Sasha Petraske
Sasha Nathan Petraske (March 16, 1973 – August 21, 2015) was the founder of the New York City cocktail bar Milk & Honey, as well as a partner and creative force behind many of the world's most highly regarded bars.[1] During his lifetime he was credited with inventing modern cocktail culture.[2]
Often described as a savant, Petraske dropped out of high school at the age of 17, and never received a formal post-secondary education.
Petraske was very prolific and together with partners was the creative responsible for dozens of notable venues.[3] A partial list is included below.
- Milk and Honey, NY (1999)
- Milk and Honey, London (2002)
- East Side Company Bar, NY (2005)
- Little Branch, NY (2005)
- White Star, NY (2008)
- The Varnish, Los Angeles (2009)
- Dutch Kills, NY (2009)
- Everleigh, Melbourne (2011)
- Middle Branch, NY (2012)
- Attaboy, NY (2013)
Legacy
Many of the world's top bartenders studied under Petraske magnifying his influence beyond that of any other bartender to date.[4]
Death
In May 2015, Petraske married journalist Georgette Moger. He was found dead at their home in Hudson, New York three months later, on August 21, 2015.[5]
References
- "Final Advice From the Inventor of Cocktail Culture". Bloomberg.com. 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- "Sasha Petraske (1973-2015): The Bar World's Greatest Contemporary Conductor". Eater. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- "Sasha Petraske (1973-2015): The Bar World's Greatest Contemporary Conductor". Eater. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- "Sasha Petraske (1973-2015): The Bar World's Greatest Contemporary Conductor". Eater. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
- Simonson, Robert (August 21, 2015). "Sasha Petraske, Bar Owner Who Changed Cocktail Culture, Dies at 42". The New York Times.
- Sasha Petraske with Georgette Moger-Petraske. "Regarding Cocktails." Phaidon Press, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7148-7281-0.