To many minds at Southern, the blending of bartenders, salespeople and slippery tropical fruit amounts to a recipe for disaster.

Not so for David Nepove.

As the newly appointed director of mixology for Southern Wine & Spirits of California, he believes that the more these ingredients come into direct contact, the better off the business.

David is an ardent advocate of the “the camaraderie of a united sale force and bartenders,” who, he says, pine away in nocturnal obscurity, without consistent access to innovative ideas or even one another.

“So often when new products come to market, we’re the last to know about it,” he laments.

In his new capacity, David aims to change this prevailing state of disenfranchisement

Click here for David Nepove recipes

– and boost sales – by instilling greater professionalism and creativity throughout the spirits trade and expanding the networking possibilities among the ranks.

His job entails training and imparting product knowledge. (David is currently developing programs for influential chains such as the Ritz-Carlton, Il Fornaio, and the W Hotel with Kim Beto, a director of key accounts in San Francisco, and Judy Donahoe, an educator and product knowledge specialist in Union City.)

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” says David, who routinely shares his knowledge with peers at events sponsored by the San Francisco chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild. “It’s come full circle – finally.”

Foremost on his syllabus is convincing bartenders to use the finest cocktail-making equipment available.

“America has the worst tools, such ugly designs,” says David, who sells his own line of sculpted muddlers on the web at www.MisterMojito.com. European-crafted implements – knives, strainers, shakers, zesters and spoons – can bring style, finesse and precision to the cocktail-making performance behind the bar, he says.

Upgrades to the accoutrements of the bar are just precursors to another of David’s professional ambitions: raising awareness about the epicurean heights to be achieved by creating cocktails with fresh ingredients – his forte cultivated for more than 20 years as a bartender.

David’s manager, Nancy Curry, vice president and director of National Accounts, SWS of California, praises his understanding of the ways spirits can enhance the culinary experience. “He’s more than a mixologist – he’s a bar chef,” she says.

Before joining Southern, David worked for a decade as a bar manager at Enrico’s, a destination restaurant in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, where he gained renown for artful drinks such as the Hennessy Raspberry Sidecar and the Kumquat Mojito.  Last year, he won the Italian aperitif cocktail contest at the 40th Bacardi Martini Grand Prix with his Bitter Delight recipe, which calls for Campari, Citronge orange liqueur, grapefruit and Asti Spumante. His cocktails have also appeared in such publications as 7x7, San Francisco, the San Francisco Chronicle, Restaurant News, and Santé (a trade magazine).

“If I am famous, it’s because I love to muddle fresh fruit,” he says.

It’s the first step in elevating the status of the mixed drink to that of wine, i.e., the meal’s consummate companion beverage. To sustain the ascent, bartenders will have to look beyond the typically sweet cocktail repertoire of appletinis and lemon drops.

“The majority of people who like a cocktail experience want something with balance, something that has layers of flavor that can be paired with food. It’s these styles that are changing the present cocktail movement,” he says.

That movement is not just about crushed berries and freshly squeezed OJ. David notes that vegetables and herbs – cucumber, rosemary, basil, and mint – plus, oils, essences, foams, and gelatins are making their debuts in the on-sale market.

“My cocktails are tart and tangy, not sweet and cloying,” he says. Yet at mainstream Enrico’s, customers clamored for David’s unconventionally flavored creations like the Spanish Rose, a combination of Plymouth Gin, vanilla and honey liqueur, lemon juice, rosemary and a touch of cranberry. Recently, for Il Fornaio, he prepared a Bloody Mary made with muddled grape tomatoes, fresh basil, horseradish and shallots, and Vox vodka. The garnishes were a speared marinated mozzarella ball and heirloom tomatoes.

 The upshot of all this creativity? Better bar sales.

“Our customers can charge more for the drink because it’s truly handcrafted. Because premium spirits and premium products go into it, the guest doesn’t mind spending more,” says Nancy.

 For David, the approach also gives an ambitious bartender a shot at a starting role at the restaurant.

 "The cocktail is becoming an art form in the same way that food can be an art form," he says.  If chefs can get creative and imaginative and groundbreaking, so can bartenders."