Meet Jesse Torres.

Jesse is the son of a US Army family and grew up all over the world including living in Texas, New Mexico, South Korea, and Germany. He graduated High School in South Korea and attended St. Mary's University in San Antonio. He pursued music production and published his own monthly music magazine in El Paso all the while cooking and bartending along the way. He then decided to serve his country (like most of his family) and joined the US Air Force where he was stationed in Germany and New Jersey. Jesse was deployed three times to the Middle East and Afghanistan before separating and joining the Reserves.

He then attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and to pursue his love for spirits and bartending, he made a couple of stops along the way, cooking at such prestigious spots as the three-star Michelin restaurant, Le Bernardin in New York, and John Besh’s Lüke. After helping open one of San Antonio’s most recognized and awarded restaurant, Mixtli, he soon opened his own bar, Mezcalería Mixtli before moving on to working at the prestigious Esquire Tavern. He then helped open and manage the newly remodeled city-institution El Mirador restaurant as well as Rosella at the Rand. After moving to the hometown of my mother, Denver, Colorado, he worked at Tavernetta, Palenque Mezcalería, and opened and operated American Elm. He now lives way up in the mountains in Crested Butte where his love for the outdoors could truly take hold.

Jesse’s passion is mixing drinks with a culinary perspective and creating new flavors using unorthodox techniques while maintaining a strong foundation in classic technique and hospitality. Living and travelling all over the world has helped develop the intense creative and diverse experience he brings to every relationship and project he works with.