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Cheryl Charming
Bartender / bar director
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Author Cheryl Charming is an American author, but the work that established her name was behind bars, in service stations, on decks, and on training floors. The throughline is hospitality craft: the timing of service, the mechanics of pouring, the discipline of presentation, and the shift from doing the work to teaching it. Across restaurants, resorts, cruise ships, stage-style cocktail education, and books, Cheryl Charming built a career on the practical side of the trade, where order-taking, tray-carrying, menu design, and instruction all sit in the same line of work.
The Path
Early bar and floor service set the base of the craft. Cheryl Charming began as a waitress at pizza parlor in Bryant High School / Arkansas, then moved to food waitress at John Barleycorn's Vision in Little Rock, Arkansas, followed by cocktail server at Cabaret in Kavanaugh Blvd, the Heights, Little Rock, Arkansas, and head bartender at Cabaret in Kavanaugh Blvd, the Heights, Little Rock, Arkansas. The sequence matters: each role moved closer to the bar itself, where service becomes control, and where the work shifts from carrying orders to shaping the room through drinks and presentation. Cruise service and theme-park bars added another layer: movement, pace, and consistency under pressure. Cheryl Charming worked as bartender at Royal Caribbean cruise ship, then as cast member / bartender at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida (from 1989), bartender at Pleasure Island in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida (from 1989), and bartender at Grand Floridian Beach Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida. She also taught teacher of bar tricks and bar magic at Disney food and beverage training program 'Quest for the Best' in Orlando, Florida, a role that pushed technique into performance and made instruction part of the job. The work later expanded into menus, seminars, and authorship. Cheryl Charming became freelance mixologist and cocktail menu designer at Brown-Forman, host of seminars at Tales of the Cocktail Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, and bartender at Bombay Club in New Orleans, Louisiana (from 2010). Those roles place her on the writing and education side of the trade as well as behind the bar: building menus, speaking to peers, and working in a city where cocktail service is its own standard. Since 2013, she has been Bar Director of Bourbon "O" Bar, a position that reflects sustained responsibility in the room and continuity across years of service.
The Work Today
Author remains the other half of Cheryl Charming's working life. Her books carry the same priorities as her bar work: usefulness, directness, and a practical understanding of what bartenders and guests actually need. In print, as behind the bar, Cheryl Charming treats cocktail culture as a body of working knowledge rather than a pose.
Signature
Cheryl's signature dishes include The Everything Bartender's Book and Frozen Drinks: An A to Z Guide to All Your Frozen Favorites. The titles point to two sides of the same practice: one built as a working reference, the other focused on Frozen Drinks and the demands of color, texture, and speed. Together they map a career spent organizing bar knowledge for people who use it.
In Their Words “The Galliano bottle holds a special place in my heart. It was the first bottle I saw looking through the window of a spirits store and I thought it was so beautiful.” “I love to escape into a restaurant/bar freezer and take 10 slow icy-cold breaths. It recharges my body for a long bar shift.”
Acclaim
Cheryl's honors include Mixologist of the Year (2014).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Cheryl
What is Cheryl Charming's current role?
As of 2026, Cheryl Charming is Bar Director of Bourbon "O" Bar.
Where did Cheryl Charming work before?
Cheryl Charming's earlier career included pizza parlor, John Barleycorn's Vision, and Cabaret.
What recognition has Cheryl Charming received?
Mixologist of the Year (2014).
