5/3/13 To Whom It May Concern: I submit for your consideration for 2013 Eater Young Guns director of our

cocktail program, Jayce McConnell. Jayce is an entirely self-taught

bartender. Decided he wanted to take on the task of understanding craft cocktails and steer the program at Snackbar. The bar at Snackbar has one of the most innovative programs in the South manufacturing 20 different varieties of bitters, shrubs, tinctures and flavored liquors. He helms a program that is at once thoughtful and reverent while also playful and approachable. I admire what Jayce has done for a number of reasons. First, he takes his subject matter seriously, very seriously, yet doesnt take himself too much so. Second, he works tirelessly to continue improving the cocktail selection at Snackbar. Third, his drinks are, without exception, entirely approachable, where many are odd for the sake of standing out these days. Fourth, he is an exceptional teacher. Where some bartenders are territorial about proprietary technique and recipe of this or that, Jayce works extremely hard to make sure his entire staff is as capable as he of reproducing everything in the repertoire. Finally, he is a man who does precisely what he tells you he is going to do. In a world of dreamers and idea guys, Jayce is a gentleman who gets shit done. Very impressive. Chew on that for a while, Eater. My man is a winner. Sincerely,

John M. Currence Chef/Owner- City Grocery Restaurant Group