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Gabriel Orta & Elad Zvi

Gabriel Orta & Elad Zvi

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  • WHAT DO YOU DO AND HOW DID YOU GET HERE?

    EZ: I am the Co-Founder of Bar Lab Consullting and Managing Partner of the Broken Shaker, Miami Beach. I came to New York City with $220 in my pocket. I started as a dishwasher at the Plaza Hotel & from there I discovered my love and my passion for the industry.
    GO: Co-Founder of Bar Lab and Managing Partner of the Broken Shaker. I got here by working my ass off since I was 15 and held every position in F&B from barback to dishwasher and cook etc.

  • WHAT MAKES THE PERFECT DRINKING EXPERIENCE?

    EZ: A lot of people can make a great cocktail, but not a lot of people get the overall picture. I'm all about the total vibe, (the bartender, the lighting, the music) and most important, "don't try too hard!"
    GO: Friends, good music, quality spirits and a hospitable host (bartender).

  • WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN THE PERFECT COCKTAIL?

    EZ: Creativity & balance.
    GO: There are many things like fresh ingredients, good spirits, technique, glassware, but the most important is BALANCE.

  • WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION AND WHY?

    EZ: My wife and my daughter, the people that surround me. My wife is a fountain of ideas and has traveled the world and still can't wait to discover more. My daughter, well just because she makes my heart warm & makes me laugh and gives me so much joy every minute.
    GO: Growing up in Colombia and Hawaii, it give me two very different perspectives on life.

  • WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE HOTEL IN THE WORLD?

    EZ: I love the Moorings in Isla Morada, FL. It's very chic, private, simple and just an hour and a half drive from Miami Beach.
    GO: Tavarua Island Resort in Fiji.

  • WHERE WILL YOU BE ON YOUR NEXT DAY OFF?

    EZ: Hopefully with my daughter eating in a dim sum restaurant.
    GO: At the beach surfing or paddleboarding and enjoying the sun.

  • CAREER ANECDOTE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?

    EZ: I have taken care of a lot of high-profile celebrities in my bartending career. One of the only times I was impressed was when this kid came to my bar and asked me if he could sit down at a table, I told him: "yes of course man, not a problem." Ten minutes later there were 5 security guards surrounding the table & Bill Gates showed up, sitting down with this kid talking business. I was very impressed by it. It doesn't matter how much money or power you have, you can always learn from other people.
    GO: Making a vegetarian meal for Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys at the Tibet Freedom Concert in San Francisco, 1996.

  • WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THE FUTURE OF BARS AND COCKTAILS?

    EZ: They will all start or keep sourcing local & organic ingredients and/or grow their own supply of ingredients. This keeps the product fresh & interesting.
    GO: Anyone can make great cocktails but it all comes down to hospitality. Drinking is meant to be fun and enjoyable and cocktails bars should be as well.

  • WHICH CITY OR COUNTRY'S BARS ARE YOU MOST IMPRESSED WITH?

    EZ: Los Angeles!!! It's fun, it's not snobby, and the people behind it are really cool.
    GO: Portland has some great bars and an awesome cocktail scene… all I can say is: Vegan Strip clubs with proper cocktails.

  • IF YOU COULD MAKE A COCKTAIL FOR ANYONE DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD IT BE?

    EZ: Lol.... my soccer team from Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv & the Dalai Lama.
    GO: Kurt Cobain, he revolutionized the music industry. And probably something with bourbon or rye whiskey.

  • WHAT'S YOUR DREAM JOB?

    EZ: To do what I do, but to grow with it.
    GO: Owning a hotel/bar on the beach in Padang Padang, Bali.