Get to Know Bad Birdy, Global Bartending Consultant

From humble beginnings as a catering staff member at Universal Studios to creating custom drink menus for trendy spots around the world, Bad Birdy has spent most of the last decade captivating social media audiences with her unique flair for mixology. What began as a personal Instagram portfolio has evolved into a passion project showcasing one bartender's commitment to creating an immersive beverage experience for every guest. This dedication to her craft has won her nearly 200K followers across several social media channels and even attracted attention from heavyweight hitters in the world of bars and alcohol such as Alliance Brands Limited (ABL) and Krowne.

Now this bird is ready to spread her wings and fly towards a new goal: opening her own bar/restaurant and event company in Southern California. KaTom sat down with Bad Birdy to learn more about how she got started, where to get a taste of her work, and what she's tackling next in the world of hospitality.

Getting Familiar with Bad Birdy

Long before her current success in the bar industry, Bad Birdy got her start as a recent Cal State Fullerton grad with a brand new business degree and no desire to actually work in business.

"I graduated with a business degree, and I was torn between working for this engineering company that was going to give me full benefits," she explains. "But I couldn't picture myself behind a desk all my life. It just sounded boring."

Instead, she received an intriguing job offer from a mentor to stick the business management degree on a back burner and take her career in a completely different direction: the world of bartending. Despite her lack of experience, she decided to dive in headlong, and what started as a career gamble soon gave way to a solid winning streak.

"It became a passion, like, immediately. As soon as I started learning about it, I was just consumed in it," she says.

"When you're in your early 20s, what do you know about what you want to do? I still was kind of figuring out what path I wanted to go on, and bartending at the time felt like [something] fun in the meantime while I try and think about, 'Well, maybe is there something else I do want to do?' But as soon as I started bartending I was like, 'I can see myself doing this and owning a bar someday.'"

During this introductory stint as a bartender at Lock & Key Social Drinkery, she took to social media to start spreading the word about her new endeavor – and just like that, Bad Birdy was born.

Bad Birdy's Rise to Fame

Cultivating a successful social media following doesn't happen overnight, and turning her passion into a full-fledged career entailed much more than just posting a few photos. Being a bartender is never an easy job, and standing out from the competition requires a special kind of dedication. At the bar, Bad Birdy quickly gained a reputation for turning out show-stopping libations through experimenting with unique methods and ingredients.

"I think that creating cocktails, for me, is almost like being a chef, but instead of working with fire, you're working with ice," she explains. "I love the whole culinary world, so I take an approach to cocktails as, you know, how can I pull pieces from different cultures and translate this into a beautiful cocktail? Something that takes someone back to a memory… and it looks beautiful, it tastes delicious, and there's a lot of elements to it."

After hours is no different, as she dedicates much of her time to not only creating entertaining content and tutorials for her fans but also going out of her way to add a personal touch to each interaction.

"I'm always taking time out of the day to make sure I'm responding to every single person that leaves me a comment and just thank them for their support," she says. "I literally will sit down every day for an hour and just respond to everybody."

This dedication to her online presence soon paid off in a big way. In 2017, Alliance Brands Limited, a global lifestyle brand development company, reached out and offered Bad Birdy a job working as a Global Cocktail Creative – a position she hadn't even known existed at the time. Within a few years of entering the industry, Bad Birdy was reaching a level of success many entrepreneurs could only dream of, and the true power of social media finally hit home.

"That was when I felt like, 'Wow, this is actually helping my life, this is actually working,'" she says. "It just blew my mind that that was even a career option."

Making a Name in the Hospitality Industry

Although it's been several years since she made the decision to begin bartending, Bad Birdy's's zeal for designing delicious, hand-crafted cocktails hasn't waned.

"It is what I think of every single day, what I go to sleep – or sometimes can't sleep – because I'm thinking about it all day long. It is definitely my passion, and I haven't had that moment of, 'I'm tired of this,' or 'I want to do something else,'" she says. "I know that I still have a lot to learn, but that's the exciting part, that's why I don't leave this industry, because there's still so much more that I want to do."

While that passion for perfection has helped drive her success, it can be a double-edged sword. When asked about hurdles she faced in the past, she quickly cites self-doubt, a familiar obstacle to creatives across every industry.

"I think my biggest obstacle is myself," she says thoughtfully. "I can be doubtful of myself, and I start getting in my head too much, like… 'Is this the best I can do?' …I have to get out of my head and remind myself that the fact that [I] care this much says a lot."

Bad Birdy's Current Collabs

For those of us not fortunate enough to live in a city where Bad Birdy has consulted, there's another way to get a taste of her work. Featuring a refreshing mint twist on a familiar classic, DRNXMYTH's Rum Punch cocktail was created by none other than the "One Woman Show" herself. Designed for easy consumption, DRNXMYTH's beverages are bottled in a unique dual-chambered container that keeps the ingredients separate until it's time to drink. Simply twist the bottle and shake it up to pour out a freshly mixed cocktail with flavors to rival your favorite bar.

For business owners wanting more than just a drink sample, Bad Birdy's current partnership with Krowne offers an all-inclusive bar consultancy program. Krowne clients who are building or rebuilding their bar can benefit from Bad Birdy's years of hands-on experience working at bars, restaurants, and night clubs around the world. Aside from designing and testing the bar, clients can also expect assistance with bar menu development and staff training to ensure a unique, high-quality experience for every patron. More information can be found in our article on the Krowne x Bad Birdy collab.

All About KUDUOWL

Although she's already become notoriously successful in the realm of hospitality and foodservice, Bad Birdy's just getting started. According to her, everything so far has been leading up to her latest, greatest endeavor: KUDUOWL.

Conceived and launched in partnership with her brother, Brian Colom, and best friend, Cody Cox, KUDUOWL promises mythical beverage experiences at events such as holidays, birthdays, and weddings, as well as offering consultations for bars and restaurants. But that's only the beginning. Although the team is currently working with a mobile bar station (designed and built in partnership with Krowne), a brick-and-mortar location is soon to follow. Slated to open in Pasadena, Calif., the KUDUOWL bar and restaurant will be open to the public, featuring a come-as-you-are atmosphere and food and drink recipes hand-crafted by Bad Birdy, Brian, and Cody.

As for the team's long-term goals for the restaurant, they've decided to keep it realistic: "Hopefully, the ultimate goal is to be named number one bar in the world."

What's Next for Bad Birdy?

Not satisfied with simply being a globe-trotting beverage program creator, international bar consultant, bar owner, and social media star, Bad Birdy has even bigger future plans for herself and the entire hospitality industry. Once she's done raising KUDUOWL to prominence, she hopes to replicate that success with multiple bars and restaurants in several different locations. Rather than a chain, however, she plans to make each location unique and memorable.

"It's hard to replicate what you've created," she says. "KUDUOWL, this is my dream, my baby… trying to replicate that in another state would probably be difficult. I'd probably do another concept, you know? Something totally new… I would love to have several bars and restaurants that I own, different styles."

While she has big dreams for her brand, Bad Birdy also stays grounded in practical matters. Through her own experience in the industry, she's seen how easy it is for bar staff to fall through the cracks, and she aspires to address this at her own businesses someday.

"I would love to create a program where anyone that works for me could potentially have profit share. What happens with this industry is a lot of bartenders don't have security," she explains. "I want the people that work for me to feel like this is a career choice, you know, and you can make good money and I'll take care of you along the way."

"I'm going to show you what's worked for me, and hopefully this works for you," she continues. "I want to bring everyone up with me."

Thirsty for more? Check out her projects on Instagram at @bad_birdy and @kuduowl, or Bad Birdy's website.