Cocktails & Spirits

Bartender Louis Salgar Remembered With Events, Special Coin

On June 23, the tightknit Miami bartending community was rocked by the brutal killing of one of its own.

Louis Salgar, who was both a bartender and a talented musician, was fatally shot at his Upper East Side home. A few weeks later, 51-year-old Raul Reinosa (AKA Reinoso Martinez) was arrested in St. Augustine, after fleeing the scene in a stolen Honda. Reinosa is facing burglary and murder charges.

Just two months after the tragic event, Louis' sister, Nicole Salgar is keeping the memory of her brother alive through music, cocktails, and art.

See also: Louis Salgar, Broken Shaker Bartender, Killed Inside Home

Although Nicole currently lives in New York City, she and her brother remained close. The artist relocated to the Big Apple to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. She advanced in her career by curating art shows and becoming an integral part of the street art movement.

After her brother's death, Salgar wanted to find a way to honor him using her skills. She designed a commemorative t-shirt for Gramps, a bar that Louis worked at, with funds raised from the sale going to a scholarship set up in the young bartender and musician's name. A similar event is being planned at Broken Shaker.

The shirt will be released at a special party at the Wynwood bar on September 21. The fundraising event is sponsored, in part, by Fernet Branca. The Italian brand will also issue a limited-edition coin, also designed by Nicole Salgar. Only 100 coins will be produced, with each one presented to a bartender that participates in a three-month-long cocktail program. Each bartender will be tasked with creating a special Fernet cocktail and offering it at their bar. One dollar from the purchase of each drink will benefit the Louis Salgar scholarship.

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Laine Doss is the food and spirits editor for Miami New Times. She has been featured on Cooking Channel's Eat Street and Food Network's Great Food Truck Race. She won an Alternative Weekly award for her feature about what it's like to wait tables.
Contact: Laine Doss

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