Ben Potts, from Beaker & Gray, shares bartending basics and iconic sips through ‘Drinking by Yourself’ series

Not long after the spread of the coronavirus shuttered bars across the state, Ben Potts had an epiphany while drinking at home by himself.

“Drinking alone is the responsible thing to do during this challenging time. Being able to reflect on how much we have to be grateful for while being still is a virtue,” said Potts, who directs the bar at The Sylvester and co-owns Beaker & Gray. “I thought, ‘why not help people drink by themselves better?’”

Encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing, many people have taken to learning new skills. Mixology is a trending topic, and Potts knows his way around a bar cart. In an effort to give back to everyone who misses sipping their favorite cocktails in public, he launched Drinking By Yourself, a series of how-to videos shot in Potts’s own kitchen and shared via his Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts. The episodes cover bartending basics and popular drink recipes, from making simple syrup to whipping up iconic sips like screwdrivers and old fashioneds. Each video is narrated documentary-style and set to soothing, inspirational music. Potts calls his tone that of a “woke mixologist.”

“With everything being so crazy at the moment, calm seemed like the right direction.” He describes his method as one might describe the recipe for a cocktail. “I combine education, mindfulness, and tranquility with a touch of humor, and I tie it all together with humility and compassion.”

Some of the most popular episodes in the series include step-by-step guides to recreating Potts’s signature Quarantine Punch and mastering the ultra-complicated vodka soda. He recently produced a video in partnership with INDULGE that shows how to craft the perfect French 75.

Potts decides what cocktails he’ll cover next in the series every Thursday morning during his weekly meditation and breathwork sessions. “I envision a blank marble wall with the answer on the other side. As I approach the end of my practice, I feel as though I am breaking through this wall. When I wake up, I can taste the cocktail in my mouth.”

Sometimes it’s a classic, like a sidecar or a daiquiri. Sometimes it’s a crowd-pleaser designed to get you tipsy quickly, like a Long Island iced tea. Potts said he’s open to requests, though, and regularly reads through user comments and messages to see what specific drinks or bartending tricks people want to learn more about.

Potts is also considering new ideas for connecting with fellow cocktail lovers, including one-on-one Zoom bartending classes and guided meditation. “We have all been impacted by the pandemic in different ways. I’m choosing to look at it as an opportunity to adapt and give back to those who have given me so much,” he said.

This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.