The Hidden Hero Behind North America’s Number One Cocktail Bar

Tomato Tree Cocktail from Sip & Guzzle

Eric Medsker

Sip & Guzzle’s ascendancy in the bar world has been swift and absolute. Within two years of opening, the dual-level West Village watering hole has already been named the best bar on the continent by North America’s 50 Best. It has amassed a total of six nominations at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards–including best new cocktail bar of 2025. It’s been a James Beard semi-finalist, with an exceptional food menu every bit as lauded as the drink selections.

The industry icons involved in this meteoric rise are well documented. Behind the bar it’s Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider; legends with decades of experience shared between them. In the kitchen it was Mike Bagale (of Alinea fame) and now Isaac Leidenfrost (formerly of Aska).

Less discussed, however, is the role of Justin Weitz. A New York lawyer and art collector with a longstanding passion for food, drink, and hospitality, he was actually instrumental in developing the concept of Sip & Guzzle. The owner and co-founder of the bar took his inspirational cues from extensive travel across Japan. After coming back home, his grand plan was to craft a thematic bridge between his two favorite F+B cities on earth: New York and Tokyo.

It was Weitz who handpicked the all-star team who would carry that concept to life. And the rest is rapidly-written history. To get a better sense of how it all unfolded, we sat down with the entrepreneur in an exclusive interview. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Food, drinks and hospitality seem to be a genuine passion rather than simply a business opportunity. Where did that fascination begin?

Justin Weitz: “Food has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It’s something I shared deeply with my grandfather. A lot of our time together was spent on food adventures – dumplings in Chinatown, lamb chops at Neary’s on the Upper East Side, pizza in New Haven, to name just a few. While it is certainly an obsession of mine, food, beverage, and hospitality for me are really a vehicle for something bigger: connection. Together they can create memories and bring people together in a way few things can.”

Sip & Guzzle’s premise seems to be built on connection and storytelling. Why do those ideas matter so much to you personally?

JW: “Sip & Guzzle has always been about creating an experience. Everything we do – the food, the drinks, the design, the music, and the hospitality – is meant to make our guests feel something. When you walk down the stairs into Sip, we want you to feel like you’ve stepped into a back alley in Shibuya. That kind of storytelling only works when every detail supports the same narrative. The best hospitality moments in my opinion aren’t just meals or drinks. They are the ones that stay with you long after you’ve left.”

Your travels throughout Japan clearly shaped your perspective. Was there a particular experience that changed how you thought about hospitality forever?

JW: “There were two times in my life that completely changed how I think about hospitality: my first visit to Eleven Madison Park and my first trip to Japan. At Eleven Madison Park, while Will Guidara was still there, during our dinner my family was discussing how badly we wanted to try Shake Shack’s new chicken sandwich (I told you we are obsessed) before it disappeared from the menu. Somehow the staff overheard us. A few courses later, they surprised us with a platter of Shake Shack burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches. For a restaurant operating at that level – number one in the world at the time – it was such a selfless and thoughtful gesture. They didn’t do it because they had to. They did it because they wanted to create a memorable moment for their guests. That gesture has stayed with me ever since and continues to influence how I think about hospitality. Japan reinforced the same lesson on a cultural level. Beyond the food and service, I was struck by the care and intentionality people bring to everything they do. There’s a Japanese concept called shokunin, often translated as craftsmanship, but it’s really about dedicating yourself to constant improvement and taking pride in your work. That’s something we try to embody at Sip & Guzzle and something I’ll carry with me forever.”

Sip & Guzzle feels bigger than a cocktail bar. When you first imagined the concept, what were you trying to create?

JW: “Sip & Guzzle has always been a love letter between New York and Tokyo – two cities and two cultures that we deeply love. On the surface they can feel completely different, but they influence each other in more ways than people realize. We wanted to create something that celebrated that relationship, while showcasing the best qualities of both places. Being embraced by and having an impact on both cities is something we hoped for, but never expected on this scale. Seeing people connect with that vision and make it part of their own story has been one of the most rewarding aspects of our journey.”

The venue combines history, design, art, food and drinks into a single narrative. How did you get all of those elements to work together?

JW: “For us, every element exists to serve the story. The food, drinks, design, music, art, and hospitality aren’t separate pieces – they’re all pieces of a bigger picture. If one part feels disconnected, the illusion breaks. We wanted it to be immersive. We wanted every detail to reinforce the feeling that you’ve stepped into a world that sits somewhere between New York and Tokyo.

What made you believe Shingo Gokan and Steve Schneider were the right people to bring this vision to life?

JW: “If Sip & Guzzle is a reflection of New York and Tokyo, then Steve and Shingo are the souls of those cities. Steve is the quintessential New York bartender. He’s a legend, but more importantly, he embodies the warmth, energy, and personality of New York. He is Guzzle. The same is true of Shingo and Sip. His thoughtfulness, precision, and hospitality perfectly represent the qualities that make Japanese cocktail culture so special. What’s fascinating is that Steve and Shingo couldn’t seem more different on paper, the true Odd Couple, yet together they make perfect sense. They’re the yin and yang of Sip & Guzzle. In many ways, their friendship and partnership are a metaphor for the concept itself. I couldn’t have asked for better partners, both professionally and as people.”

How would you describe your own role in the project?

JW: “I always joke that if Steve and Shingo were in charge of the drinks, I was in charge of just about everything else, especially in the beginning. I raised the capital, negotiated the contracts, stood outside in January collecting signatures for the liquor license, helped oversee construction, designed much of the space, and continue to help operate and guide the business alongside Steve and Shingo. Creatively though, my biggest contribution was the food program. If Steve is Guzzle and Shingo is Sip, then I am Savor (our internal name for the food program). From day one I believed the food had to match the creativity and quality of the drinks. That philosophy became a huge part of what makes Sip & Guzzle unique today.”

When people talk about the bar’s success, what do you wish they understood about the team behind it?

JW: “What I wish they understood more is our story. The ethos of Sip & Guzzle follows the story of Shingo’s career. Shingo started in New York at the legendary Angel’s Share, fell in love with New York cocktail culture and brought it back to Japan to start the SG Group. His story closely resembles the story of the 77 Samurai. In 1860 the Japanese consulate sent 77 legendary Samurai to treaty with the United States for the first time in history. There is a reference to the Japanese cocktail around the same time in Jerry Thomas’ world renowned book How to Mix Drinks. Brandy, orgeat and bitters. So The legend is that these samurai made Port in New York and would frequent Jerry Thomas’ bar, and they, similarly to Shingo, fell in love with New York cocktail culture, and brought it back to Japan to create the Japanese cocktail revolution. So we like to imagine that Sip & Guzzle is an extension of this. We like to imagine that these Samurai are coming back to where it all started after everything they have learned, and Steve is our new age Jerry Thomas. This story echoes through all of Sip & Guzzle. In fact, Sip is designed to look like the haul of the ship that the Samurai sailed on…. The Karin Maru.”

You’ve spent years immersed in law and now hospitality. What has each profession taught you about people?

JW: “My background in law has been invaluable in navigating the hospitality industry. Understanding negotiations, contracts, risk, and people has been a tremendous help. At the end of the day, both businesses are really about people. Whether it’s clients, guests, judges, partners, or staff, it comes down to understanding what matters to the people you’re surrounded by. I’m a plaintiffs’ lawyer, so in many ways I’m in the service business in that regard too. Whether it’s a client or a guest, people want many of the same things. They want to be treated with kindness and respect. They want honesty and authenticity. That idea is a cornerstone of hospitality, but it’s equally important in my legal practice. People remember how you made them feel, and they can tell when you genuinely care.”