Ruby Slipper will host three bartenders from New York City's Sip & Guzzle for an exclusive one-day pop-up on July 22, bringing the North America's No. 1-ranked bar to New Orleans during one of the beverage industry's busiest weeks. Damon Fabbo, Isabela Gonzalez and Turner Greaves will oversee the SECOND WIND event, running 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ruby Slipper's Canal Street location (1001 Canal St.). The collaboration centers on a theme of "Tokyo technique. New York hustle. New Orleans comfort." and pairs Japanese bartending precision with Ruby Slipper's Southern brunch menu through an exclusive cocktail lineup created for the occasion.
The Visiting Bartenders Gonzalez, a New York native who began restaurant work at 17, has worked at Pegu Club, Suffolk Arms and The Dead Rabbit before joining Sip & Guzzle. "Known for her upbeat personality and genuine hospitality, Gonzalez is passionate about making every guest feel welcome." Fabbo joined Sip & Guzzle as head bartender after previously leading Dullboy in Jersey City. An award-winning screenwriter and comedy school graduate, "Fabbo sees bartending as another form of storytelling. Whether he's crafting cocktails or writing satire, his goal is to make people laugh, feel at home and create moments people talk about long after the last sip." Greaves has been with Sip & Guzzle since opening and worked through multiple front-of-house roles before becoming a certified bartender. A Brooklyn native and former Great Jones Whiskey team member, "Greaves enjoys creating drinks that surprise guests while delivering a welcoming experience. His focus behind the bar is simple: make people feel cared for, create memorable drinks and leave every guest with something worth talking about."
Industry Specials and Context Beyond the July 22 pop-up, Ruby Slipper will offer exclusive specials for beverage and hospitality professionals July 20–24, featuring a $10 Southern Breakfast and $7 Bloody Marys with an industry ID or badge. No tickets are required for SECOND WIND. Bryan Bass, Ruby Slipper's chief marketing officer, said: "We're thrilled to host Damon, Isabela and Turner at Ruby Slipper and introduce our guests to some of the most talented bartenders in the industry. They represent the best of the cocktail world, and we've always prided ourselves on delivering Southern hospitality and the kind of brunch experience people are looking for after a long night. SECOND WIND is a chance to celebrate what both teams do best in a way that feels authentic to New Orleans." Alec Kass, general manager of Sip & Guzzle, framed the partnership as hospitality-focused rather than brand-driven: "We made the decision early on to approach this as a hospitality collaboration rather than a typical brand collaboration. Ruby Slipper has built something people already love, so our role wasn't to recreate Sip & Guzzle, but to contribute talented people and thoughtful cocktails that fit naturally into that experience. With so many people in New Orleans for one of the beverage industry's biggest weeks, we wanted to create the kind of menu that gives guests a chance to reset, enjoy a great meal with a surprising drink and head back into the day's festivities with a second wind." Sip & Guzzle opened at 29 Cornelia St. in Greenwich Village as a venture from bartenders Steve Schneider and Shingo Gokan, alongside founder Justin Weitz. The concept draws inspiration from the Japanese consulate's 1800s voyage to America and Jerry Thomas' legendary New York bar. Since opening, Sip & Guzzle has been ranked No. 1 on North America's 50 Best Bars, No. 39 on The World's 50 Best Bars, and No. 51 on the Top 500 Bars list. Ruby Slipper, founded in New Orleans in 2008, operates 26 restaurants across six states under two brands (Ruby Slipper and Ruby Sunshine). Both brands were named among America's top breakfast chains in Newsweek's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards and won Nation's Restaurant News' 2025 Breakfast Showdown.
Why It Matters
The collaboration highlights how established brunch and cocktail concepts leverage cross-brand partnerships to drive traffic during industry events. For Ruby Slipper, hosting a top-ranked New York bar offers credibility and novelty during a peak travel week; for Sip & Guzzle, the pop-up expands visibility outside New York without requiring a permanent footprint. Both operators benefit from shared hospitality values and access to each other's guest bases.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
