Weston Simons

Coming Up

Early roles gave Weston Simons a full view of hospitality from the floor to the bar: busser, server, Soda Jerk, bartender, barback, mixologist, and Bar Manager from 2010. That sequence built command through repetition and range, with each position adding another layer of discipline, timing, and perspective. The classroom became a second mode of work. “I started teaching classes, and instantly found a love and bar education,” he says. The shift extended his bar practice into instruction, with technique, confidence, and drink literacy becoming part of what he passed on. In 2020, Weston Simons founded WestonDrinks, bringing together his work as a bartender, educator, and consultant under one name.

Where They Are Now

At Tonic Santa Fe, the lead bartender role lets Weston Simons draw on the full span of his background. The work includes bartending, mixology, spirits education, and beverage consulting, held together by a straightforward idea: a drink matters most when it is made with care, clarity, and purpose. “I saw that what I was doing made people happy, and that has stuck with me ever since,” he says, reducing the work to service and its effect. That same outlook shapes his hospitality philosophy, along with a refusal to treat good drinks as a luxury for a narrow audience. “It is my belief that with a little knowledge and proper technique, anyone can make a good drink,” he says. “It is my belief that everyone deserves a good drink, regardless of where they live, what they have, or what they choose to enjoy.”

Career - Founder / owner, WestonDrinks (2020–present) - Bartender educator / instructor (2017–present) - Lead bartender, Tonic, Santa Fe, New Mexico - Busser, Server, Soda Jerk, Bartender, Barback, Mixologist, Bar Manager (from 2010)

Signature

The Bustamante Punch is one of Weston Simons’s signature cocktails. It sits within a body of work defined less by a single format than by movement between service, education, and careful drink-making.

In Their Words “It is my belief that everyone deserves a good drink, regardless of where they live, what they have, or what they choose to enjoy.” “It is my belief that with a little knowledge and proper technique, anyone can make a good drink.”

FAQ What is Weston Simons's current role? Weston Simons is Lead Bartender. What recognition has Weston Simons received? Diageo World Class US Competition, National Finalist, Top 10 Bartenders in the United States (2022).