The Buildout Attaboy
Mar 4, 2026
Sam Ross, Melbourne-born bartender who trained at Milk & Honey, and Michael McIlroy, longtime Milk & Honey alum who helped shape modern cocktail culture, tell the story of taking over a legendary room and making it their own. They discuss persuading Sasha to let them keep the space, balancing legacy with a freer vibe, bootstrapping Attaboy, and expanding the concept to new cities.
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The First Great Drink Wins Customers
- Early cocktail education at Milk & Honey won guests quickly because the first perfect drink converted them.
- Michael says serving a Vieux Carré or Gold Rush made guests realize prior cocktails were subpar and earned trust immediately.
Brutal Hands On Training Built Precision
- Training at Milk & Honey was hands-on: cutting ice by hand, practicing rounds, and pouring from the bottle for precision.
- They ran full-booze practice rounds, tasted and dumped drinks, and developed Orders of Operation for tray timing.
You Can Keep Craft While Making The Room Social
- Attaboy intentionally stripped Milk & Honey's formality to create a more social, repeatable room while keeping cocktail quality.
- They removed reservations, relaxed dress/music rules, lengthened hours, and tested whether craft cocktails worked with louder rock music.