Head of Cocktail Program & Bar Operations

Castle & Key Distillery; Frankfort (KY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY seeks a Manager Bar Operations & Cocktail Innovation to lead day-to-day operation and long-term growth of our cocktail program, from Taylorton Station to future flagship bars, pop-ups, events, and bartender education.

The ideal candidate blends bartending expertise with education and leadership, driving creative beverage development while ensuring hospitality standards and profitability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive cocktail, bar, or hospitality experience.
• Deep knowledge of classic cocktails, spirits, modern technique, and beverage service.
• Proven ability to manage, train, and develop a team.
• Experience with inventory, costing, and menu development.
• Creative, curious, organized, and able to lead several initiatives at once.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events, with occasional travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead the cocktail program across all Castle & Key bars and experiences, with menus that balance exceptional classics, seasonal signatures, and experimental drinks.
• Run a regular R&D process where the team tastes, tests, and develops new cocktails, and document the work in a lasting cocktail archive.
• Partner closely with the distillery team so bartenders understand our spirits and distillers see how they perform in cocktails.
• Recruit, train, and lead a high-performing beverage team, including scheduling, performance, and day-to-day management.
• Build clear career paths for bartenders, including tracks for those who want to lead, create, or teach.
• Develop a bartender training program that starts with our own team and grows over time to serve the wider industry.
• Oversee beverage inventory, costing, pricing, recipes, and operating standards to run a consistent and profitable program.
• Lead by example behind the bar and ensure every drink and interaction reflects Castle & Key’s hospitality standards.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, responsible alcohol service, and health and safety standards.
• Create seasonal pop-ups, mobile bar activations, and cocktail events that give guests new reasons to visit and return.
• Help build industry programs such as guest bartender residencies, national cocktail competitions, and an annual cocktail festival.
• Build relationships across the cocktail and spirits community and partner with Marketing and Events to grow the program’s visibility.
• Serve as the beverage and operations lead in planning a future flagship cocktail bar and other new spaces on the property.

Skills

Leadership

Staff Training

Beverage/Cocktail Expertise

Inventory Management

Menu Development

Communication

Job description

Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY seeks a Manager Bar Operations & Cocktail Innovation to lead day-to-day operation and long-term growth of our cocktail program, from Taylorton Station to future flagship bars, pop-ups, events, and bartender education.

The ideal candidate blends bartending expertise with education and leadership, driving creative beverage development while ensuring hospitality standards and profitability.