Mixologist Pam Witznitzer of Seamstress - Biography

Pam Wiznitzer’s been working in the hospitality industry since 2006, as a student at Barnard College. But she’s not the type who knew she wanted to be a bartender. Instead she got a gentle push (or shove) from the Great Recession in 2009, losing her job at a start-up. Looking for a paycheck, she found—and fell ardently in love with—a career.

Not that her first stop was a mixologist’s dream. Wiznitzer worked behind the stick at a Murray Hill sports bar, but still found herself falling for the gig. Her next jobs would offer a bit more complexity, and find her under the wing of local cocktail pillar Julie Reiner, among others. Wiznitzer went on to hone her craft as an original hire at Dead Rabbit, where she was a top 10 finalist for Tales of the Cocktails’ “Best American Bartender” in 2014. That same year, she helped open and create an incredibly singular, theme-eloquent cocktail program at sewing-styled Seamstress.

Wiznitzer is currently working toward a master’s degree in food studies (with a focus on spirits) at New York University, and presents her research at bartending seminars, such as “Women and Whiskey” and “Safety, Laws, and Legalities.” She has passed the BAR 5-day program and serves as President of the New York City chapter of the Bartender’s Guild. Wiznitzer also writes professionally, has earned numerous awards, and has been a member of The Cocktail Guru consulting team since 2012.