The main reason that cocktailians go to SoHo restaurant and bar Tailor—bartender and mixologist Eben Freeman—has vanished.
Freeman, it was announced, has left Tailor and begun to consider other opportunities "in the US and part-time abroad in Asia." Asia! (Today's barkeeps certainly do get around.)
Tailor's been having its share of trouble in recent months. Sam Mason's eatery went bankrupt in May. It was then closed to the public in July and August while the staff focused on revamping the restaurant and regorganizing and designing a new menu. The Tailor Bar remained open during this time, but perhaps Freeman—who has been with Mason since the latter opened WD-50 back in 2002—saw the writing on the wall.
According to a press release, one new Freeman project will be "a global collective to inspire bar culture called the Cocktail All-Stars that has already made stops at Singapore’s World Gourmet Summit, Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental hotels, in Jakarta with the Ismaya group, and upcoming in cities like Sydney and Shanghai. Fellow bar stars such as Linden Pride and Julian Serna of Sydney’s Rockpool, Richard Gillam of London, Ryan Fitzgerald of San Francisco’s Beretta, and Jim Meehan of PDT have also made appearances under this banner. Freeman’s collaboration with Sam Mason has also continued through his involvement in the All-Stars: they recently hosted a series of experimental dinners in Hong Kong inspired by childhood memories."
Another item on the busy Freeman’'s agenda is an upcoming bar line, including glasses, carts, and tools, which he is creating with NYC designers AvroKO.
Nobody's just a bartender anymore, are they?
