Grab a seat at the bar at Lady Jane in LoHi and there’s a good chance you’ll walk away with a new friend and a little more knowledge about the world of spirits. Bartender CC Chaput will welcome you with an expertly crafted cocktail, then make you feel right at home.
“We have regulars who walk through the door saying — screaming, really — her name,” said Minetta Gould, general manager of Lady Jane. “Strangers become friends within sentences, and she can always smell a fellow East Coaster to have some playful banter with.”
Though it’s no secret to Lady Jane guests and coworkers that Chaput is an expert behind the bar, she now has a new credential to add to her resume: the best female bartender in the southwestern United States.
Chaput put her drink-making talents to the test recently at a national cocktail competition for female bartenders. In the Speed Rack Season 8 Southwest regional finals in Denver earlier this month, Chaput defeated more than 20 of the area’s top bartenders to win. Next, she’ll compete against seven other regional winners from around the country at the Speed Rack U.S. National Finals in Chicago in May.
Speed Rack, which aims to highlight the new generation of women in the spirits industry, pits bartenders against each other in a timed, round-robin matchup to see who can mix drinks the fastest. But taste, cleanliness and other factors are also important. The bartenders mix drinks in front of a panel of judges (who are either bartenders themselves or experienced industry folks), who then sample the drinks.
All proceeds from the competitions go to breast cancer research, prevention and education. (To date, Speed Rack has raised $850,000.) The competitions also have evolved into a robust support network and friend group for female bartenders.
“What started out as an idea to give female bartenders a space to thrive in a male-dominated industry has grown into this incredible network where women from around the world are able to connect and support each other both in and out of the industry,” said Speed Rack co-founder Ivy Mix. “And that’s something we’re really proud to be a part of.”
Chaput admits that while she gets stage fright, as soon as she starts making the cocktails for the competition, she gets in the zone, just like she does on a busy weekend night at Lady Jane. The trick is to make the drinks as quickly as possible, without letting the quality suffer.
“Nothing makes you more nervous than having all eyes on you,” she said. “But the competition highlights what I do on a daily basis, just a more extreme version of it. For me, it’s just like getting a ticket at a service well and making the cocktails the best I possibly can for someone sitting at the bar.”
Gould, Lady Jane’s general manager, said she was constantly impressed by Chaput’s dedication and intensity when preparing for the competition. Chaput regularly practiced before a 10-hour shift and even studied the techniques of past competitors, Gould said.
“This competition is about solving puzzles faster than your competitor, and solving them with the balance that only a well-trained bartender can accomplish,” Gould said.
Chaput is a relative newcomer to Denver, having moved here from Boston in August 2018.
She started her career in hospitality as a restaurant hostess when she was 16, eventually working her way up to bartender. With 14 years of bartending under her belt, Chaput has watched the evolution of public opinion about cocktails, beer and wine in real time.
“People take (cocktails) very seriously now, and they spend a lot of time reading about products and really value fresh ingredients,” she said. “People care about sustainability and not producing as much waste, and caring about the community as much as you care about the alcohol you put in the glass. A lot of consumers take as much of an interest in bartending as bartenders do.”
Chaput is a big fan of developing new drink recipes (you can sample a few of her creations on the menu at Lady Jane right now) and turning one-time guests into repeat visitors. The key, she believes, is to approach each guest individually.
“My biggest thing is always being able to read the guest,” she said. “When I go to a bar, I want to unwind, and I don’t necessarily want to chat people up. I really appreciate when bartenders realize that. But it’s also recognizing when a couple sits down at the bar who clearly love cocktails and they want to talk more about it and maybe introducing them to something new. I don’t think a one-size-fits-all philosophy works very well in our industry.”
On a night off, you might find her sitting at the bar reading a book, a glass of red wine or a classic cocktail like an Old Fashioned or a Manhattan in her hand — or a beer and a shot of Mezcal, depending on her mood.
Chaput, who describes herself as a creature of habit, regularly visits Lady Jane’s sister restaurant, Hudson Hill. She’s also a fan of Death & Co Denver, where fellow Speed Rack competitor Alex Jump manages the bar.
Her advice to Denver-area bargoers looking to make the most out of their experience at a bar or restaurant? Ask lots of questions and don’t be embarrassed about what you don’t know.
“If you don’t recognize an ingredient, definitely don’t be afraid to ask,” she said. “Bartenders love giving all the knowledge that they have because we spend so much time reading and thinking about it. We want to pass that along to somebody else.”
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