FOUNDERS

Ektoras Binikos has been at the forefront of New York’s cocktail culture for three decades.  Originally from the Greek island of Icaria, Binikos studied filmmaking and visual arts. His approach to mixology is deeply informed by his role as a fine artist whereby he strives to make each cocktail a work of art, imbued with the potential to transport to new places and evoke an emotional response. 

Forever pushing the boundaries of innovation, during the pandemic when Sugar Monk was forced to severely limit its hours of operation, Binikos created several lines of Sugar Monk house-made products including bitters, Carmelite Water, Eaux de Liqueurs, and Amari. Bartenders throughout New York City utilize his various bitters and Carmelite Water in their cocktail programs and Bloomberg Pursuits named the Ahkenaten Amaro one of the 16 Best New Spirits of 2021 alongside major global brands.

Prior to opening Sugar Monk in 2019, with co-founder/partner Simon Jutras, Binikos managed the bar programs at numerous fine-dining establishments in New York City including Aureole, Oceana and the two-Michelin star restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther. He was also the managing partner and head mixologist of the now-closed 2nd Floor on Clinton, an exclusive cocktail bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, that received critical acclaim, including being named one of New York’s Best Speakeasy Bars by Business Insider and Thrillist New York.

He was the founder/owner of Art & Spirit Mixology, a consulting company that focused on brand development, cocktail seminars and custom-designed specialty cocktails for corporate & private events. The focus was to push the boundaries of mixology towards the ideas of “liquid art” and concept mixology. He introduced the notion of creating cocktails after artists (living or dead) for various art institutions. Specifically, he developed personalized cocktails for artist Marina Abramovic’s 60th birthday celebration gala at The Guggenheim Museum and for the inauguration of Sean Kelly Gallery’s new space in Hudson Yards. For that project he collaborated with the Art Department of Absolut; the resulting cocktail, called The Absolute Kelly.

“I wish there were more bartenders like him,” noted the late writer and cocktail pioneer Gary Regan. “He’s one of a kind, we are lucky to witness his genius.” In his revised and updated edition of The Joy of Mixology, Regan references Binikos and Sugar Monk as a prime example of the “Art Meets the Barroom phenomenon” taking place in mixology. “In my opinion, minds like this have had the most impact on our craft [and] it’s artists like Binikos who have been chiefly responsible for the diversity in the cocktail revolution we have witnessed in recent years.”  

Simon Jutras was born in Montreal, Canada. He has a diverse creative background including architecture, interior design and furniture design for private clients. Also, a professional photographer, with a focus on both commercial work and fine art, Jutras ran Simon Jutras Photography for over 20 years with clients including Calvin Klein, Nine West, Tod’s, Mark Fisher, Coach, and Guess, among others. His work has been published in numerous books and magazines. Jutras is currently working on a book of fine art photography with Binikos that centers on mixology inspired by world-renowned artists.

Rima was born in Beirut, Lebanon and is of Palestinian descent. She studied at Parsons School of Design and worked as a fashion model early in her career. Her extensive experience in the hospitality industry includes bartending, front of house roles, and management. She worked for many years for Wolfgang Puck the famous Austrian chef in San Francisco.  She relocated about a year ago to New York City from Provincetown, Massachusetts, where she occupied various positions in the hospitality industry. Rima is very proud to have joined the Sugar Monk team.

 Krista was raised in the Pacific Northwest and moved to NYC to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art at The City College of New York. Her experience in hospitality spans over ten years in various roles including bartender, server, and manager. Krista has a passion for painting, horticulture and travel and is happy to have joined the Sugar Monk team. We are equally happy for her contribution and tremendous commitment to running the floor at night.

Ryan was born in Oklahoma. His vast experience in the hospitality industry includes bartending at The Smith (Lincoln Square), as well as Arts on Site NYC, Inc. (Residency and Retreat). He was also a partner/mixologist at Q Cocks, a weekly delivery cocktail service (2020-2021). He holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Oklahoma City University.

For the past 2 years he was our Head Bartender. He is now the Head Bartender of our new sibling bar, Bitter Monk in Brooklyn's Industry Cit and works one night a week behind the stick at Sugar Monk. He is also the lab coordinator of our new micro-distillery, Athera Spirits next door to Bitter Monk. 

Tama Matsuoka Wong is a forager, weed eater, meadow doctor, lawyer and mother of three. She is the author of the backyard field guide and cookbook Foraged Flavor (Clarkson Potter June 2012), nominated for a James Beard award in 2013. After more than twenty-five years as a financial-services lawyer, she launched Meadows and More to connect experts in the fields of meadow restoration, botany, and wildlife with people in the community. For the past three years Tama has supplied Sugar Monk with wild plants, roots, fruits, and flowers, ingredients that are often overlooked as inedible, yet full of flavors that connect us to the natural world. We utilize many of these wild ingredients in our cocktail program in the form of aromatic bitters, tinctures, infusions and syrups while others are important ingredients for our Amari and house made liqueurs.  She is also the official forager for Restaurant Daniel, the pillar of haute gastronomy in Manhattan's Upper East Side. She also works with organizations including the Audubon Society and Slow Food USA. In 2007, she was named Steward of the Year by the New Jersey Forest Service.