David Kaplan: Bartender Profile

Featured photo sourced from: instagram.com/dkproprietors/

David Kaplan Bartender Profile Key Takeaways:

• Death & Company Pioneer: Founded in 2006, Death & Co became one of the world’s most influential cocktail bars, setting new standards in design and service.
• Consulting Powerhouse: Through Proprietors LLC, Kaplan has designed beverage programs globally, bridging creativity with business sustainability.
• Author and Leader: His books, including Cocktail Codex, have shaped how bartenders and enthusiasts understand cocktail structure and philosophy.

As the founder of Death & Company and co-founder of Proprietors LLC, Kaplan has not only shaped some of the world’s most celebrated bars but also redefined how the hospitality industry thinks about cocktails, design, and guest experience.

Unlike many who entered bartending by happenstance, Kaplan approached the craft with a big-picture vision. 

He saw bartending as more than a job; it was an opportunity to build spaces where cocktails, atmosphere, and hospitality could converge into something transformative. 

In 2006, at just 24 years old, Kaplan co-opened Death & Company in Manhattan’s East Village—a bar that would become one of the most influential cocktail venues of the 21st century.

David Kaplan's Early Life and Training

Kaplan’s path into cocktails was unconventional. Raised in California, he grew up surrounded by a culture of creativity and innovation. 

After moving to New York, he gravitated toward the hospitality industry and bartending, attracted by the fast pace, creativity, and community it offered.

Unlike some bartenders who hone their craft exclusively behind the stick, Kaplan leaned into hospitality entrepreneurship early. 

He studied the history of cocktails and the business of bars while also immersing himself in the New York scene, learning from industry leaders.

Kaplan’s real training came not from formal bartending schools but from building Death & Company from the ground up. In doing so, he learned every aspect of bar operations: recipe development, service standards, branding, staffing, and financial sustainability. 

This holistic approach gave him a rare perspective—balancing creativity with long-term business vision.

Death & Company

David Kaplan’s most significant contribution is founding Death & Company in 2006, located in Manhattan’s East Village. At the time, New York was experiencing the early wave of the cocktail renaissance, with pioneering bars like Milk & Honey setting new standards. Kaplan envisioned a space that pushed those boundaries further—intimate, mysterious, and dedicated to world-class cocktails.

Key elements that made Death & Co revolutionary:

• Cocktail Menus: Seasonally rotating, meticulously developed by a team of bartenders, balancing classic inspiration with modern invention.
• Design: A dark, atmospheric interior that felt timeless and immersive, elevating cocktails to an experience.
• Service Philosophy: Emphasis on hospitality, ensuring guests felt as cared for as the cocktails they received.

Death & Company quickly became an institution, influencing bartenders and bar programs around the world. Under Kaplan’s leadership, it evolved from a single East Village bar into a multi-location brand:

• Denver (2018) – Housed in The Ramble Hotel, merging bar culture with boutique hospitality.
• Los Angeles (2019) – A West Coast flagship, blending Death & Co style with California’s lighter, fresher influences.
• Washington, D.C. (2022) – Expanding into the U.S. capital with a design-forward space that reflects the brand’s evolution.

Proprietors LLC

In 2007, Kaplan co-founded Proprietors LLC with Alex Day and Devon Tarby. What began as a consulting partnership has grown into a globally recognized hospitality agency. Proprietors LLC develops beverage programs for hotels, restaurants, and bars, emphasizing creativity, operational structure, and guest experience.

Projects include:

• The Times Square EDITION Hotel (NYC) – Full-scale beverage program design.
• Ace Hotels (globally) – Crafting bar programs that reflect local culture while maintaining high standards.
• Partnerships with boutique venues seeking elevated cocktail programs.

Through Proprietors LLC, Kaplan extended his influence beyond Death & Co, showing that cocktail expertise could scale into global hospitality projects without losing authenticity.

David Kaplan's Book Publishing Ventures

Kaplan has also left his mark on cocktail literature:

• Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails (2014) – A seminal cocktail book that combined recipes with philosophy and behind-the-scenes storytelling.
• Cocktail Codex (2018) – Co-authored with Alex Day and Nick Fauchald, it simplified cocktail theory into six “root recipes,” earning the James Beard Award.
• Death & Co: Welcome Home (2020) – Designed to bring craft cocktails into the home setting, making professional bartending techniques accessible.

These works established Kaplan not just as a bar owner but as a thought leader in cocktail culture.

Media Presence

David Kaplan has not sought the spotlight in the way some hospitality figures have. Instead, his media presence reflects his role as a strategist and leader in cocktail culture.

• Industry Coverage: Regularly featured in Punch, Imbibe, Eater, and The New York Times for his insights into bar culture, design, and business.
• Speaking Engagements: Frequently appears at industry conferences such as Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent, sharing lessons on entrepreneurship, branding, and sustainability in hospitality.
• Podcasts and Panels: Guest appearances on hospitality-focused podcasts, discussing everything from cocktail program design to leadership and team culture.

Kaplan’s media persona is consistent: understated, thoughtful, and focused on elevating the entire industry rather than promoting personal celebrity.

Awards and Recognition

David Kaplan’s influence has been recognized at the highest levels of the cocktail world:

• Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards
  • Death & Co awarded Best American Cocktail Bar (2010).
  • Consistent wins and nominations across categories, including World’s Best Cocktail Menu.
• World’s 50 Best Bars
  • Death & Company regularly appears on this list, often cited as one of the most influential bars globally.
• James Beard Award (2019)
  • Cocktail Codex, co-authored by Kaplan, Day, and Fauchald, won Best Beverage Book.
• Thought Leadership Recognition
  • Kaplan has been named among the most influential figures in modern cocktails by publications like Imbibe Magazine.

These accolades highlight Kaplan’s dual role as both a creative and a business leader in hospitality.

Conclusion

David Kaplan represents the modern evolution of hospitality leadership within the cocktail world. While many bartenders focus on the artistry of drinks, Kaplan has elevated the profession by combining creativity with entrepreneurship and design.

Through Death & Company, he built a bar that became synonymous with excellence. Through Proprietors LLC, he scaled that vision globally. And through his publishing work, he documented and shared the philosophy that underpins these successes.

Kaplan’s influence is felt not just in the bars he operates but also in the culture he has helped build: one where cocktails are treated with respect, hospitality is central, and bartenders are empowered as creators and professionals.