How it all started

Growing up amidst the hustle of her Grandparents successful New York catering hall, Deena Marie Sayers acquired a thirst for the business at a very young age. Starting with after school hours as a teenager, over the years she worked her way up through the company from dishwasher to eventually manager. Through her many roles, she developed a serious work ethic and cultivated a passion for  hospitality.

Continuing to hone her talents, Deena remained in the industry by tending bar all through college.  She graduated Pace University in 2006 with honors and was awarded a degree in Business and World Trade. After graduating, it was a natural move to seek employment in yet another faze of the business and was fortunate enough to find a position at Aloha POS systems as Project/Account Manager.

Networking her way through numerous NYC Michelin Star restaurants, bars, nightclubs and hotels, she eventually branched off as a freelance consultant for Aloha, allowing her to pursue her dream of becoming  an entrepreneur.

One of her first projects was being on the team that helped build La Pomme… a VIP nightclub in Chelsea NY.  Joining the company in its infancy, Deena was able to take charge of everything from hiring, training, inventory, ordering, organizing and executing large private events, all the while engendering a loyal customer following.

However, it was at Surf Lodge, an A-List resort in Montauk with a high volume craft cocktail bar, that Deena realized her talents and quickly switched direction from management to mixology.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Deena ardently pushed herself to learn all that she could.  In between consulting and tending bar at various premier Manhattan locations, she managed to feed her seekers soul and travel to some of the most far flung destinations of the world.  She used these opportunities to comb spice markets in search of unique and exotic ingredients. 

After a decade of working within the US, her worlds collided when her passion for creating cocktails and travel became one.  She began working internationally with Mulberry Project, a traveling pop-up bespoke cocktail bar serving customized craft cocktails using only fresh ingredients.  It's flagship location is in the neighborhood of Little Italy Manhattan, but Deena was fortunate enough to be brought on board to help open several outpost exotic locations such as Brazil, Columbia, Israel and Tulum.

Her international endeavors followed her home when she became the Beverage Director of the uber successful Tulum based hotspot, Gitano when they came to New York City. Over 100 agave spirits and 500 palm trees dominated an entire SoHo block as well as the socialites’ summer of 2018. With Deena leading the bar, Gitano NYC turned out the most mezcal cocktails in the country using only fresh ingredients that were prepared daily.

Through her knowledge of POS programming, operational management, and talent of craft-cocktailing, she thrives on her consulting business whether it’s building new or overhauls wearisome bar programs. Using innovative marketing strategies, brand partnerships, along with sound operational procedures, she designs programs tailored for each venue. Setting each venue up for success by personally educating each staff member in creative techniques along with speed and efficiency.

Deena’s mantra for every bar she touches is “You must transport your guests to uncharted destinations with each savored sip, which will keep them coming back for more!

Philosophy

Drinks By Deena is a company that provides unique cocktail experiences using healthy and wholesome ingredients. We use organic produce for all ingredients without a protective layer and we buy local whenever possible. All fruits and vegetables are juiced within hours of service to impart maximum flavor and nutrients. Herbs are extracted and infused with low heat to keep their beneficial properties intact. "No added sugar" is our motto in which we live by, using only natural, less harmful sweeteners, like honey, agave, dates, fruit reductions or maple syrup. Alcohol already has a bad health rap so we strive to balance those negative factors with the healthiest agriculture possible. 

With quality as our cornerstone our focus is for a non-intimidating, speedy cocktail environments. The cocktail world is only becoming more complex and its hard for imbibers to keep up. We strive to make the ordering experience more palatable and less confusing. We also spend many extra hours prepping and organizing to ensure you're not spending the night waiting for your drink to be made.

Let's save the world, one cocktail at a time