lagniappe
What is something most people don ’ t know about you ? At one time , I was ranked 16th in the world in freediving for depth .
What would you like to have more time for ? My 3-year-old daughter , Juliette , and Muay Thai martial arts , which I enjoy doing for fitness and fun .
What is your pet peeve when working at the bar ? Bartenders who don ’ t check their mise en place until it ’ s already busy .
What is on your iPod ? I have an eclectic taste in music . In the mornings I like to play reggae , and when running I listen to Dubstep .
What was your most embarrassing moment on the job ? About 10 years ago I was in the Swedish Mixology Qualifier for the Nationals in Stockholm . The second I got on stage I dropped all my glasses , literally sending slivers of glass everywhere . They had to stop the competition and clean up . Luckily I was able to borrow some glasses and still qualified .
What celebrity would you most like to meet ? I ’ m not too captivated by celebrities , but if Bruce Lee were still alive I ’ d have a drink with him .
Jeff Josenhans
director of venues , the us Grant , san dieGo
After living in Europe for 12 years and honing his craft at hotels such as Hilton Stockholm Slussen , Jeff Josenhans has spent the past five-and-a-half years at The US Grant . As a master mixologist and certified sommelier , Josenhans has brought the property to the forefront of the craft-cocktail culture worldwide thanks to innovations including bottleconditioned cocktails , which use the champagne method of fermentation .
Why do you work at a hotel as opposed to a freestanding bar ? The ebb and flow of business is highly irregular , and it keeps you on your toes in a different way .
Luxury hotels also allow for greater investment in projects . For example , when I create barrel-aged cocktails we look at high-quality American or French oak with a specific toast , not just little promotional barrels behind the bar .
If you weren ’ t on your current career path , what would you be ? I received my degree in corporate finance , so probably working with a bank .
What is the most memorable cocktail you have ever had ? I can ’ t say there is one drink that sticks out far above the rest , but many stand out in different contexts — like drinking a fresh Caipirinha from a street vendor while on the beach ; sipping Bourbon in the South ; Calvados and a cigar in France ; or Punsch and cloudberry ice cream in Sweden . I could go on and on .
72 HOTELS June 2014 www . hotelsmag . com