BARTENDER Magazine’s 27 for 27: Mel Evans

Atlanta-based bartender Mel Evans is a storyteller and community builder with more than a decade of experience behind the bar. Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, she uses cocktails to explore memory, culture and connection, often transforming familiar flavors and personal experiences into unexpected drinks. Her curiosity has taken her to cocktail competitions and the Tales of the Cocktail Apprentice Program, where she has continued to learn from fellow hospitality professionals. Through her work with Spirited Sistas, Mel also helps create community and celebrate Black women in the industry. Her approach is rooted in creativity, education and a team-first mindset. Whether she is developing a cocktail, exploring a new technique or supporting her colleagues, she sees each opportunity as a chance to bring people together. For Mel, hospitality ultimately comes down to making guests and fellow industry professionals feel seen, welcomed and connected. Mel’s work reflects the belief that drinks can be a way to share stories that might otherwise go untold. She draws from lived experience and familiar flavors to create connections, while making space for others to be recognized and celebrated.