MEET THE TEAM
Ravi DeRossi
Ravi began his career traveling around the world as an artist and painter, before returning to his native New York City and has been taking the nightlife world by storm ever since. At the age of 30 his entrepreneurial journey began, creating a mini-empire of world renowned cocktail lounges and bars. Described in the recent NY Times piece about his journey as the “Stealth Prince of the East Village, Ravi’s bars and restaurants have been featured in hundreds of thousands of national, international and local publications, received acclaim for their impact on cocktail culture and two of his establishments have published cocktail books. Named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Tastemakers of the year, it is no doubt that he is the man behind several of New York City’s favorite bars.
Having achieved a level of notoriety and success in the cocktail world, Ravi shifted his focus to food where his innovation was noticed by the New York Times and The New Yorker. A vegetarian-turned-vegan himself, Ravi holds a deep affection for all animals, and has been an outspoken voice on animal rights issues. His nonprofit BEAST Foundation and shift to plant based ventures has warranted both local and national applause, receiving an award from PETA for his efforts.
With 15 bars and restaurants currently operating Ravi has, in the extremely competitive nightlife market, defied the odds. Much of his success is attributed to his creative background as an artist, identifying underserved niches in the hospitality market and creating design-savvy establishments to serve them. Architectural Digest picked up on his keen eye and named two of his places as the most stylish bars in the country. Ravi always has a few new projects on the horizon, including a Death & Co Denver launch. His focus now being on expanding current brands into new markets, he’s already in negotiation on spaces in Miami, LA and Chicago.
Sother Teague
Graduated valedictorian from the California Culinary Academy
Instructor at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT.
Beverage Director and head of the bartending team at Amor y Amargo, where he combines research and kitchen skills with a love for drinks and cocktail culture. With the tagline “a bitters tasting room,” Amor y Amargo is also a store and center for cocktail education.
Teague also hosts “Speakeasy on the Heritage Radio Network. A weekly talk show about current cocktail culture.
You can follow him @CreativeDrunk on Instagram, Facebook and, Twitter.
Max Green
A New York City native, Max Green has been in hospitality since the age of 14. But only recently became excited by the luster of the cocktail aspect of the industry. A stint as barback at Los Americanos with a quick rise to bartender was all it took to ignite the passion.
Seeking a greater depth of knowledge Max found himself manning the difficult door of renowned den, Death & Co. where he honed his skills as a gracious host all the while gleaning more drinks knowledge from the talented staff. When the opportunity to join the team at niche bitters hotspot Amor y Amargo arose Max was able to combine his newfound cocktail knowledge and his passion for hospitality.
Since, while maintaining his position as senior barman at AyA he's also filled his time conquering rum punches at Cienfuegos, shaking up high volume bespoke cocktails at Williamsburg's Dram and, leading the educational initiatives at post-modern tiki outlet Mother of Pearl.
Now Max is partnering with NYC nightlife maven Ravi Derossi and Legendary barman Sother Teague to create a unique experience for bar-goers that combines all his relevant talents with a nod towards community. Raise a glass with them at the soon to open cocktail bar, Coup which will donate all of its profits to a wide range of charities.
Alysha Kravetz
Aly has been a bartender and manager in NYC for over a decade. A proud law school drop out, Aly has turned her attention to a full-time career in the hospitality industry. Aly is a Bronx native, and currently lives there with her husband, Joe, and her cat, Eartha Kitty.