Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/490558
34 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2015 { master mixologists } FROM CONSULTING ON COCKTAIL PROGRAMS AND spirit brands, to mentoring bar professionals, to inciting and fos- tering a community in one of the toughest cities, Marcos Tello is the very picture of hospitality. Marcos is a magnanimous and dedi- cated bar professional. To those of us who consider him a mentor, he is affectionately called "Papi." I am honored to be a student of Marcos since 2010. Marcos Tello and his partner Aidan Demarest are the proprietors of Tello Demarest Liquid Assets, a consulting company that services bars, restaurants and spirit brands. Marcos is also the creator of The Sporting Life, a gathering of Los Angeles bartenders, as well as the driving force behind the resurrection of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG), Southern California chapter. I caught up with this big family man at one of his many projects—the classic Los Angeles Athletic Club. Tricia Carr: How many cocktail programs do you cur- rently oversee? Marcos Tello: Currently, I oversee [five] programs: Killer Shrimp Marina del Rey, Killer Shrimp Hermosa Beach, The Mermaid, Hamburger Hamlet and the Los Angeles Athletic Club. How many different consulting services, programs and configurations does Tello Demarest Liquid Assets (TDLA) offer? Right now we offer two different types of bar consulting programs. One is built for a signature drink list. Usually, if we come across operators who have been in business for a while and they're almost there, they'll bring us in to do a signature list for them to put a polish on an already really great bar program. We also have a complete overhaul program. This is for new venues or venues that are older and want a new lease on life. This service includes overseeing everything from under-bar construction to assisting in product selection, training bartenders, interviewing bartenders, follow-up once the program is running, trouble-shooting and inventory. We also offer consultation with spirit brands. These services include brand launching, marketing, developing point-of-sale mar- keting materials, education and building the brand. Is brand service like a brand ambassadorship and seen as an arm of TDLA? Right. When it first started out, we were consulting and provid- ing that type of service for a couple of different brands. And now I have taken on a full-time position with Mezcal El Silencio. Although I started out consulting for the brand, I'm now directly overseeing their brand ambassadors, developing all their drinks and coordinating all of their events. Building Community, One Cocktail at a Time TRICIA CARR, DIRECTOR OF MIXOLOGY FOR SOUTHERN WINE & SPIRITS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, INTERVIEWS MARCOS TELLO OF TELLO DEMAREST LIQUID ASSETS PHOTO: DUSTIN DOWNING Tricia Carr and Marcos Tello indulge in a little mixology fun with El Silencio Mezcal at the bar at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Tricia Carr is Director of Mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of Southern California. Carr has specialized in mixology for more than 15 years—culminating with the landing of her dream job at Southern in 2011. Q: Q: Q: