2014 was a roller coaster ride for Arianne Fielder. She participated in some of Atlanta’s biggest festivals such as Taste of Atlanta and Atlanta Food & Wine, she opened Bellwood’s Social House, and she released her own Amaro. But her biggest success was the news that she is cancer-free (February marks nine months).
Here, we talk with Fielder on…
Beating cancer.
Cancer runs in my family. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and went through chemotherapy last year. It’s a tough experience because I work in a field that is physically demanding- you have to be upbeat and energetic to customers even when you feel terrible. Cancer is very terrifying, but every time that I went back to the doctor and got negative screens, it felt great.
Her favorite bartender in town.
Tom McGuire. I’ve always worked with him- we opened Seven Lamps together, worked at Prohibition, opened Bellwoods Social House- he has the same philosophy as I do. This is the first time in five years that the roles are reversed and I am working under him, and it’s great. He’s also one of the best ice carvers in the city.
Her philosophy.
It’s all about the guest and experience. In the realm of craft cocktails, there’s been a division of craft, volume and dive bar mixologists. There’s always the question- how do we make really good drinks and not be pretentious about it? Just like Tom says, you take care of the guest and make them what they want, even if that’s a Cosmo or vodka Red Bull.
Craft Izakaya’s bar program.
Tom was managing the bar, and I have worked with Richard Tang, the general manager. It was a natural decision to join the team. At Craft, the sushi bar is connected to the bar, so the sushi chef is right there. He inspires us with new ingredients, like using shiso instead of mint in a mojito.
Japanese cocktail technique.
All bartenders nerd out on cocktail technique, and traditional Japanese technique is insane. It's a very practiced skill that involves the way that you shake, the way you stir, the essence of mixing the cocktail. The best way to describe it is in the book "Cocktail Techniques." We've really expanded our horizons. We're using a lot of lemongrass, shiso leaves and lychee.
Krog Street Market.
Craft Izakaya is one of the only full service bars in the market, besides Hop City. But our bar is opened the latest at night, so it’s become the industry bar of Krog Street Market. It makes it feel like it’s own community, and it keeps getting more energetic.
The Release of her own “Amaro Fielder.”
Project Amaro was created by Brovo Spirits as a way to get rid of a huge batch of rhubarb liqueur. I created a spin on a Dr. Pepper amaro, inspired by my time working the bar at Seven Lamps. I wanted to nail down what those 23 flavors were, so I fused together the taste of lemon, orange peel, cardamom, plum, dark cherry, vanilla bean and birch bark. It's a spicy, multidimensional aperitif. It's a small batch, only about 600 bottles, but you can expect to find it at H&F Bottle Shop and Decatur Package. We have our own stock at Craft Izakaya. If you ask for it at a liquor shop and they work with Savannah Distributing, they may be able to get it.
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