Terroir & Heritage
A reason behind every ingredient
The best drinks are born from appreciation. They start with a sense of place and evolve by honoring its soil, its climate, & its people. Stevan is most at home near agave, sugar cane, and vine. His mixed heritage weaves between all three.
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The Balanced Hospitality Podcast
Honest conversations about building a better industry. Equitable practices, creative excellence, and the business of hospitality — with the people shaping it.
Stevan
From humble beginnings to Michelin-recognized dining rooms, Stevan Miller's path through hospitality has never been decorative. It has always been necessary.
career
Stevan trained alongside some of the country's most respected names in the industry, learning menu architecture at the Land and Sea Department, the art of guest experience at Claudia, how to build and pivot a team under Rick Bayless, and what it means to lead with genuine creativity alongside Jenner Tomaska.
He earned his stripes as a nationally recognized mixologist at Claudia, where the Chicago Tribune called his program "the best cocktail program in years." They earned Michelin recognition and a Jean Banchet Award for Best Bartender in Chicago. He then brought that same precision to Esmé and Bar Esmé as Beverage Director. Most recently, they added on Petite Edith where Stevan helped create a vibrant dining and drinking experience in Old Town.
craft
Stevan is most at home near agave, sugar cane, and vine. These plants create terroir focused drinks that have heritage and tradition at its core. His cocktail style carves its own path, leaning on culinary technique and nature for inspiration. When building wine programs he focuses on those farmers that are the best stewards of the Earth and provide the clearest expressions of their place. Stevan has championed non-alcoholic programming before it was fashionable, approaching every menu, spirits-forward or alcohol-free, with the same attention. A drink without a story is missing its key ingredient.
If you read Apple Island on a menu it would sound good. Michigan apple, agave, Habanero. Tell the story and it becomes something rooted to its place. Apple Island in Orchard Lake, Michigan, is a 35-acre site with over 10,000 years of indigenous history, serving as a sanctuary, fishing spot, and meeting place for tribes like the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. Taking this inspiration Stevan thoughtfully crafted Apple Island. A cocktail composed of Michigan apples, habanero, and agave tying his Grandfather's Southwestern roots to an ancient Midwestern meeting place.
core
Stevan grew up knowing that the world does not take care of everyone equally. His father's life was taken when he was two, and his mother passed when he was young. He has been without a home and without resources. He witnessed first hand what it costs when institutions fail the people who hold them up.
Balanced Hospitality is his answer to those memories. A commitment, built into every idea, every choice, every pour, and every partnership. The people who make this industry exceptional deserve an industry that treats them that way. The podcast, the pop-ups, and the programming are all an expression of that belief. Everything is built on this foundation. The next chapter is about creating a system designed to give back.
recognition
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Jean Banchet Award — Best Bartender in Chicago
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Jean Banchet Nomination — Best Cocktail Bar Bokeh
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Michelin Guide — Claudia, Esmé
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Forbes Travel Guide
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Chicago Tribune — “Best cocktail program in years”
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Japanese Shochu & Sake Association — National Finalist
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Vinepair, Imbibe, Sommelier Edit, Inside Hook, Wine Enthusiast, Bon Appetit, and more
