Tending to Flair with Chirs Cardone (TCGS S4 E8)
In this episode of The Cocktail Guru Podcast, hosts Jonathan and Jeffrey Pogash welcome longtime friend and world-class bartender Chris Cardone. From his early days in flair bartending competitions to building craft cocktail programs in New York, Chris has carved a unique career in hospitality. But his story goes beyond the bar—after a pivotal moment in 2015, he embraced a healthier lifestyle and shifted focus toward non-alcoholic spirits and craft mocktails, proving that sophistication in a glass doesn’t always require alcohol.
In this episode of The Cocktail Guru Podcast, Jonathan and Jeffrey Pogash sit down with their longtime friend and industry powerhouse Chris Cardone—an award-winning bartender, educator, and innovator who has made waves both behind the stick and beyond.
Chris grew up on Long Island and started his bartending career in the late 1990s, quickly gaining recognition in the flair bartending scene. Competing across the U.S. and internationally, he became known for seamlessly blending showmanship with skill. His approach—later dubbed “functional flair”—demonstrated that theatricality and technical precision could live harmoniously in a high-volume, quality-driven environment.
After honing his craft in New York City, Chris went on to develop cocktail programs for renowned venues, consult for hospitality groups, and train teams across the country. His thoughtful approach to flavor, balance, and guest experience earned him recognition in cocktail competitions, including the prestigious Diageo World Class program, where he placed as a finalist among the world’s top bartenders.
But Chris’s story isn’t just about accolades. In 2015, after experiencing a personal health scare, he made the decision to step away from alcohol consumption. Rather than leaving the industry, he embraced a new role: championing non-alcoholic and low-ABV cocktails at a time when the “mindful drinking” movement was only beginning to take root. Through collaborations with leading NA brands like Via Carota Craft Cocktails, Chris has helped redefine what’s possible in the glass—proving that complexity, creativity, and satisfaction aren’t exclusive to spirits with proof.
In this candid conversation, Chris talks about:
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His early days in flair bartending and how it shaped his philosophy.
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Transitioning into craft cocktails and building world-class bar programs.
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The personal turning point that led to his sobriety.
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How his experience allows him to design cocktails with precision without needing to drink them.
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The rise of non-alcoholic spirits and why he believes mocktails deserve the same respect as cocktails.
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His latest projects on Long Island’s North Fork, where he’s combining hospitality, wellness, and community.
Whether you’re in the trade, sober-curious, or simply a lover of great drinks, Chris’s story is a reminder that hospitality is ultimately about connection, not consumption.
00:19.58
Jonathan
ah We've got a terrific episode today of the Cocktail Guru podcast. um You know, Dad, off camera, we were talking about how young we feel.
00:30.89
jeffrey
Yes.
00:31.62
Jonathan
And and I was very shocked. I was really shocked, Dad, that you say, um I mean, you're three quarters of a century years old, right?
00:39.02
jeffrey
Yes. float clo Very close to it. Yes.
00:42.09
Jonathan
And both physically and somewhat mentally, you feel much, much younger than that.
00:48.28
jeffrey
I do. For most of my life, I have felt, but most of my adult life, I have felt like I was at the oldest 25. At the oldest.
00:58.61
Jonathan
Wow.
00:59.89
jeffrey
Yeah.
00:59.84
Jonathan
That's shocking. I mean, after turning 40, there are some physical aspects, especially that I feel like have kind of.
01:06.46
jeffrey
Well, there that's what that's what they say. but but but i I must tell you, i don't think that I really felt that. You know, when I hit 40, I was started started to worry a little bit, but physically I felt really good.
01:22.65
jeffrey
I was still running at the age of 40. I stopped shortly thereafter and started walking instead of running. But I was doing a lot of exercising up until then.
01:30.19
Jonathan
Yeah.
01:32.71
jeffrey
For like 25, 28 years, I was running on a regular basis. So that helps. And I think that's what's helping me now.
01:40.91
Jonathan
Yeah. Okay.
01:43.22
jeffrey
It's the those years of running. And today I walk. You know the last few years I've decided to to walk instead of run, and I do that every day.
01:46.78
Jonathan
Yes.
01:50.23
Jonathan
You, uh,
01:53.16
Jonathan
for those For those listening and watching who want to join you, you ah walk at the Livingston Mall or the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey. Inside, you're walking laps around the mall. Is that not is that not right?
02:06.08
jeffrey
That's right, the Shorthills Mall. Come and join me. We'll have our own little yeah our own little yoga session
02:10.19
Jonathan
That would be amazing if if people... Yoga? Yoga?
02:14.13
jeffrey
our meditation session at the Shored Olden Album.
02:15.94
Jonathan
Yoga and meditation. Okay. Well, I want to bring i want to bring our next guest into this conversation because I think it is apropos.
02:17.81
jeffrey
and
02:22.53
Jonathan
um
02:22.76
jeffrey
Well, it is because this this is a healthy lifestyle. And this leads right in to our next guest, who is also desirous of leading a healthy lifestyle.
02:26.79
Jonathan
Yes.
02:36.11
jeffrey
He was a bartender, is bartender, mixologist, and someone who spent a good deal of time imbibing in cocktails and spirits.
02:51.05
jeffrey
And then um in, am I giving too much away, John? in two thousand in two thousand
02:55.56
Jonathan
Well, no, like here we, yeah,
02:57.74
jeffrey
In 2015, he decided to ah lay low on the spirits and started focusing on mocktails and low alcohol, no alcohol beverages.
03:12.53
Jonathan
yeah I wanna bring him on so that he can talk about that and he can kind of go through.
03:15.52
jeffrey
Absolutely.
03:16.55
Jonathan
So Chris Cardone, welcome to the Cocktail Guru Show.
03:22.52
jeffrey
Welcome, Chris.
03:22.35
Jonathan
it's been a long time It's been a long time coming as, ah quoted by um Taylor Swift. ah Chris Cardone, we have you on here. You're a good friend. I've known you forever, it seems, um since I think we were in our 20s, potentially.
03:39.56
Jonathan
um And you've you've you're new york you're New York through and through, born and raised, um i believe believe I believe. Is that correct?
03:48.14
jeffrey
long Long Island.
03:48.63
Jonathan
Okay, good.
03:49.38
Jonathan
Yeah, long gone.
03:51.88
jeffrey
Right.
03:52.22
Jonathan
Yeah, okay, New York.
03:53.38
Jonathan
um
03:53.67
jeffrey
Okay.
03:54.09
Jonathan
But you're... you've you've made quite a career for yourself working independent events, working bars, developing beverage programs, um working with non-alcoholic beverage brands, and really promoting your personal journey ah from, you know, working in spirits, still obviously working in spirits and serving them, but also personal journey of cutting alcohol and and maintaining health within the industry. Is that not right?
05:08.30
Jonathan
Wow.
05:09.15
Jonathan
That was the first time we met. um my gosh.
05:13.15
jeffrey
Mm-hmm.
05:24.10
jeffrey
Mm-hmm.
06:07.92
jeffrey
And
06:22.00
Jonathan
wow
06:23.03
jeffrey
and in this
07:57.03
jeffrey
Yeah.
08:57.67
jeffrey
was
09:52.43
jeffrey
Well, congratulations for that, Chris.
09:55.29
jeffrey
That's wonderful. And that was only, that blackout in 2015 was only after two beers and a shot.
09:56.53
Jonathan
Yeah.
10:09.28
jeffrey
Yeah.
10:29.78
jeffrey
Yeah.
10:50.55
Jonathan
Wow. And just to take a couple of steps back, um what um got you into the industry? you know what What was your schooling like and then living out you know living in the city and then getting into Flair? you know what What kind of happened within your your life and your career?
12:00.89
Jonathan
Yeah, look up look up Blockbuster.
12:02.74
Jonathan
I think there's one Blockbuster video left in the U.S.
12:43.02
Jonathan
Yeah.
13:07.70
jeffrey
Thank
14:16.10
Jonathan
Mm-hmm.
14:58.30
jeffrey
Thank
16:25.04
Jonathan
Wow. I had no idea that that's that's what brought you into the flair scene. And so you decided to move back to New York and get some bar jobs and and and and continue competing in flair competitions and then eventually transition to doing craft cocktail stuff. Yeah.
16:53.08
Jonathan
Yeah.
16:56.21
jeffrey
Yeah.
16:56.94
jeffrey
no
17:24.87
Jonathan
Yeah.
18:51.65
jeffrey
Thank you.
18:55.70
Jonathan
Yeah.
20:10.35
Jonathan
and We're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back.
20:14.95
Jonathan
All right, Chris. um So I'd like to talk about something called functional flair, um which the the term might have been floated around in in people's ethos here and there. But um to me, that's kind of incorporating some aspects of flair, but also paying attention to what goes into the glass, sort of the combination of craft cocktail making, but also you know flipping a bottle here and there or twirling a spoon or Jiggering with multiple fingers, that kind of thing. Is that correct?
21:41.93
jeffrey
Bye.
23:13.13
Jonathan
Oh yeah.
23:15.24
Jonathan
Yeah.
23:23.08
Jonathan
Yes.
24:14.58
Jonathan
and And Japan.
24:16.05
Jonathan
japan Japan, i mean, you go to Asia, to me, the early 2010s, when i went YouTube was starting to get big, I would look up videos of Japanese bartenders and you would see them and they're twirling this and there're obviously they're carving the spoon and just their their movements and the way that they you know hold themselves is is a type of flair, really.
25:02.36
Jonathan
Mm-hmm.
25:47.28
Jonathan
Yeah. And and how about how about pivoting to now and ah going back to the the non-alcoholic drinking scene and really you know where it is now?
25:57.94
Jonathan
and And you've worked with several non-alcoholic beverage brands, spirit brands, ah including one called Via Carota.
26:06.45
Jonathan
I'm not entirely sure if you're still working. I think you're still doing some work with them. um But you know what is this trend of
26:12.98
jeffrey
Yes.
26:13.40
Jonathan
these non-alcoholic spirits and and you know going into the mainstream now.
28:30.51
jeffrey
Thank you.
29:03.38
jeffrey
Thank you.
31:48.39
Jonathan
Hmm. Hmm.
32:53.84
Jonathan
Hmm.
33:22.34
jeffrey
Yeah, that was going to be my next point. You're very much in the forefront of, for lack of a better term, ah promoting the craft of the mocktail. In other words, just like craft of the cocktail, using the finest ingredients that you can find to make a drink that's just as exciting and just as sophisticated as any cocktail, even though there's no alcohol being used.
36:34.24
Jonathan
Yeah.
36:55.47
Jonathan
Yeah.
36:56.41
Jonathan
and
36:58.53
Jonathan
Yeah. No, no. I was just going to say, um i have two questions that I want to get out very quickly before we wrap up because we just have a ah minute or two left. So these are kind of two quick fire questions. Number one, do you taste your cocktails, spirits, and so and um spit?
37:27.54
jeffrey
Yeah.
37:45.91
Jonathan
Yeah.
37:49.24
Jonathan
Okay. And number two, that you probably answered it in the in the response that you just had, um which you've probably gotten this ah comment before from a guest. How can you be a sober bartender and make me cocktails?
38:57.89
Jonathan
Cool.
38:58.22
jeffrey
Well, also after your many years of experience of actually tasting and drinking certain products, you know the composition, you know the style of e pretty much each and every beverage that's out there, making it a lot easier making it easier for you to create a cocktail based on your memory.
38:58.49
Jonathan
Good.
39:10.78
Jonathan
Yeah.
39:14.99
Jonathan
And.
39:24.97
Jonathan
Mm.
39:25.19
jeffrey
Yeah.
39:25.53
Jonathan
Mm.
39:26.23
jeffrey
Yeah.
39:30.18
Jonathan
Yeah, you're more focused.
39:35.70
Jonathan
Interesting. Okay, so to wrap up in conclusion, where can people find you um online or in person?
39:59.64
Jonathan
Whoa.
40:43.49
Jonathan
Wow.
40:44.96
jeffrey
yeah
40:45.18
Jonathan
Hey,
40:45.48
jeffrey
we Will this restaurant be open all year round?
41:01.31
Jonathan
Well, that's amazing.
41:01.82
jeffrey
and
41:02.47
Jonathan
And I can't wait to go out there. We love the North Fork. And hopefully you can save us space for my dad and I to come and do some kind of a bar night.
41:05.49
jeffrey
a
41:09.37
Jonathan
I think that would be perfect. um Chris Cardone, thankful to have you. We could keep talking, but alas, our time has concluded. So thanks so much, Chris Cardone.
41:20.17
jeffrey
Thank you, Chris. Great seeing you. Thank you.
41:25.35
Jonathan
All right. Sweet.
41:28.02
jeffrey
Okay.
Chris Cardone
Founder
Chris Cardone, the principal owner of Continuous Beverage Solutions, brings over 24 years of bartending, hospitality, and nightlife experience. He has trained staff, designed, opened, and provided beverage consultant services for a wide range of establishments across New York, including neighborhood pubs, NYC cocktail bars, high-end restaurants, sports bars, catering services, seasonal hotspots, and high-volume nightclubs. His expertise also includes consulting on the openings of several restaurants and bars in NYC and Long Island, as well as serving as the Chief Mixologist for Via Carota Craft Cocktails.
Chris was named Bartender of the Year in 2017 after winning the Diageo World Class Bartending US Competition, the world's largest global mixology competition. He placed 5th overall in the Diageo World Class Global Finals that same year and was a two-time Top 5 national finalist in 2014 and 2016. Since 2018, Chris has served as a judge for the Diageo World Class competitions, further solidifying his influence in the industry. He also is an active member of the World Class Collective, acting as a Diageo Reserve Portfolio Brand Educator and as an Educator for DiageoBarAcademy.com.
Beyond his accomplishments in competitions, Chris recently appeared on the Epicurious "12 Bartenders" series, where he explored classic cocktails and demonstrated how bartenders with different styles approach recipes and execution. He is also a partner and consultant on the Astreaus Single Malt Gin project and served as a “healthy mixology” educator with Exubrancy.… Read More
