Pamela Wiznitzer

Artist, Brainstormer, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Foodie, Idea generator, Jewish, World traveler

Pamela Wiznitzer has a true passion and zest for the industry that is seen and tasted in every drink she serves and also transcends the bar. Since 2006, Pamela has been working throughout NYC, and most recently as the Creative Director and bartender at Seamstress on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan. She has earned honors from her industry peers such as winning 1st place in the 2014 National Restaurant Association's "Star of the Bar" competition. She has been nominated as one of the top 10 bartenders for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 "American Bartender of the Year" award at Tales of the cocktail and was named the "2014 Bartender of the Year" by the Village Voice. Additionally, she was just named as one of Food & Wine Magazine's top 10 Rising Star Mixologists, an inductees to the "Dames Hall of Fame" in 2015, one of Wine Enthusiast Magazine's "40 Under 40" in 2015 and a 2016 nominee for Wine Enthusiast's "Wine Star Awards." She is an active member and currently serves as the National President of the United States Bartenders' Guild, with a membership of around 7,000 members. Pamela is committed to and believes in the continuation of her pursuit of knowledge and is currently working towards a master’s degree in Food Studies, with a concentration on spirits and alcohol, at NYU’s Steinhardt School. Additionally, she presents her research at seminars and conferences including topics such as Women and Whiskey, history of women behind bars, and the neurology of taste. Pamela is a recent graduate of the rigorous Beverage Alcohol Resources 5 day program earning top honors by passing the course "Bar Ready." Pamela has been featured in multiple publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Tasting Panel, Travel & Leisure, Bar Business Magazine, The Village Voice, Zagat, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Self, ABCNews.com, Bloomberg and Esquire, as well as reoccurring media appearances on the the Food Network, Vh1, NBC, LXTV, Fox & Friends and BetterTV.

Lately, my industry (and subsequently, many others) has been plagued by an excessive amount of people who want to engage in conversation on "hot topics" or sensational news and merely add fuel to the fire without any resolution at hand. These discussions result in lots of statements that cause public shaming, mob mentality, and can be damaging towards people and places that are under scrutiny (many not being in the wrong). Talking in circles gets us no where; its true that some people only talk the talk without walking the walk. I've been challenging these individuals who engage in this manner with the phrase, "What's the end result? How can we get there? Are you willing to help and step up to make these changes a reality and bring about a solution?" I've grown tired of listening to people talk excessively about a topic with no end goal in sight. This is unfair for the personal time it consumes on your end (the listener) and often misses the mark on facilitating solution based conversations. By asking these questions, I am able to push forward the agenda and hold the person accountable for their words. Why say anything if you are not willing to assist in making the situation better? Accountability is the key term. Time is precious and we cannot spend it in this capacity, wasting hours, minutes or even seconds. It's time to confront these people, look them in the eye and say, "how are you willing to help? How can we find a resolution?"

Bartending, Cocktails, Consulting, Problem Solving, Team Building