Emma Meyer / Bartender, Father Fat’s Public House, Stevens Point, WI
Biltmore

Where the Kitchen Leads, the Bar Follows

At Father Fat’s Public House in Stevens Point, WI, cocktails are inspired by the kitchen. Bartender Emma Meyer, owner, Leah Czerwonka, and fellow bartender Isaak Tauer work on seasonal drink menus with findings from Chef Christian Czerwonka’s well-worn copy of “The Flavor Bible.” “We take a lot of inspiration from the kitchen and Chef and his Flavor Bible,” Emma says. “We look up a base ingredient that we want to work with and start there.”

Then they discuss whether the drink is going to be sweet or sour, if they want “fizz,” and what unexpected elements to use — like spice or bitters.

This Dry January, their non-alcoholic Lemon With Attitude started with The Perfect Purée Yuzu Luxe Sour, an aromatic blend of citrusy yuzu, lemongrass, and makrut lime. Seedlip Spice 94 and homemade sour mix introduced still more tart, spicy notes, which they balanced with cinnamon syrup. “We decided cinnamon was a really nice complement because lemon and cinnamon go really well in tea,” Emma says.

Emma says The Perfect Purée’s blends help her build layers of flavor in non-alcoholic drinks. “Just because you’re not drinking alcohol doesn’t mean you can’t have a really delicious cocktail,” she says. “That’s something we really want to make sure that happens with our cocktails, that people can still feel like they’re enjoying a drink.”

Emma’s favorite blends are Chipotle Sour, Mango Passion Fruit, and Passion Colada. “It’s really fun to bring those flavors to our menu without having to bring in two syrups or two purées,” she says. “They always catch people’s eye.”

Farm-Driven Food and Community Connections

Seasonality isn’t a slogan, it’s a way of life at Father Fats, where the menu revolves around meat and produce from central Wisconsin’s vibrant year-round farming community. ‘Father Fats’ was Chef Christian’s nickname when he worked for Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans. The bold, spicy flavors of New Orleans inspire Father Fats’ diverse menu, along with influences from New York, Asia, and Spain. In the spirit of traditional public houses that served as social centers, Father Fasts’ menu of shareable plates encourages people to gather and try different things.

That community-minded approach extends to the companies that supply its ingredients. Unlike many restaurants, Father Fats includes brand names in its recipe descriptions. “We really like all of the products we use, and we pick specific things for a reason, so we want to make sure they’re recognized and noticed on our menus,” Emma says. “We like to make sure the local companies get called out as well.”

Father Fats is also unique in its ability to retain employees in an industry with notoriously high turnover. Emma has been working there for eight years, about as long as four other staff members. “Our bosses are great,” she says.

­Zero-Proof, Fully Established

Emma was a wildlife biologist studying bats when the job market slowed, and she took a job at El Jefe, the Czerwonkas’ earlier tacos and tequila concept. After the pandemic, what started as a temporary pivot turned into a new identity. “To my surprise, I fell in love with restaurant culture—especially the freedom it gave me to travel once the pandemic eased. Creating drinks feels natural to me—I instinctively know what works together and what doesn’t,” Emma says. “I’ve built a following and earned the nickname ‘Bad Emma’, inspired by my signature cocktail of the same name. It’s gotten to the point where people recognize me in grocery stores and shout, ‘BAD EMMA!’”

An environmentalist at heart, Emma appreciates Father Fats’ conscious sourcing. As more people opt for non-alcoholic drinks in Dry January and beyond, she’s noticed the flavor and quality of zero-proof spirits keep rising. Another trend she’s noticed is that the zero-proof movement is no longer a trend. “The younger generations, they’re just more sober curious,” she says. “They want to be able to do all of these things in life and keep exploring without having the feeling of a hangover. They also like the feeling of being in social settings and being present.”

Father Fats always has at least one non-alcoholic drink on its beverage menu, as well as non-alcoholic beer and a handful of THC drinks. Emma plans to introduce creative elements like a cocktail smoker to add depth and presentation to her non-alcoholic offerings. “I personally think mocktails are being explored more and more, and people want to see more creative things happening,” she says.