Mixologist Miles Macquarrie of Leon's Full Service - Biography

When obsession is the force that drives you, anything’s possible. Or so proves mixology whiz Miles Macquarrie. Working his way through the Atlanta cocktail scene for the past decade, Macquarrie spent time behind the bar of Holeman & Finch Public House, among other favorite local watering holes. Most recently, Macquarrie landed in Decatur as head bartender at Leon’s Full Service, where the young cocktail gunslinger seems to have seriously found his footing. And how.

Calling Macquarrie merely passionate doesn’t do justice to the dedication this bartender exhibits for execution and technique. Like many of the best of his pro peers, and culling from traditions of the Southeast, Macquarrie mixes his own house-made bitters and tinctures, and works in seasonal produce. The result is the spot-on, city-wide hit menu at Leon’s Full Service. And Macquarries’s lasting obsession isn’t just rewarding palates. It’s rewarding him.

The 2012 Rising Star Mixologist was named Creative Loafing’s best bartender two years in a row, and Leon’s Full Service earned best cocktail program in 2010, as well as national press in Imbibe and Food & Wine. Beyond professional accolades, Macquarrie’s developed a sort of cult following amongst industry and civilian tipplers alike. As he puts it, the drinks at Leon’s are as strong as their weakest bartender, and given Macquarrie’s potent talent, we’re confident that means strong across the board. As Macquarrie continues to mix at Leon’s, focusing on technique-driven, aromatic drinks, he’s also looking toward creating his own bar space sometime soon—with a personal drive and obsession that are sure to get him there.