return to do their best work.

This rhythm reflects a core belief and driving force behind this project: our desire to work somewhere beautiful, where quality of life for our family and employees is the highest priority. We encourage our staff to walk the trails, dip in the river, and harvest from the fields. Our onsite employee space includes a kitchenette and full bathroom for use after time spent farming or exploring.

We hope to build Vale with people who feel the pull of this place and want to help bring its possibilities to life.

Opening in March!

Job description
This position is for someone who has an interest in creating a nuanced beverage program with equal focus placed on coffee and tea as on spirits and wine. This position is best suited for someone with experience working in restaurants lauded for their beverage program. You are someone who wants to both build the program and work service. You will collaborate with our chef and farmers to find unique ways to highlight what is grown in the field and what is coming out of the kitchen. You will establish and maintain relationships with distributors, oversee the development of the entire beverage menu for both daytime and evening menus, work espresso machines, mix drinks, pour wine. You will keep track of inventory and communicate clearly with the chefs on ingredients that overlap with the kitchen and assist in running a smooth service with the general manager and servers.

Compensation
this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000