Thad Vogler is a Santa Cruz native who has been bartending for almost 20 years. He has worked in the industry in Paris, Ireland, Tokyo, Guatemala, Cuba, Belize and of course San Francisco where he worked on the opening team of seven restaurants. Most notably he helped design, open and then managed the bars at the Slanted Door in the Ferry Building, Coco 500, the Presidio Social Club, and the Lounge at the newly remodeled Jardinière.

Currently, he is helping to design the bar at Camino restaurant with Russel Moore from Chez Panisse as well as designing and reopening the bar at Beretta Restaurant in the Mission. He is a paid consultant for Francis Ford Coppola Presents for whom he redid the rum based bar programs of the group's two resorts in Belize. He recently produced 7 different rum driven bars at a $16 million dollar three day event in the British Virgin Islands. He is proud to have worked at Bourbon and Branch, one of the most famous bars in the country and to participate in the Bourbon and Branch Beverage Academy. A graduate in Literature from Yale University, Thad has always loved a good story. The history of liquor in this world tells many beautiful stories, none richer than the history of rum in the Caribbean, the Americas and all over the world.


  • Rum : 'Rum's Role in the evolution of the cocktail.'