Executive Bar Chef Jon Arroyo

Congratulations to Jon and his team for being recognized as the “Fan Favorite” at Artini, the spring fundraiser for the 1869 Society at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. His original “Meet Paolo After A Month” Artini cocktail was inspired by a work of art and garnered much attention!

On the heels of his Corcoran Gallery of Art appearance, Jon jetted off to the invitation-only 2009 Grand Marnier & Navan Mixology Summit in Vail, Colo., April 5–7, 2009, where he was one of several top mixologists invited from across the U.S.

If you’ve never heard of a bar having an executive chef, welcome to Founding Farmers, where even the cocktails have a culinary and custom twist. Meet Executive Bar Chef Jon Arroyo, a true mixologist who believes that memorable experiences are created by each sip of a properly prepared cocktail, whether it’s an old standard, a Founding Farmers signature drink, or a small-batch bourbon, produced by a family distillery, served neat .

A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Chef Arroyo started his career in the acting world and, like most actors, spent a lot of time working in restaurants and behind the bar at beverage emporiums. The world of entertainment and creating great experiences for guests clicked for him when he joined the Houston’s restaurant brand. They introduced him to fresh ingredients behind the bar, and he developed a truly culinary appreciation for freshly prepared and handcrafted juices, mixes, and flights of fine spirits.

After seven years with Houston’s Chef Arroyo was recruited to open a new concept in Philadelphia—Smoke Joint BBQ, modeled after Bluesmoke in New York. Jon helped develop the whiskey bar concept there, sponsored by the folks behind Jim Beam brands, and soon proved to be the hottest new concept around. Chef Arroyo even had the opportunity to connect and learn all about bourbons from Fred Nohe, the great-great-great-grandson of the man who first created Knob Creek. Even with all that success, Chef Arroyo caught the acting bug again and returned to commercials and other thespian pursuits.

When a friend called Jon and told him about VSAG and all the exciting new concepts that the restaurant-consulting firm was developing, Jon was pulled back to his true passion—sharing the art of the cocktail by leading Founding Farmers’ innovative bar program.

We use special, pre-prohibition–era preparation techniques, for a cocktail experience that you’ll not soon forget. Our organic vodkas and biodynamic and organic wines by the glass offer something for everyone.

—Cheers, Jon Arroyo