Jim Meehan

The Making

Bar craft in Jim Meehan’s case is grounded in kitchen pace before cocktail service. At the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the early formation was culinary; at State Street Brats in Madison, Wisconsin, the work moved onto the line, where repetition, timing, and station discipline set the operating base. The move from kitchen to bar took place in New York, where service technique was developed through bartender roles at Gramercy Tavern, Five Points, and Pegu Club. That sequence matters to the trade: dining-room standards, cocktail execution, and bar-specific hospitality all fed the later work. The modern speakeasy cocktail bar concept became a working platform at PDT (Please Don’t Tell), where Jim Meehan was a partner from 2007 to 2019. The room’s influence came through controlled environment, drink development, and hospitality systems rather than spectacle. Consulting and menu development now carry that bar practice into other formats, including work for Takibi and American Express Centurion lounges. The through-line is practical: cocktails built for context, service, and repeatable guest experience.

The Work Today

Menu development for American Express Centurion lounges is part of Jim Meehan’s current work, placing cocktail design inside a high-volume hospitality setting where consistency and ease of service matter. His authorship—"The PDT Cocktail Book," "Meehan’s Bartender Manual," and "The Bartender’s Pantry"—extends that practice into reference form for bartenders and beverage professionals. The current body of work remains centered on creative concepts, gracious hospitality, and the practical conditions that make a bar feel comfortable. In Meehan’s output, the drink is not separated from the room, the staff, or the guest’s movement through service.

Career - Consultant — Takibi, Portland, Oregon - Menu Developer — American Express Centurion lounges - Line Cook — State Street Brats, Madison, Wisconsin - Bartender — Gramercy Tavern, New York - Bartender — Five Points, New York - Bartender — Pegu Club, New York - Partner — PDT, New York (2007–2019) Education: University of Wisconsin at Madison

Signature

Signature cocktails include The PDT Cocktail Book, Meehan’s Bartender Manual, and The Bartender’s Pantry.

Honors

Recognition has come from both beverage-book and bar-program channels, reflecting the two sides of Jim Meehan’s practice: written reference and operating bar culture. His honors include James Beard Foundation Award for Best Beverage Book (2018), James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program (2012), Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Cocktail/Bartending Book (2018), Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Award for Best Bar Mentor (2015), Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best Cocktail/Bartending Book (2012), and Tales of the Cocktail American Bartender of the Year (2009).

FAQ What role does Jim Meehan hold? Jim Meehan is bartender-author, co-founder of PDT. Where did Jim Meehan train or study? Jim Meehan trained at University of Wisconsin at Madison. What recognition has Jim Meehan received? James Beard Foundation Award for Best Beverage Book (2018).