2022 · Grand Opening Team
Courtyard by Marriott
Central Florida
Part of the opening team. Formal training from hospitality experts — standards, speed, and service that define a professional hotel bar.
The Journey
From living-room shaker to professional bar
What started as something to do with time on my hands became a real passion — and then a career.
2020 · The Lockdown Years
Camera, home bar, and a lot of free time
Before I ever worked behind a professional bar, there was a camera, a home bar, and endless hours. During the 2020 lockdown I taught myself how to bartend through YouTube videos. What began as a way to stay busy quickly became a passion. I started filming my own experiments — the series that would become Drinking with Kurt.
2020–2021
Learning in public
I documented the drinks I was learning, tested new recipes, and figured out what worked (and what definitely didn’t). Those early videos are where the story really begins — pure curiosity, trial and error, and a growing love for the craft.
2022
Courtyard by Marriott — Grand Opening
In 2022 I joined the brand-new Courtyard by Marriott in Central Florida as part of the grand opening team. I received formal bar training from hospitality experts and worked both the main hotel bar and the pool bar — moving from a home kitchen to a real professional operation.
Space Coast
The Space Bar — Rooftop at Courtyard
I also worked the Space Bar: a unique rooftop, space-themed bar at the Courtyard with views of rocket launches. It’s that close to Kennedy Space Center. The bold, layered, colorful drinks were inspired by lift-off — as vibrant and ambitious as the space program right here on the Space Coast.
Today
Titusville Playhouse
I currently tend bar at the Titusville Playhouse, where every show is a chance to create unique themed cocktails that match the production. Hospitality, creativity, and a little theater — all under one roof.
