Liquor.com | How to Create a Drink Menu When You Have Food Allergies

While living with severe allergies is a hassle for the everyday drinker, it can be even more of a challenge for those working behind the bar. According to Brooklyn’s Hunky Dory bartender Sofia Present, who’s allergic to shellfish, nuts, peanuts and legumes, “the biggest challenge with allergies hasn’t been the actual visible reactions but the constant exposure to ingredients your body can’t handle, the lack of energy they cause and the ‘invisibility’ that makes people not take you or your condition as seriously.”

From managing prep to communicating with co-workers, Present and other top bartenders with food allergies share their strategies for creating drink menus and a safer bar environment for all.