The Earl Giles team

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Matthew John was born in Delaware on a cool September morning. He moved to Minnesota at the youthful age of 5, being raised in the land of ice and snow by his mother and father. Much of his family remained on the east coast, in and around Philadelphia and upstate New York. Through countless visits to his place of origin, Matt has embraced his East Coast roots through his love of cheesesteaks, home cooked Italian dinners, and colorful language during traffic jams.

By age 12, Matt was cooking dinner for his parents on a regular basis. Finding a certain calm in the organized chaos of a kitchen setting. When asked if he wanted to be a chef someday, he responded “only if every single guest personally thanked me for the meal.” A lot has changed since those elementary days.

After working as a bartender in a busy college bar, Matt attended MCTC for a culinary degree. Once he graduated, he took an opportunity to get his feet wet at the newly opened Butcher and Boar, immersing himself in the competitive kitchen realm. Since then, he has worked around the city under some of the most talented chefs that Minneapolis has to offer, with sous chef jobs at Il Foro, Martina, and The Dough Room.

Matt originally connected with Jeff and Jesse during his stint at Borough/Parlor back in 2013 while smashing that infamous burger. Back in the good old days of watching Jeff tinker with new elixirs and flavors in the converted upstairs apartment, to experiencing Jesse’s wildly successful Parlor Bar. The next chapter with this trio will be the most exciting yet! Matt has two cats and enjoys metal music, video games and golf.

Jesse has spent over 25 years in hospitality, grinding through every shift, every closing time and every holiday the industry could throw at him. He built one of the most respected cocktail programmes in the Twin Cities at Parlor Bar and became the kind of bartender other bartenders came to learn from. All of it leading to the opportunity to do what he always wanted: open his own distillery and restaurant in his home state of Minnesota.

He doesn't stand at the front and lecture. He's behind the bar with you, cracking jokes, sharing trade secrets and making drinks that remind you why cocktails are worth caring about. Jesse's philosophy is simple: hospitality first, always. Whether you're a first-time visitor to the restaurant or a distributor meeting for the fifth time, the experience should feel the same. Warm, genuine and a little bit unforgettable.

His middle name is Earl. That's not a coincidence. It's destiny.

A hospitality veteran and graduate of the Arts Institute MN Culinary Arts School in 2005, Jeff has done it all from dishwasher, bartender to executive chef. Jeff now uses all his experience and culinary expertise into formulation and R&D - transforming flavors of fresh raw ingredients into magical drinks.

Nick has been a figurehead in the creative cocktail scene of the Twin Cities and beyond for nearly two decades. He spent the last ten years as a Brand Ambassador for Bombay Sapphire and as owner and producer of Bittercube Bitters and Heirloom Liqueurs, traveling hundreds of thousands of miles across North America inspiring bartenders and helping them elevate their craft.

As a beverage consultant, Nick has trained over 600 bartenders and helped open more than 65 bar projects across the country. He created the Drinks Apothecary concept and partnered with Earl Giles to bring it to life inside our facility. He's the person brands call when they need a beverage program that actually works: commercially smart, creatively fearless and built on real experience.

He currently supports Malcolm Yards with their beverage programme and is a partner at Mr. Paul's Supper Club, because one company apparently isn't enough.

Originally from the UK, Pete brings over 20 years of marketing experience building premium spirits and lifestyle brands globally. He spent the last decade at Bacardi driving double-digit growth for Tequila Cazadores and helping Grey Goose return to significant growth for the first time in a decade. It was at Bacardi that Pete and Nick first met, collaborating on Bombay Sapphire and becoming firm friends. That connection eventually brought Pete to Earl Giles.

He brings a commercial mindset, a passion for innovation and a proven track record of turning great products into great brands. Based in Miami.

A native Arizonan, Jeff found his calling as a bartender after leaving work in Phoenix as a session musician. His love for the industry led him to work every position possible in the bar and restaurant scene, even picking up a hammer and building out venues himself. While bartending, his passion for new flavour combinations led him to creating his own liqueurs, vermouths and spirits.

He became the regional Minneapolis winner of the Bombay Sapphire Most Imaginative Bartender Competition and head distiller at Lawless Distillery before joining Earl Giles. He supposes Minnesota winters are about the same as Arizona summers: miserable.

Mike has more than 20 years experience in hospitality, working the bar at notable concepts including Pryes Brewing, Pat’s Tap, Pinstripes, Parkway Theater, Tumbleweed Coffee Bike and more. Mike leads consultancy, formulation and assists with cocktail and beverage development for clients across the country.