Other
Tess Posthumus
Bartender / bar director
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Bar work at Flying Dutchmen Cocktails in Amsterdam is built on neo-classic cocktails, and Tess Posthumus approaches that register with measured precision. The field sits between memory and revision: classic structures kept legible, then adjusted with a contemporary hand. In Amsterdam’s changing hospitality scene, her name has come to stand for that controlled, quietly expressive style.
The Path
Training at University of Amsterdam ran alongside work in diverse horeca-zaken, before Tess Posthumus joined the bar staff at Door 74 in Amsterdam from 2009. Those years set the practical base of the work: long service, tight attention to guests, and the pace of a bar that asks for composure as much as instinct. The result was a working understanding of hospitality as timing, atmosphere, and technique rather than any single service style. At Flying Dutchmen Cocktails in Amsterdam, that sensibility stays visible in the room; in freelance hospitality professional of Freelance hospitality professional work, it carries into a wider practice shaped by experience and consistency.
The Work Today
Neo-classic cocktails are the core of the practice. The category asks for classic architecture with room for refinement, nuance, and a modern palate. At Flying Dutchmen Cocktails in Amsterdam, Tess Posthumus directs the bar, shaping both individual serves and the tempo of the room. The work depends on detail across the service chain, from mise-en-place to presentation, and from the first guest of the evening to the last. What gives neo-classic cocktails their force is disciplined creativity, and that is where Tess Posthumus works most clearly. The emphasis is on proportion, texture, and finish rather than spectacle—small decisions that determine whether a drink lands as competent or complete. In a city with constant movement, the position is defined by finesse.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Tess
What is Tess Posthumus's current role?
As of 2026, Tess Posthumus is Bar Director.
Where did Tess Posthumus train or study?
Tess Posthumus trained at University of Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam.
What recognition has Tess Posthumus received?
Top 10 Best Cocktailbar Europe 2019 (2019).
