Mixology Spirit: John Keilty
Some bartenders are defined by the drinks they make. Others leave an impression because of the way they make people feel. John Keilty brings both to the bar.
We had a feeling we were in for something special when we arrived at The Pink House and John told us he needed a few minutes to make a blackberry syrup first. The reason? He had just picked the blackberries at home before heading over. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the care he puts into a cocktail.
As John built us a tasty Blackberry Margarita, we enjoyed talking about the craft of bartending, the controlled chaos of a busy service, the importance of hospitality and what keeps him inspired after years in the business. He also shared his current Litchfield Distillery favorites and a perspective on The Spirit of Hard Work® that aligns with our philosophy: keep moving forward, stay patient, and trust that your effort will eventually lead somewhere worthwhile.
Batchers: Welcome to Mixology Spirit, John! Please share with everyone what your title and role is at The Pink House.
John: Thank you! My name is John Keilty and I’m the Beverage Director and Bartender here at The Pink House. As the name suggests, I am responsible for both our alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage selections, cocktail development, staff education. I also assist our GM Marina Munoz with event planning and other assorted tasks as needed.
Batchers: For folks in our audience who might be unfamiliar with The Pink House, please take a moment to share what guests can expect when they dine there.
John: The Pink House is a charming, independently-owned restaurant located in scenic West Cornwall. We’re a relatively small place, with approximately 50 seats — double that during the warm weather months when our patio is open.
I’d describe both the experience and the food as elevated casual dining — the caveat being that it’s hard to accurately describe any restaurant by putting it into generic categories. It’s certainly possible to come to the Pink House and have an extended, multicourse experience, but we have regular customers that love to come in for a quick beer and a burger as well. As a neighborhood restaurant, our main focus is making sure that our guests are well taken care of no matter what type of experience they’re looking for.
I think what makes the Pink House unique is that we have a close-knit staff and at least 50% of our guests are regular customers. So after three years of being open, we have successfully cultivated a neighborhood atmosphere. I think our guests, our back-of-house and front-of-house staff all feel like we’re involved in creating and maintaining something special.
Batchers: As someone who has been in the craft for some time, what are some of the underlying aspects of the job that continue to fulfill and inspire you?
John: Hospitality is simply the practice and profession of taking care of people and meeting their needs. The craft itself, the points of service, etc., aren’t the point in and of themselves — they’re simply the guidebook for taking care of the folks who come to spend time with you. Even the food and beverages are tools; ultimately, hospitality is about caring for others. Working with your team and successfully executing a service where the energy in the room is positive and the guests leave happy — it’s very satisfying on a fundamental human level.
Batchers: What part of bartending looks easy to customers but actually takes a lot of practice or effort?
John: Bartending challenges are different in every restaurant, and one of the big things that might not be obvious is simply the ergonomics of the bar itself. The majority of diners in this area like to eat during the “magic hour” between 6:30 and 7:30 PM. During this hour, it’s possible I’ll have to make drinks for 30 or 40 people within a 20-minute window. Efficiency of motion is one of the keys to making that happen — minimizing the amount of movement necessary to construct a cocktail. This can become rather balletic behind a tiny bar, where there are limitations on how much of your work materials can be placed within arm’s reach. Some of my bar shifts look more like a yoga session with all of the twisting, reaching, balancing, bending, squatting, crouching, and lunging — not to mention trips up and down the stairs to the liquor cellar.
Batchers: Have you ever made a cocktail for a guest that completely changed their mind about a particular spirit?
John: I like to test my cocktail experiments on Sandy Bellanger, our Service Director. Last year, Marina asked me to develop some brunch cocktails, and I made a spritz with Limoncello, Sambuca and Cynar. Sandy gave me an understandably skeptical look when I asked her to try it, but the way her eyes lit up after the first sip told me I’d hit the mark.
Here’s another one you’ll appreciate. Recently, a bourbon collector came up to the bar to look over our selection for his Old Fashioned. I told him Litchfield Distillery is my personal choice because it has a great flavor profile with a nice punch in the mid-palate to complement the sweetness. He told me he had a bottle at home but had never opened it.
I don’t want to out anybody here, but two minutes after he returned to his table, I got an order for three more!
Batchers: Got a good story about a hard night working behind the bar?
John: I had spent a decade working in hospitality, but I’d been out of the industry for several years when I connected with the folks at The Pink House. When we opened, I was only planning to fill in behind the bar for a few weekends until they found someone permanent. The bar itself was half-stocked with various odds and ends, and with so much focus on getting the kitchen running and the space renovated, the bar program had become a bit of an afterthought.
So there I was on opening weekend, trying to remember everything I needed to make cocktails, figure out what equipment I did and didn’t have, improvise substitutes with what was available in-house — and prepare for 120 people coming to check out the new restaurant.
I hadn’t touched a cocktail shaker, aside from making drinks at home, in years. But apparently, the body remembers even when the mind goes blank.
Batchers: What is your favorite Litchfield Distillery spirit to incorporate into your cocktails?
John: As I mentioned above, Litchfield Distillery’s Bourbon Whiskey has become my go-to for an Old Fashioned. I’m from Litchfield, and I remember when the distillery opened and trying some of the first releases. It’s been fun to experience how the bourbons’ flavor profiles have changed as their age statements have increased.
Right now, though, I’m really enjoying working with Litchfield’s Agave Spirits. It has a unique, full-bodied mouthfeel and a mellow flavor that brings a different dimension to cocktails than a standard Blanco tequila.
Also, I hope Litchfield does another run of the Crème de Maple Liqueur. It’s a superb addition to an espresso martini.
Batchers: What does The Spirit of Hard Work® mean to you?
John: I may have a different spin on this, but whenever I’ve been asked some version of this question over the years, I think back to an article I read in Guitar Player Magazine featuring Slash of Guns N’ Roses. I was around 12 or 13 years old.
There’s one quote from the interview I’ve always remembered, even though it wasn’t particularly profound on the surface. When asked about the process the band had used to become successful, he said, “You just sort of keep working toward this hazy goal until it starts to come into focus.”
To me, that’s really what the spirit of hard work is about. It’s not necessarily maximum effort for a short period of time, though sometimes that’s required. It’s more about having the humility to understand that anything worthwhile takes patience and time — and the discipline to keep taking incremental steps forward, even when you don’t know exactly where they’ll lead.
Sort of like putting whiskey in a barrel and waiting five years to see what happens, right? You have to believe the end result could be worth the effort and find satisfaction in the process without becoming too attached to a specific outcome.
John’s featured cocktail is a delicious Blackberry Margarita. Made with our CT-Made Agave Spirits, fresh lime and a homemade syrup prepared with blackberries picked from his own backyard, it’s bright, refreshing and nicely balanced between sweet and tart. The fresh blackberry adds a little depth to the classic Margarita while still letting the character of the Agave Spirits and acidity from the lime juice come through, making it an excellent margarita recipe for the fall season.
Ingredients:
- 2.0 oz Litchfield Distillery Agave Spirits
- 1/2 oz Triple Sec
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 oz Blackberry Syrup (see recipe below)
- Lime slice for garnish. Salted rim (optional)
Method: Salt rim of rocks glass, if desired. Combine LD Agave Spirits, triple sec, lime juice and blackberry syrup in shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into rocks glass with ice and garnish with lime slice. Note; The sweetness of the blackberry syrup varies based on the preparation and initial sweetness of the blackberries. Additional blackberry syrup or simple syrup can be added if a sweeter tasting cocktail is desired.
To learn more about The Pink House, visit their website and connect with them on Instagram. The restaurant is located at 34 Lower River Road in West Cornwall, CT. To contact, please call 860.248.3207 or email hello@thepinkhousect.com.
Blackberry Syrup Recipe:
Preparing your own blackberry simple syrup is quite easy and does not require a lot of time or steps. Here’s how John made his in just a few minutes.
Step 1: Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of fresh blackberries into a saucepan. Muddle the berries until they are mostly broken up into smaller pieces.
Step 2: Stir in 1 cup of sugar and slowly whisk over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Heat for about 10 minutes or until sugar is completely dissolved. If large pieces of berries remain, you can muddle those down.
Step 3: Strain the hot syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean glass jar or bottle.
Step 4: You may need to press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible while leaving behind the seeds and pulp.
Step 5: Cool the syrup to room temperature, then seal and store in refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 weeks.
####
About Mixology Spirit:
Mixology Spirit is a Litchfield Distillery blog series dedicated to sharing the stories of creative and passionate mixologists who embody The Spirit Of Hard Work®. Think you got what it takes to be featured? Drop us a line at info@litchfielddistillery.com.
©2026 Litchfield Distillery.
Photography & Editing Credits: Tony Vengrove | Stylist: Jaqueline Bonnell
Don’t forget to follow Litchfield Distillery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
RELATED POSTS: