Meet The Five Mixologists Shaking Up This Year’s Seaport Food Lab

While everyone is rightfully hyped about the two iconic NYC chefs Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) and Mark Ladner (Del Posto) reigning over this year’s Seaport Food Lab, we couldn’t help but want to learn more about the five esteemed mixologists taking turns manning the bar during the five weeks of drinks and delicious eats.

Check out the cocktail connoisseurs below.

1. Aaron Polsky, 10/23-10/26

 

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A post shared by POLSKY (@aaronpolsky) on Apr 5, 2019 at 10:34pm PDT

Aaron Polsky, the LA-based bartender at Harvard & Stone, specializes in unique, creative drinks. His ability to pay homage to classic cocktails while creating his own modern mixes reflects his extensive bicoastal career. Polsky will head back to New York, where he started his career, for the first week of the Seaport residency.

2. Mike Capoferri, 10/30-11/02

 

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A post shared by Mike Capoferri (@mfcapoferri) on Nov 23, 2015 at 2:16pm PST

Originally from Georgia, Mike Capoferri is now the bartender at Thunderbolt in LA. Capoferri combines his Southern and Italian roots to whip up complex drinks that showcase his love for amaris, aka bitter herbal liquors. He’ll flex his nearly 20 years of mixology experience during Food Lab’s second week.

3. Ezra Star, 11/06-11/09

 

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A post shared by Ezra Star (@softestbullet) on May 25, 2018 at 12:59pm PDT

Boston’s Ezra Star is general manager of the innovative, menu-less Drink bar. Originally working as a biochemist, Star has been at Drink since 2010 where she creates novel, à la minute cocktails for her curious customers. Star will bring her idiosyncratic meticulousness to the lab on November 6.

4. Chuck Rivera, 11/13-11/16

 

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A post shared by •Jose “Chuck” Rivera• (@chucktending) on Jul 31, 2019 at 8:49am PDT

Puerto Rico native Chuck Rivera is the beverage director at Jungle Bird, Surf Caffe and Caneca Coctelería Móvil. At his bars, Rivera adds tropical fruits and vegetables from PR to his contiguous US-inspired drinks and elevates traditional favorites like the Piña Colada. Catch him in action starting November 13.

5. Ivy Mix, 11/20-11/23

 

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A post shared by Ivy Mix (@ivymix) on May 16, 2019 at 9:12am PDT

Ivy Mix is co-owner of Brooklyn’s beloved haunt Leyenda. Specializing in Latin American spirits, Leyenda offers an expansive menu of cocteles and comida. When she’s not juggling bottles of mezcal, Mix works on Speed Rack—a national cocktail competition she co-founded to advance female talent. She’s closing out the Food Lab on November 20.

—Emma Fecko