Edumar Shantal, originally from Venezuela, is passionate about the world of cocktails. 11 years ago, Shantal came to the United States with the desire to become a bartender. Born with the gift of a developed sense of smell and taste, and with the desire to start a successful business, Shantal decided to begin her path in the hospitality industry through mixology. Embarking on this entrepreneurial path has inspired her to create her own business, Shadu Mixology, which reflects her unique, natural gifts as well as the hard-earned skills of her craft.
How did you begin your career in mixology?
Initially, mixology was not very recognized in the world of cocktails, but it always caught my attention. I was born with a defect which I now consider a gift. It allows me to just smell something and know how it tastes. My gift gives me a better ability to mix.
I came to Miami in 2009. I saw the movie Coyote Ugly and thought, ‘I want to do that!’ As soon as I arrived, I started working as a waitress where I learned all the basics. From then on, I had my own concept of creating personalized drinks for artists, with their smells, flavors, and textures. This was how I became known in the city. I have worked in more than 50 sites around Miami, which has allowed me to see how the handling of the bars works, how problems are solved, and that everything is functional and fast to sell. As an architect, I like to know the structure, organization, functionality of things, logistics, etc. I always wanted to create bars that work better and more efficiently.
Was there a mentor that inspired you to become a Mixologist?
Yes, definitely. Christian Delpech was my mentor and inspiration. He was introduced to me by a Mixologist friend and when I learned his story, I was truly surprised. I was interested in doing Flair for a moment, but my thing is flavors so I went for mixology. Then I met Johnatan Mejias and we instantly clicked. He and Christian have been my teachers and inspiration to this day.
How did Shantal the Bartender become an entrepreneur and create her own business, Shaduu Mixology?
In many situations, I had managers and bosses who did not treat the staff well and the bars were not functional. I always thought that they could not lead this way and hope to get good results from their employees. They do not seek to enhance the skills of their employees or motivate them to provide good service and feel comfortable in their work. This is one of the reasons for poor service in Miami. It was until I met Ivan Fuentes. when I worked in La Victoria that I really knew what a good manager was. We all worked happily with him. We all respected him. The work was more effective. When I created the Shaduu staff, I wanted to create a team that felt valued, motivated, rewarded, and respected. I had an idea to create mobile bars. I wanted them to not only look good but also work well. These bars created incredible cocktails and at the same time offered work to people at events. It gives me personal satisfaction knowing that people wanted to work with me and that they supported my concept. Shaduu is my most precious creation because it allowed me to help people while offering a great service, and it also translated to happy customers.
What is Shaduu Mixology?
Shaduu, the cocktail experience, began in 2017 aimed at events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, first communions, etc. Shaduu is present and available throughout Miami and Broward for any celebration that needs a bartender to serve liquor. We have held two events in Orlando because there is no such service there, even here this concept is not very developed.
Shaduu Mixology offers different services. They could be detailed as:
Shaduu Events: Wedding, Birthdays, Corporate Events.
Shaduu Academy: Online Masterclasses on basic bartender courses and courses for wedding / party planners where attendees learn to price the liquor and how to assemble the bars.
Shaduu Kids: Frozen drinks, smoothies, etc. for Kid’s parties, Baby Showers, Gender Reveal parties, First Communions.
Shaduu Energy: Mocktails or tea for holistic events, fitness, yoga, and wellness.
Shaduu Consulting: Consulting for bars, drinks, beverage bars programs, etc.
How did COVID-19 affect you personally and professionally?
It affected me 100%. On a personal level, I was at home locked up for four months. I just started working three weeks ago. Professionally, it obviously affected the business because you can’t do any kind of event. It has been a big challenge, but I have been able to survive. So far Shaduu is closed, but I still have expenses such as storage, insurance, taxes, keeping the registry activated, etc. I had to use my savings to keep everything up to date. I went back to work to handle my financial responsibilities.
Has being in Miami positively influenced your entrepreneurial efforts or did being here challenge your business pursuits?
Miami has been the bridge that I use to carry out everything I set out to do. I am grateful for having started here and I feel that it opened all the doors for me. I have been able to achieve everything by being here.
What do you like to do in your spare time? Tell us about your hobbies.
I love going to the beach, running, eating well, and resting. I really like where I am working, Kuba Cabana. I think that Esotico is wonderful. You feel like you’re on vacation. Barton G also has a spectacular bar and is quite an experience. I like to go to Sweet Liberty for its mixology. I totally recommend Switzerland too.
What drink would you recommend when visiting Kuba Cabana?
I suggest you try the Melon toast, a sweet, refreshing drink with Toast Vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and muddle watermelon, and the Diablo Maracuya, a Mezcal based spicy cocktail with Vida Mezcal, passion fruit, muddle lemon, sugar and the
Spice of jalapeño. And you can’t get wrong with the signature drink: Mojitos!
Melon Toast
What are your next projects?
My main project is to reactivate Shaduu, but I have a separate project as well. I want to take My Tea Bar to Hawaii and open a franchise there where I can work with teas and Tiki cocktails based on tea.
I also have another project in mind: to present bartenders and their drinks worldwide through a reality show.
What is the best way to contact you?
Instagram:@ShaduuMixology
Email: [email protected]
Phone number: (365) 967-1119
** Images by @Blazinvisual
