FOUNDERS

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 Ektoras Binikos has been at the forefront of New York’s cocktail culture for three decades, managing the bar programs at numerous fine-dining establishments including Aureole, Oceana and most recently as the Head Bartender & Bar Manager at the two-Michelin star restaurant, Gabriel Kreuther. As managing partner and head mixologist of the now-closed 2nd Floor on Clinton, an exclusive cocktail bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Binikos received critical acclaim, including being named by Business Insider &Thrillist as one of New York’s Best Speakeasy Bars.  He was the founder/owner of Art & Spirit Mixology, a consulting company focused on brand development, cocktail seminars and custom-designed specialty cocktails for corporate & private events, including a cocktail for artist Marina Abramovich’s 60th birthday celebration gala at The Guggenheim Museum.  Originally from the Greek island of Ikaria, Binikos studied filmmaking and visual arts. His approach to mixology is deeply informed by his role as a fine artist; Binikos strives to make each cocktail a work of art, imbued with the potential to transport to new places and evoke an emotional response. “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.”  

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 recently relocated 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.

Adam Osborne was born in Dallas, Texas, and raised in Paris, France. Since 2017 Adam has been working as a fashion model. He appears in campaigns and shows in Milan, Paris, and New York. In 2018 he moved to Manhattan, where he developed a passion for the art of bartending.  He is also a musician (plays piano) and is fond of Claude Debussy and Charles Mingus.  He continues to sharpen his talent at Sugar Monk, creating and serving fine elixirs of beautiful intoxicants.  

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 and 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.