“This allows us to experiment with rum, to push boundaries and to learn new things,” Blacknell said. “There is a danger that we are seen as ‘big rum,’ and that people think we are just mass produced. But the Cuban rum stock we have is amazing and this range can prove we have the expertise and ability to produce top-quality rum.”

Jessamine McLellan: Meaghan, you are an amazingly accomplished individual in the bar industry, who also happens to be female. Many people respect you and look you as a mentor. What qualities about yourself do you attribute to your success? Tell us a little about your journey...

Meaghan Dorman: I’m the oldest of four and a twin, so I have always had people to look out for and I know how to share. Sharing ideas, credit, attention, opportunities and so on is so important in our industry and making sure that those next in line feel like they have a shot at success and are prepared by gaining more responsibilities as time goes on. I always take a moment to see a situation from all sides, to be able to give a measured and thoughtful response to issues that arise. I also have trained myself and others in virtually every role in our bars, as people will only trust you so far if you can’t jump in and help. A mentor doesn’t let the ship sink, they paddle even when the oars fall off.

JM: I have often felt that my relentless drive and inspiration comes from other people telling me “no, you can’t do that.” Essentially, telling me I can’t is the best way for me to show you I can. Was there a time where you were told you would not achieve something and how did it affect you?

MD: Earlier in my career, I was overlooked because I didn’t “look” like a bartender. People actually admitted it to me years later! I would say creativity, punctuality, responsiveness all go a lot farther than a mustache and outsize ego. I had to believe in the old hard work pays off adage, because I wasn’t comfortable being anyone other than myself. I was able to quietly make my journey and took that time I was left out of this or that to focus on my craft and personal style.

JM: In my time behind the bar, I found incredible talents in both men and women within my team - but there were always more men than women. It would be difficult to not notice the shift many industries are experiencing to listen to women and see their contributions as equal. Do you see this inclusion happening within our industry, or do we have a long way to go?

MD: I think we have a ways to go in evolving from old rules. For example, you might overlook a potential female barback because you aren’t sure they can lift cases or change kegs. You could be missing out on a fast, detailed oriented, organized barback because they might need help in one small task? We must evaluate systems and ideas to see if they really make sense to build the best team or if it’s these rules we inherited that hold us back. Women will certainly deal with a backlash on if we deserve the “extra” attention we are getting. Frankly, I see that it’s hard for some people to share and realize they might have to earn that next role instead of assuming it’s theirs. We also need to stop adding physical adjectives to women where we don’t with men, even in praise why add a successful CEO is stunning when you wouldn’t add her male counterpart is handsome? To focus on looks in any marginalized community adds to the idea that only some succeed and that success often has to do with physical appearance.

JM: Sometimes I think, "wow this generation of female bartenders have it so much easier!” - far from the truth, but we have come quite a long way. What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of female hospitality professionals behind you? 

MD: I think the biggest challenge will be getting more women to the next level of ownership and being able to find investment as easily as men do. I want to see more women fully be able to call the shots and reap the financial rewards of their hard work and ideas.

JM: What woman, in the industry or not, inspires you and why?

Tell us a little bit about your background in the hospitality industry...

I’ve always worked in restaurants. I love being behind the bar! After bartending for about 4 years, I found myself working with the opening team at the Trump Hotel. This was 2008. No seemed to care too much about this new “craft cocktail” movement that was gaining momentum in Chicago at that time. I did what I could to try and prove the worth of this hotel bar to this new cocktail world. We got rid of flavored spirits, started a fresh juice program, and we started stirring Manhattans. Total cliche, right?

Now I run the ice programs for Lettuce Entertain You Group and The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group in Chicago. All in all, I’ll cut about 13,000 individual 2x2 cubes and countless custom pieces every WEEK with my partner Cliff!

How did you first get started with developing ice programs?

This interest in rationalizing an $18 cocktail with quality ingredients would give birth to my first ice program. I left my igloo cooler filled with water open in the walk-in freezer for three days. I was not trying to achieve clarity in the ice, I just wanted to make bigger cubes for cocktails out of a large block. The result surprised me. I WAS able to make clear ice that way! That discovery changed my path in the industry for the next decade. I started to put molds in the igloo cooler to create clear shapes and more perfectly shaped cubes. I experimented with different flowers and objects centered inside of the cubes. One of the first photos taken of the ice at this time was of an orchid in ice. People liked it!

Aside from the art of the craft, guests’ reaction to the ice has been a consistent motivator. I put that orchid photo on my resume for The Fifty/50 Group. I was hired to help open The Sixth, a neighborhood cocktail bar down the street from my house. We opened the doors with an ice-forward cocktail list. We had one Clinebell machine downstairs and a bandsaw. No instructions. I lived down there. I still bartended at The Berkshire Room and The Sixth, but any spare moment was spent downstairs in the ice room. 

Soon the ice was being distributed to most of their restaurants and starting to gain some press. One year later, Fifty opened Apogee, a rooftop hotel bar with an even more ice-focused menu. Reminiscent of the first cocktail list at The Sixth, Apogee pulled out some new tricks. I started to produce branded ice, collins & rocks ice, large hand-cut spheres, and Spirit Animals, a large ice block cut in the shape of an animal. (The back of the animal is hollowed out to allow a group to enjoy a 25oz cocktail together, large-format-style. The pic below is an ice whale featured in Forbes. On any given day on the rooftop, you could receive one of ten different animals. You choose the spirit for the cocktail, the animal chooses YOU!) It didn’t take long for the group to purchase 2 more Clinebell machines to support the demand. I harvested about 3,600 pounds of ice a week throughout the 2017 summer just with The Fifty/50 Group.

Where do you draw inspiration from when getting started?

I’m interested in creating things I’ve never seen before. Sometimes that’s hard to reproduce, especially for service! Any bartender trying to push the envelope with their bar program will understand that. The real art becomes HOW to replicate the idea a thousand more times, fast. This is the challenge. Sometimes I find a solution and it’s all good. Sometimes I take a picture of the prototype, put it on Instagram, and go home :)

I recently began circulating “Hip-Hop All-Star” cubes to Sushi-San, a trendy sushi joint that Lettuce Entertain You opened about 2 weeks ago. There, we have ten different rappers in 2x2 ice cubes. I LOVE these cubes and plan on producing many more!

Without a passion for the craft... this would just be ice. There is a great amount of inspiration in this craft right now across the country! A lot of ice houses, sculptors, and ice enthusiasts are doing very interesting things for the food and beverage world as well as the art community. I am lucky to be a part of it.