Owner

Ben Long has over 16 years of experience in the Washington D.C. and New York City restaurant scene at award winning restaurants and bars. He began bartending at Central Michel Richard in DC, which won best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2007. Once in New York, Ben worked as Head Bartender for esteemed chef April Bloomfield at the John Dory Oyster Bar, where he worked with legendary cocktail bartender, bar owner, and John Dory consultant Sasha Petraske of Milk and Honey Bar fame. Ben spent five years assisting Sasha in training bartenders on the Milk and Honey system of cocktail bartending, coined the “Petraske Method.” Ben continues to train and tutor bartenders in this highly respected “Petraske Method.” It is the backbone of Hereinafter’s cocktail program.

Ben is a local central Ohioan, graduating from Granville High School in 1999, then moving onto Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. He went on to earn a Master's Degree from American University in 2005. He also earned an advanced training certificate from The Wine and Spirits Education Trust in New York City.

Ben’s current pet project is developing a YouTube channel, Ben The Bar Guy, in which he makes “how to” instructional videos for up and coming bartenders. Please click the Ben The Bar Guy tab above for videos.

Long's latest full time project was as General Manager of well-reviewed Reliable Tavern. In addition to Reliable’s success as a bar, Long started a cocktail ice company through Reliable Tavern. The large format ice was for serious amateur bartenders making cocktails at home and for local restaurants making high end cocktails.

Before Reliable Tavern Ben was the bar manager at the highly touted Convivial Restaurant in 2015-16. Thereafter, Ben became Beverage Director at the highly anticipated Shaw Bijou in DC.