BARTENDER Magazine’s 27 for 27: David Yee

David Yee is the Beverage Director and a co-founder of an Asian-influenced bar and restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, alongside partners Alex Chien, Kayla Chien and Josh Spiers. The bar has earned national attention, including a Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award for Best U.S. Restaurant Bar and a 2024 finalist placement for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar. David’s creative work reaches well beyond the bar. He is also the author of *Mongolian Horse*, published by Black Lawrence Press, bringing a storyteller’s perspective to his hospitality career. His experience includes national cocktail competition finalist appearances and recognition for inventive drink-making. At his bar, he has helped build a beverage identity that has attracted attention far beyond Columbus, while remaining rooted in the team and community that created it. David’s blend of writing, creativity and restaurant-bar leadership makes him a distinctive voice in the industry. And, as he likes to remind people, he is originally from Maryland. Before his bar’s national awards, David had already developed a track record of imaginative cocktail work. His career now brings together the collaborative demands of opening a bar, the creative work of shaping a beverage program and a life in writing.