Vance Henderson

The Climb

Career progression in hospitality often shows up as repeated trust, and Vance Henderson’s path at Cuba Libre reads that way. After working as a dishwasher, host, server, and bartender at Cuba Libre, they moved into bar manager, then beverage director, then nightlife manager, all at Cuba Libre. The venue stays the same; the scope changes. That kind of movement points to a house that let Vance build depth instead of starting over each time, and to a bartender whose judgment earned more responsibility with each step. The national remit came later, with Vance now serving as the U.S. National Brand Ambassador for Hendrick's Gin. In that position, the work shifts from running a single room to representing a spirit on a broader stage, where consistency, clarity, and a steady handle on service culture matter as much as presence.

Today

He serves as the U.S. National Brand Ambassador for Hendrick's Gin. Vance credits commitment to relationships and overcoming obstacles for success in the industry they love. That framing puts the emphasis where hospitality workers recognize it: on the daily work of keeping connections intact, handling friction, and continuing through conditions that do not always reward patience. In other words, the career is built as much on maintenance and resilience as on skill.

In Their Words “It’s his commitment to relationships and overcoming obstacles that he credits for his success in the industry he loves.” “I would love to just learn a couple of recipes, how to make drinks or whatever, just out of curiosity.” That second line is useful because it strips the work back to appetite for knowledge. Curiosity at that level tends to keep a bartender sharp: not performing expertise, but staying willing to pick up a recipe, test a method, and learn something without needing a reason beyond the work itself.

Recognition

Vance's honors include Nightclub & Bar Award, Brand Ambassador of the Year (2020). That award sits at the end of a route that started in the most operational parts of Cuba Libre and moved into a national-facing role at Hendrick's Gin. The throughline is not spectacle; it is accumulation: floor knowledge, bar leadership, and the ability to carry a house-trained standard into a wider industry setting.