Lynette Marrero, Co-founder, Speed Rack, New York City and Bar Manager, Llama Inn, Williamsburg, Virginia
Regarded as a pioneer in promoting women’s careers behind the bar, Lynette Marrero is the co-founder of Speed Rack, the nation’s first all-female speed bartending competition. As a city-to-city showcase of serious female bartending talent, Speed Rack unites sponsors like The Perfect Purée with Lynette and women like her to raise $100,000 annually for breast cancer research and prevention.
Lynette is the bar manager at the Llama Inn in Williamsburg, a highly-reviewed Peruvian concept she opened in late 2015 with chef Erik Ramirez. Her creations there incorporate her signature clean, culinary style with fresh ingredients like The Perfect Purée.
“The Perfect Purée has wonderful, creative flavors. The purity of the fruit comes through and is as close to in-season fruit as I can find in a purée,” Lynette says.
Lynnette’s “spirited” career began at New York’s Flatiron Lounge where owner Julie Reiner was remaking, and seriously improving, the city’s cocktail culture. Lynette quickly progressed from cocktail waitress to bartender and, like Reiner, felt she’d found her calling. After learning the ropes with Reiner, Lynette went on to work behind the bar at Freeman’s NYC and consult on the bar program for Elettaria in Manhattan’s West village.
Lynette founded DrinksAt6 to continue creating bar programs in Manhattan, cultivating a new generation of bartenders and elevating restaurant drink menus.
In 2009, the James Beard Foundation honored Lynette as one of America’s Leading Female Mixologists. Lynette was also named one of 2015’s Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Food & Wine.
In 2016, she was named Wine Enthusiast’s Mixologist/Brand Ambassador of The Year for her work with the Zacapa and Diageo brands and in 2017 was among the top four in the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Best Mentor category.
In 2011, Lynette and celebrity bartender Ivy Mix, another Perfect Purée supporter, co-created Speed Rack, which has since expanded to four global markets. Marrero continues to judge global Cocktail competitions and present seminars at key international cocktail festivals.