Breakthru Welcomes Beverage Development Manager Natalia Cardenas

Jul. 13, 2017

Breakthru Beverage Illinois is excited to welcome our new Beverage Development Manager, Natalia Cardenas! Natalia has been in the industry since she was 15, taking on roles from hostess to server, to manager and lead bartender. Most recently, Natalia was a master mixologist for Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. 

Natalia’s also had experience leading programs at several renowned Chicago restaurants, as well as taking on the role of Pisco Portón’s national brand ambassador. She has been recognized by several leading industry publications and is a former president of the Illinois chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild.

To get to know our newest team member, we sat down with Natalia to learn more about her journey. Here’s what she had to say.

How did you get into mixology?

Natalia Cardenas: I studied journalism at University of Miami in Florida. As I was paying my tuition, I was always working in restaurants; it was a means to an end just to pay off rent and student loans.

Once we got to Chicago, everything changed. My husband found a mixology class online and asked if I wanted to take it with him. We signed up and suddenly the world opened up to me. I realized my passion with journalism was for people and travel and learning about history and culture and heritage. And that's exactly what I got in the mixology class.

When did you know this was going to be your career?

When I was at Purple Pig, I started asking the owners, “Can I start making cocktails? Can we do fresh juices?” And they said okay, and they really gave me a chance to start creating cocktails for them. Then out of nowhere people and brands started saying, “Can you do this for me? Can you do this next event and this next one?” And suddenly, I'm in it. That's when I branched off to work at Balena, where I met Debbi Peek. Having a mentor changes everything. I'll probably never go back into journalism; this is my life now.

What were some of the biggest lessons learned from your mentor?

Having standards. I didn't know what the standards were, because all of the restaurants I'd worked at were usually big corporate places, and there's no lead mixologist there, so you were just following whatever the handbook told you to do.

Debbi told me always face the bottle to the guest; make sure they see what you're pouring. No one had ever showed me specifically why you do certain things – why you stir so many times, why you’re going to shake so many times, and how much ice you're going to add to the shaker or the pint glass for a stirred beverage. It was really those standards. Also, she was the hardest worker in the room.

What were some challenges that you faced coming into the industry?

When I became a brand ambassador for Pisco Portón and I was traveling around the country, I saw what a difference it is being a female versus male. Also, I don't look like the stereotypical mixologist, with the tatted sleeves. So people would see me walking into the bar and they would question my knowledge.

How did you approach learning more about the industry?

My husband is in the industry – he traveled around the world for a full year after he left the Navy and so he was able to offer insights into what some of these other countries are doing. But for me, to really understand spirits, I had to read about history. That's been the best way and my favorite way to learn about spirits. And consulting friends, too, if I have questions.

What’s your approach to creating a cocktail?

For me, ultimately, the cocktail has to taste good. It's not about having the most obscure or the most ingredients in a cocktail, it's about what actually tastes good and what people can drink more than one of. I also like to incorporate colors, so I usually think about a rainbow of colors first, and then I decide what color I want. Then maybe what fruit component, what purée, what base spirit and I kind of let my palate lead me.

Many say building cocktails is part art, part science. Where do you weigh in?

I think knowing the classics really helps a lot, because that gives you that foundation. I don't know if someone told me this or if I read it, but the essential thing is not to memorize recipes, but to memorize ratios. Once you have the ratios in place, then you can really start to have fun.

What have been some highlights of your career so far?

It's always the people. In my last role, I ended up being the teacher for that first mixology course that I took, so it came full circle. I ended up leading that class, so getting to know those students and seeing them grow in the Chicago industry, that's been the best.

What are you the most excited about in this new role at Breakthru?

I'm excited about the Breakthru team. The culture is fantastic. I would say I've never experienced anything like it. The people are really great and the Wirtz family is awesome. When I was first hired, I asked my interviewers what their favorite part about working at Breakthru was and every single person I asked all said the people.