First Place: Coty Giannelli at Board & Bevy 

Coty Giannelli doesn’t work at the typical Kent bar. Instead, he owns and bartends at a meeting place for lovers of board games and specialty drinks. 

At Board & Bevy, he has been bartending for two years, since the grand opening. Utilising his previous bartending experience, Giannelli decided to step behind the bar as a way to better craft the experience he had in mind for people. 

Giannelli said Board & Bevy is a much different atmosphere to work in than other bars. Here, he’s able to slow down and be more intentional with his craft, creating unique drink recipes for the bar’s menu. 

“This is a little chiller,” he said. “I can focus on the craft, actually make a decent cocktail. It’s not necessarily about me pouring a bunch of booze into a glass…Here I get control over the menu and try to make something unique that people might not get somewhere else.” 

His eye for design extends beyond cocktails, too. One of the standout aspects of Board & Bevy is that it welcomes people of all ages, so the under-21 crowd can join in on the fun. Giannelli has created many of the bar’s mocktails himself, including the popular pineapple upside-down mocktail. 

“I was messing around with stuff and poured some pineapple juice in there,” he said. “I was like, this tastes exactly like a pineapple upside-down cake.” 

While he loves experimenting with drinks as a bartender, one of his favorite parts of the job is interacting with customers. 

“What I really like is when people come in and they may not see anything on the menu that they like,” he said. “They’ll ask, ‘Can you make me something with this?’ and I get to sit back and figure out something they might like that they’ve never had.” 

Second Place: BJ Melin at Ray’s Place 

BJ Melin has had decades of bartending experience. He’s used to the routine and rhythm from behind the bar at Ray’s Place. 

After starting working at Ray’s Place in 1994, Melin has been here ever since. In that time, he’s seen a lot. He’s experienced the shift from cash-only to tap-to-pay and interacted with generations of Kent State students. 

What’s kept him here, he said, is the community that keeps Ray’s running. 

“It’s like playing a sport,” he said. “Every time you come to work, you’re part of that team. Everybody’s got different jobs they’ve got to do to make everything run well.” 

Beyond the staff, Melin said his relationships with customers is a core part of his job. He’s talked with everyone, ranging from professors, students and local community members. 

“You’re always meeting people,” he said. “There isn’t the same group every day. You have regulars, but you’re always talking to new people, where they’re from, what they’re doing.” 

Knowing he placed in the top three for Best of Kent, Melin said receiving votes from Kent State students still means something, even after decades at the bar. 

“To be recognized by the college students…that’s pretty special,” he said. 

Third Place: Carly Swearingen at Zephyr Pub

Behind the bar at Zephyr Pub, Carly Swearingen plays a key role in making the space one of Kent’s most loved bars. From its outdoor patio to its upstairs dance floor, Zephyr is known for its variety in atmosphere. 

Swearingen, a bartender at Zephyr, works in the bar’s ever changing environment, including on quiet jazz evenings, crowded weekends and live music nights. As a bartender, Swearingen creates a sense of familiarity for customers. 

Sam Langstaff, a Zephyr Pub regular, has known Swearingen for around 15 years. He said the friendly environment she contributes to is why he keeps coming back. 

“I feel like every time I go, even if it’s super busy, the bartenders are still really attentive,” he said. “Carly is always really nice and makes the experience feel more personal, even when there’s a ton of people.” 

He said Swearingen’s presence in Zephyr contributes to the larger appeal of the bar, as it always has something different to offer, but the bartenders connect with the community no matter what day it is. 

“It can get chaotic, but she handles it really well,” Langstaff said. “You can tell she knows what she’s doing, and she makes people feel comfortable.”

Kayla Gleason is a hard beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected]. 

Sydney Brown is a KSTV reporter. Contact her at [email protected].