Episode description

I was thrilled to chat with JdB after the monumental years he had with 2020 and 2021. More than that, I've always found him to have such an inclusive outlook on the industry, and a fascination with that his voice brings to the overall conversation. Interviewing someone with the number of accolades his bio holds is always intimidating, but his warmth, grace, and hospitality made for a great conversation. In this episode, I chat with JdB about his decision to not drink alcohol in 2020, why he chose to create Proteau, and the future on the n/a space.

John deBary is a 10-plus year veteran of New York City’s bar and hospitality industry, starting out as a bartender at PDT before going on to become the Momofuku restaurant group’s first corporate bar director. In 2018 he left Momofuku to write a cocktail book, Drink What You Want, founded Proteau, a zero-proof botanical drinks company, as well as co-founded Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving quality of life for laborers in the hospitality industry. He’s also Food52’s first resident drinks expert where he hosts a monthly YouTube show. 

As a freelance journalist, he has bylines in Bon Appetit, Thrillist, GQ, Food & Wine, and PUNCH, and he occasionally moonlights as a drinks and hospitality consultant for private and corporate clients.

Founded in 2016, the mission of Ben's Friends is to offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to anyone who struggles with substance abuse or addiction. By coming together, starting a dialogue, and acknowledging that substance abuse cannot be overcome by isolation and willpower alone, Ben's Friends hopes to write a new chapter in the lives of food and beverage professionals across the country.

To order my n/a enamel pin from Mover & Shaker, head to tinyurl.com/4fm6r9v6