Meet Haleigh & Cody Brown: Co-Founders, Home Bar Network

We had the good fortune of connecting with Haleigh & Cody Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Haleigh & Cody, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We established Home Bar Network on April 7, 2020 when things started getting real with quarantine. Both of us have always been wildly passionate about bar culture, and all the cocktails, spirits and stories that come with it. When the bar Cody worked at had to shut down, we posted a video on his personal Facebook of how to make an Old Fashioned using what you may have in your kitchen, and our friends loved it. Next, we posted a Martini video, then a Margarita video, and soon enough the idea for Home Bar Network was born. We realized that people have been watching cooking shows for decades, it’s about time there was a network dedicated solely to the beauty of a properly made cocktail. Our goal is to teach our viewers and those who take our classes that great cocktails at home are only a few shakes away.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our mission with Home Bar Network is to educate and entertain. Our goal is to have our own TV show one day and build our own boutique spirits store. Right now, we are focusing on building our virtual cocktail class program. What sets us apart from other bartenders online is our unique approach to teaching. We don’t believe in the pretentious attitudes you so often see from professional craft bartenders these days. We are passionate and truly believe in the art of hospitality, a concept that often gets lost in today’s world of trendy bars and overly complex cocktails. We want to bring cocktail education to the world in a way that is fun, entertaining and most of all, easy to understand. We’ve learned so many lessons during our combined 20+ years of experience behind the bar… there are too many to count. But we agree the biggest lessons to know would be: learn how to adapt and cater to your clients, learn how to make people feel a certain way, and most of all, make people feel welcome. Make it memorable. Make it fun. Make it delicious – that’s the recipe for a good bartender. Home Bar Network is all about #RaisingSpirits both literally and figuratively.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We live in Roswell, GA so we would kick off the weekend at home base. We’d start with a tour of some of our favorite historic buildings and a light hike at the Roswell Mill waterfall followed by a burrito from Super Mercado Jalisco #6 or a Chicken Shawarma from Jerusalem bakery, depending on our mood. Next we’d go home to freshen up and get ready for happy hour. We’d whip up some French 75s to sip while everyone’s getting ready then hop into a Negroni or Boulevardier to whet everyone’s appetites for the next course. Then we’d take a short walk to downtown Roswell for a light bite at VAS Kouzina (their Octopus Carpaccio is out of this world). After that, we’d walk across the street for a dram of whiskey and live music at Mac McGee. If we’re still hungry, we’d order a Shepherd’s Pie and fries w/ garlic aioli cuz they’re the best around. The following day we’d venture out to Buford Highway to get lunch at Mamak for Char Kway Teow and Hainanese Chicken Rice to start the day. Then, we’d head over to Beltline for a pub crawl to get our steps and cocktails in. Once we’ve worked up our appetite enough, we’d head over to Fred’s Meat & Bread for an Italian Grinder. Finally, we’d finish the night in Virginia Highlands with live blues music at Blind Willies and some late-night buffalo chicken tenders at Atkins Park.   

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I can point to a few people who’ve had direct influences on my tastes, opinions, as well as exposure to flavors and cultures that have shaped me and my successes. First, Anthony Bourdain, for showing me the world through my television and inspiring a wanderlust that has been with me since the first episode. Second, my aunt Kathy and uncle Jim, who were fortunate enough to take me and my cousins around the world to expand our world view and experience new things. Third, Marcus Bifaro, the one who taught me everything I’d need to know behind the bar after I’d already been tending bar on and off for seven or so years. Marcus came to Georgia from Manhattan where he’d managed and opened several bars and taught me that bartending wasn’t just some in-between-jobs gig, that it could be a career and an art that I could study and hold onto.

Website: https://homebarnetwork.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homebarnetwork/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/homebarnetwork
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homebarnetwork
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqUqeHkDfihbYNbxLB3Ph3A
Other: https://www.patreon.com/homebarnetwork

Image Credits
All images are our own. Photographed by Home Bar Network.