Charles Koh
A carpenter is never far from a toolbox. A fisherman doesn’t leave home without a tackle box. And now a bartender can carry everything from a cocktail shaker to a bar spoon on the go with a high-quality handmade bag designed and assembled right here in Seattle, a mecca for the thriving craft cocktail scene.
Barkeeper & Co. has developed the B-bag, the perfect complement for the bartender who loves crafting that perfect cocktail. The waxed filter twill canvas exterior has a zipped pocket that will hold a wide variety of bartending tools. The interior has a water-resistant, hand-washable liner and a unique adjustable insert made by Trek Pak that provides space for up to eight bottles of liquor and wine or shakers and mixing glasses.
Over time, Ueding built a collection of high-quality tools that were used at everything from local bar demonstrations to the Iron Mixologist contest. Finding an ideal bag to store everything was a greater challenge. “The bags were either extremely expensive or ugly and not very functional,” Ueding said.
Over beer at the Hilltop Ale House, Ueding and fellow bartender Craig Krueger realized they could build that bag — one that would meet the needs of bartenders, distillers and others in the industry. Krueger came to the partnership after running two successful businesses: Shake Bartenders, a top-shelf bartending service in Seattle and Southern California and Local Craft Tours, guided tours of Seattle’s top distilleries that was featured on KING 5’s Evening Magazine.
Bartender & Co. is working toward a year-end launch for the B-bag that includes a nationwide Kickstarter campaign in September and partnerships with local companies including Scrappy’s Bitters, Bradley’s Tonic Co. and “Aphrodisiacs, with a Twist” author Mark Sexauer.
While the bag is designed for the professional bartender, the B-bag is versatile enough for anyone who enjoys owning a well-made bag.
“It’s a craft bartenders bag, a bar bag for the cocktail/wine connoisseur or even a bag for a Orange County housewife wanting to take all of the ingredients of her favorite cocktail to a dinner or private event,” Krueger said. “Throw all the tools and inserts out and you have yourself a weekend bag.”
Photo credit to Clane Gessel
