Andrew Calisterio
Name, Occupation and Location
My name is Andrew Calisterio. I’m a bartender, photographer, and brand ambassador living in San Francisco.
Tell us about a day in your life pre-Covid-19
A typical mid-week day would be going over goals with Westward Whiskey, and meeting with bars and restaurants for sales. Generally, I love listening to music and podcasts. I try to listen to a new album every day. Also, bartending! You could typically find me a few shifts a week behind the stick at Beehive. I’m also a photographer and would stay busy with brand, restaurant, bar, event and lifestyle shoots.
One of Andrew’s cocktail recipes and examples of his photography.
What got you into the overall industry? Do you plan on staying in it?
Early on, I used to be a barista for Starbucks and Java City… just before I turned 21, Grange was preparing to open at the Citizen Hotel, and I applied to be a bartender, with no previous experience. They did hire me for my ambition as a busser and bar back, eventually training me into a bartender. I busted my ass to learn the restaurant and bartending ropes and was the first one off and last one off most days. Ryan Seng was the bar manager at the time, and Michael Tuohy was the executive chef. I appreciated how much Grange focused on local farms and agriculture, since I used to live on four acres and one of my first jobs was as a ranch hand. I became close with the whole kitchen staff at Grange, but I continued working closely with the bar, because that’s what I wanted to do… the bartenders appreciated my efforts and tipped me out more. I learned how to play the game and keep my mouth shut, and work hard. I finally got my break as one day when a bartender didn’t show up on time, and they finally let me start serving guests… working hard for the bar staff paid off! In the early days of Instagram, I started taking photos of the cocktails and helped bring in a younger clientele through posts. Eventually, I also worked at Golden Bear, entered a cocktail competition and won 1st place in the U.S. The more I shared via Instagram, the more I became connected with fellow visionaries and break out spots around town, as well as pushing myself to be a better photographer and creative person behind the bar.
Were there any projects or trips you’d planned for this year?
A few big ones! I’m bummed by losing some of those “career defining” events planned for 2020, but there will be more in the future. I had several exciting gigs lined up with Cloth and Flame that included destination events and bartending. I’ve worked with them for a few years, and Sunset Magazine featured a cocktail I made for them in the past. We were supposed to do a dinner with an NBA team in the Sonoran Dessert, featuring a living wall. We were also going to do one here in SF with tech big wigs in a hidden warehouse space overlooking the bay. Those both got cancelled. There are plans in the works to do some in the future with appropriate distancing plans in place; I’m crossing my fingers they still happen.
What are you doing to stay anchored during this time?
When COVID and shutdowns happened, I overcorrected and dove into too many projects with little to no regulation; like a squirrel stacking nuts away for winter. Depression came around and I felt overwhelmed by my own tasks. I’ve been trying now to thin personal projects to a healthy minimum. My biggest anchor has been spending time with friends, like my roommate, and appreciating small moments…. staying mindful of the people I live with and care for. I try to check in on myself in how I interact with the world and others, and emit positive, good energy for those closest around me.
Is there any group or organization you’d like to highlight or share info about during this time?
Any organization that is helping undocumented restaurant workers during this time. They are unable to receive typical benefits that you and I can… not just dishwashers and prep cooks but bartenders and chefs. You’d be surprised what varying levels of roles “illegal” workers have in society!
What’s your general take away on how this crisis is affecting our industry for good or bad? Is there any good you see coming out of it?
Foreseeing the bad is easy… the good coming out of this is pushing people to readjust and assess situations in life that are not promised. I have mixed emotions about seeing everyone jumping on social medias and over saturating with content that isn’t thoughtful or unique in efforts to represent their brands and experiences. As a positive, I see people leaning on this way of living and marketing that we have all been made to adapt to. For a long time, I’ve recognized that the bar and social media worlds are very similar; they are both social networks for trading information (right or wrong). The good part of COVID is learning how to utilize this social network more efficiently, and bring legitimacy and opportunity to brands and their experiences if they respect the platform!
Example of Andrew’s lifestyle work for Stagger Lee Aprons.
I always love and respect that anything can happen in this industry… people drink when they’re rich and poor, happy and sad. This industry is NOT going away, but I foresee it pivoting and adjusting. In experiences as a bartender and photographer, I’m always looking at how to create new experiences and presentations that brings an enjoyable experience, curated by me and my staff, to our customers. If you aren’t willing to acknowledge that things change (regardless of COVID), this industry is not for you.
Share with us the first place you’ll have a drink and the first place you’ll eat at when life gets back to “normal”
I really want to go to Junior SF. It’s the perfect amalgamation of neighborhood bar, community spot, music, and the epitome of San Francisco. I also really want to go to Turtle Tower in the Tenderloin and get a bowl of Pho; in my early years of being broke in SF as a bartender, that was the place I’d go out to eat on my own.
