Robbie Wilson

Background

About Robbie Wilson

Hello digital world, My name is Robert Wilson, though please call me Robbie. I've always been an artist, since I could hold a pencil I was doodling and sketching. From there I explored pottery, paint, wood working, and more. After graduating Coast Redwood High School in California I moved with my parents and sister to Oregon to attend Oregon State University (my parents were born in Oregon and we had always planned on moving back). Of course my interest was art, but upon entering the program there was a realization that art college and an art degree doesn't pay the bills, so I changed my degree to business after a year study abroad in Japan at Waseda University. I figured that business would be both a practical and useful understanding of how our world works. From there to help complete my focus, which was International Marketing, I studied abroad again in Norway at The University of Adger. Upon returning and graduating I started a job at Yamasa Soy Sauce company in Salem. I quickly realized that I could not sit at a desk all day long and look at a computer screen. I needed human interaction and I needed to flex my somewhat forgotten art muscle. I began helping out at my at the time girlfriend's restaurant and after a time in the kitchen cooking I fell into bartending. I loved everything about it, the human interaction, the science of understanding ingredients, and the art of putting those ingredients together in a way that the guest in front of me could enjoy them. Fast forward several years and I had taken my Sommelier certification in wine, had learned more about spirits than anyone should know, and had gone all the way to the finals in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Competition (1 of 7 out of 700 people nationwide). From there I opened up my own cocktail bar in Portland called the Botanist with my business Partner. We quickly gained a lot of notoriety as one of the top cocktail bars in Portland. Then the pandemic hit, and we were forced to pivot to making free meals to the out of work service industry. From there we were gifted a very large rooftop patio spot on the building and have been serving out of there since. Currently working as the lead Bar Manager at The Tavern at historic Heathman Hotel in Portland Oregon and then working towards opening up my own premium RTD (ready to drink) cocktail line. Hopefully should be able to see those to the global market before the year is up. Stay Golden Robert J Wilson