Ivy Mix

Ivy Mix is Co-Owner of Leyenda, her James Beard nominated, pan-Latin inspired cocktail bar in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn as well as Whoopsie Daisy and Fiasco! Wine + Spirits, her wine bar and bottle shop in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Leyenda has won many awards and has been recognized as being one of the best bars in America by Eater, GQ, Thrillist and others. She published her book, Spirits of Latin America, in Spring of 2020 which was awarded Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks, Culture, History or Spirits as well as the AICP award for Best Book in Wine, Beer and Spirits in 2021.

With a long history of working in bars throughout the Americas, Ivy has been recognized by many within the culinary and cocktail industry as being one of the best bartenders in the country and in 2015 was named American Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards and in 2016 was named Mixologist of the Year by Wine Enthusiast.

Additionally, Ivy has inspired the nation to rethink women’s role behind the bar. She conceptualized and later, with Lynnette Marrero, co-founded Speed Rack - a national cocktail competition that creates a platform for the women+ bartending community while simultaneously raising money for breast cancer related charities. Speed Rack started in 2011 and has taken the world by storm. So far they have raised nearly $2,000,000 for charity. In 2019, they were honored receiving 2 Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards: for Philanthropy and World’s Best Bar Mentors. In 2024 they published their book, A Quick Drink: The Speed Rack Guide to Winning Cocktails for Any Mood.

Ivy first served a drink when she traveled to Guatemala at 19 years old when studying art and philosophy at Bennington College. She lived and worked there for years, mixing in travels to Mexico to smuggle special mezcales and tequilas over the border giving her a unique and extensive knowledge base into the agave spirits field. In 2009, she moved to New York started cocktail waitressing and she saw how she could bring together her love for bartending and spirits with her artistic background. Within a year, she joined cocktail historian and bar owner St. John Frizell at Fort Defiance in Brooklyn. In 2010, Ivy caught Julie Reiner’s eye and was hired to be on the opening staff of Lani Kai in Manhattan. It was not long until she was brought back to her borough of choice to work at Reiner’s flagship world-renowned bar the Clover Club. Four years later, she and Reiner opened up Leyenda across the street in May of 2015. Following this has been her book, Fiasco! which opened in 2021, Whoopsie Daisy that opened in 2024, and other consulting projects across the globe.

Accolades

• Semi Finalist VinePair’s Drinks Professional of the Year, 2024

• Spirits of Latin America wins AICP Award for Best Book in Wine, Beer or Spirits, 2021

• Spirits of Latin America wins Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History, or Spirits at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, 2021

• World’s Best Bar Mentor at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, 2019

• Philanthropy Award at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, 2019

• Leyenda was an official nominee for Outstanding Bar Program at the James Beard Awards, 2019 | 2018

• Wine Enthusiast’s Mixologist of the Year, 2016

• American Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, 2015

• Named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Most Innovative Women, 2015

• Semi-Finalist Forbes 30 under 30 in Food and Wine, 2013 | 2014

• Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40, 2013

• Imbibe Magazine’s Drink Ambassador of the Year, 2013

• Official nominee for Best American Bartender at Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, 2012 | 2013 | 2014

• Zagat’s 30 under 30 New York City, 2012

• First recipient of Tony Abou-Ganim’s Helen David Humanitarian Award, 2012

• Honored by SHARE Cancer Support for her work within the Breast Cancer Community, 2012