Meet Brian Freed

Passionate about the art of making amazing cocktails & seeing people’s reactions when they try them for the first time

A Man of Craft and Partner at Stache Drinking Den & C.W.S. Bar + Kitchen

Entrepreneur Brian Freed, co-owner of 3-J Hospitality, brings over a decade of business experience and a great passion for the nightlife scene to the team. He attended Lynn University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management; it was there he met friend and now business partner Jeff John. In their college days, Freed and John frequented Miami bars and nightclubs and became avid followers of the scene. A native of Pittsburgh, Freed successfully owned and operated several family businesses, including a clothing store and a wholesale distribution corporation after college.

In 2013, after almost opening a similar concept in Pittsburgh, Freed reunited with John and moved back to Florida to help with the expansion of the 3-J Hospitality brand. With his enthusiasm for craft cocktails and the hospitality industry, he was able to transform Stache, the speakeasy-like den into a high volume venue. Now, Freed and John are at work on their latest project C.W.S., a craft cocktail bar/social dining concept. An art collector for over fifteen years, Brian is heavily involved in the design of each establishment.  He is a member of the United Bartenders’ Guild in Miami, an organization that unites the hospitality community and advances professional bartending. He is the co-founder of the Fort Lauderdale Whisk[e]y Society, South Florida Tequila Festival and a conSPIRITor with Spirited South Florida.

1. Known for … My love of Bourbon and pushing the cocktail experience in Fort Lauderdale and soon Lake Worth
   
2. Your go-to drink is… Buffalo Trace Smoked Old Fashioned or anything tiki.
3. Must have Garnish … orange peel. That friendly scent when you dive into your libation
4. Essential Bar accessory … Yarai mixing glass. Because not all cocktails deserve the shake.
5. Best local bar … Mai Kai has been a staple to me and my family since the day they opened back in the 50’s. No one knows how to make a rum cocktail like these guys.
6. You are loving … The art of making amazing cocktails and seeing people’s reactions when they try then for the first time. 
7. This time next year you’ll be drinking… Pappy Van Winkle or Michter’s 20 year old Bourbon