Raleigh’s 2024 Best Bartender

Kaylah Thomas | Gussie’s

“If I had a dollar for the amount of times I hear the ‘Ah, yeah, I couldn’t trust a bartender that didn’t drink!’ before somebody realizes the drink they’re raving about was indeed made by a sober bartender, I’d be rich.” So goes the inspiring fable of Raleigh’s 2024 Bartender of the Year, Kaylah Thomas. Blazing trails and opening minds from her perch behind the bar,  

Gussie’s gifted spirits guru straight owned the Best Bartender vote from the jump in an always highly competitive race.

A regular fixture on the Raleigh bar scene, the High Point native cut her teeth locally at Mandolin and Poole’side, and now at Raleigh’s newest Best Overall Bar, is “happy I can provide a safe space for folks who choose to consume and for those who don’t,” she muses. “The look on people’s faces when I casually mention [I’m sober] is priceless. It’s easy to abuse the juice when you’re working alongside it.”

Now, assuming the coveted crown from last year’s Watts & Ward winner Kelly Lynch, when she’s not whipping up whatever you fancy on Morgan, find her in nature, reading or just generally chilling. But you’re really gonna wanna find her at Gussie’s—where we’ll always have what she’s making.

How you got your start? I had been serving since I turned 18, when I turned 21 I was offered to go behind the bar and instantly fell in love with it. The sense of community you’re able to build is just so intoxicating (pun intended). 

Was hospitality/bartending always the calling? Like many people, I went back and forth on what I wanted for my future. I actually thought I wanted to work with children—which funnily enough is very similar to working with drinking adults. My first job was at a high-volume sports bar, and I loved the hustle and bustle and how I got the opportunity to meet so many different people, many of which are still friends all these years later. 

How you found your way to Gussie’s? I applied online after casually snooping on all the owners’ personal instagrams. After my phone interview with [co-owner] Katie I told my husband how it just felt right, and I’m not going to apply anywhere else. Thankfully it worked out. It feels good to work for good people. 

Fave drink to make? Your fave drink to drink

Least fave to make? Ramos gin fizz

Your go-to drink order? Whatever NA on the menu or a Heniken OO

Being a sober bartender, in a few words: It’s honestly kinda wild.

Fave bar (not your own): Aunty Betty’s

Go-to restaurant: Stanbury

Mentor? Gussie’s co-owner Katie O’Kane

Your husband Zack is also a talented ’tender. What’s it like being betrothed bartenders? So much fun! I started following him many years ago because I was so inspired by his cocktails, and that hasn’t changed one bit. 

Ever been behind the bar together? A few times and it’s always so much fun. He truly continues to inspire me every day—especially when he launches a new cocktail menu. It’s so great to have a partner who not only supports what I do, but who can be there for me for advice and any help I need. 

How do you inspire each other? We bounce ideas off one another, and he’s taken me with him on consulting gigs. It is truly inspiring to witness his knowledge and skill. I’ve gotten to learn so much from him, and I’m so excited to see what he does with Boatman. If I’m in a creative rut, we’ll go to stores and just look at spices, jams, fresh fruit and veggies, and by the time I’m home, I’ve written a rough cocktail menu. He pushes me to try flavors I’ve never worked with or even heard of. 

Podcast pick? We’re Here to Help

Cocktail book? Drink Lightly, Natasha David

Show you’re binging: Below Deck

Advice to current/future bartenders? Don’t take yourself too seriously; remember the drink isn’t for you, it’s for your guest.