Dushan Zaric

Since arriving on American soil from his native Yugoslavia in 1996, Dushan Zaric has become one of New York’s best professional bartenders, distinguished for his ability to bring together potentially harmonious spirits on both sides of the bar.

Having poured drinks at the city’s most popular restaurants and nightclubs, Dushan has witnessed New York’s social and cocktail scene evolve over the last 13 years. His perspective is flavored by a skill for keeping just ahead of trends. With his partner-bartender Jason Kosmas he started a consulting Company “Cocktail Conceptions” which has done a lot of drink development work for various restaurants, bars and spirit brands.

The Company provides numerous services ranging from drink development services, marketing strategies, consulting on trends and flavors and visual imaging (Instructional DVDs, cocktail photographs, cocktail and drink styling) to specialized bar-catering which provides customers with a customized cocktail menus, ingredients and fully trained bar-staff. Dushan also heads the Educational department of Cocktail Conceptions, which specializes in restaurant and bar staff training, providing seminars in Cocktail history, spirit production and consumption as well as the “slow food” approach to drinking as an integral part of the gastronomical experience.

Dushan’s work has been recognized in numerous publications, newspaper and magazine articles like The New York Times, Time Out NY, Bride’s, Food Arts, New York Magazine, Daily Candy, Time Out London, Playboy, Black Book, Glamour, Elle, Daily News, New York Post, Liquor.com and many more.

TV appearances include Rob and Amber’s Wedding (CBS), America’s Top Bar Chefs (Fine living network), Queer Eye For The Straight Guy (Bravo), Fox News Live, Geraldo At Large (Fox), The Megan Mullaly Show (NBC), numerous appearances on Food Network, the leading role in Chopin Vodka commercial and many, many more…

FROM BELGRADE TO THE BIG APPLE

After graduating from Belgrade University with a double major in mechanical engineering and philosophy - Dushan worked for one year as the local rep for a Swiss machine company before immigrating to the U.S. in 1996. Uncorking a basic knowledge of wine through the Institute for Culinary Education, he soon began his first bartending job at Les Halles before progressing to Lot 61, a former truck-painting garage transformed into a beautiful lounge and nightclub in West Chelsea.

In 1998 he started working at Pravda in Soho, a bar that used to pride itself in the nineties to be the best Bar in New York City, where he met Jason Kosmas. In 2000 he briefly worked for a year at Pastis an excellent French Bistro in Manhattan’s Meatpacking district while maintaining simultaneously his job at Pravda. After tending bar at Pravda for five years together with Jason Kosmas he transferred to his employers new restaurant Schiller’s Liquor Bar located in New York’s Lower East Side, where he was the Head Bartender and creator of the Cocktail menu.

In 2004 Dushan partnered up with his long time bartender friends – Jason Kosmas, Igor Hadzismajlovic, Henry LaFargue and Billy Gilroy to create and open up the Bar-Restaurant Employees Only (www.employeesonlynyc.com)which is recognized as one of the best Cocktail Bars in the world. Awards include “Best Classic Cocktail 2005” (New York Magazine) and “Best Signature Drinks 2006” (AOL Cityguide) and “Best Cocktail Bar 2008” (New York Magazine) Dushan still works behind the Bar at Employees Only at least two nights a week. Simultaneously with the opening of Employees Only the team launched also the first licensed bartending school (American Bartending Institute of New York) in the nation that can teach it’s students using real alcoholic beverages and spirits in order to preserve the craft of Classic American Bartending and pass it on to the younger generations of professional bartenders.

In November 2006 Dushan Zaric and Jason Kosmas published their first book titled “You Didn’t Hear It From Us” – Two bartenders serve women the truth about men, making an impression and getting what you want (Atria Books). The Book is an objective assessment of realities that go on in a Bar on any given night filled with interesting cocktail recipes, bar etiquette and observations. In November 2008 together with his Partners – Dushan opened his second restaurant – Macao Trading Company (www.macaonyc.com) in TriBeCa, New York City. On 2 levels cocktails are served together with great Portugese-Chinese food prepared by the Chef David Waltuck the famous chef owner of Chantarelle, New York.

In January 2010 Dushan and his partners from Employees Only Brands (www.employeesonlybrands.com) will launch a premium line of non-alcoholic cordials starting with the all-natural EO Lime Cordial and EO Grenadine. Finally – from 2010 onwards Dushan and Jason are contributing weekly cocktail blogs for Saveur magazine’s online edition. Dushan’s and Jason’s second book which will feature Employees Only Cocktails is set for publishing by 10 speed press in Fall 2010.