Bob McCoy, Bar Manager, Island Creek Oyster Bar

Truly a product of the business, Bob McCoy was all but born in a restaurant. He spent Thanksgiving as a kid running through the kitchen of his grandparents catering hall and Christmas slinging back Roy Rogers at his uncle's bar, the 621 Tavern & Grille. His uncles were cooks, his aunts were waitresses, and his father was head honcho behind the bar. With McCoy’s foot firmly planted in the family business, it was only a matter of time before he made it official – he began cooking at the tavern during high school.

Bob Sr. finally brought his boy behind the stick after his first summer home from college. Trained under his father’s watchful eye, McCoy spent the next three years studying literature at UMass Amherst and tending bar on Block Island during the summers. After graduating in 2000, McCoy landed at Beverly’s Wild Horse Cafe where he worked for almost 7 years. By the spring of 2007, he’d become increasingly curious about bar culture in the “big city” and started looking for a place to elevate his craft. He found it at Eastern Standard, where the dedicated team and groundbreaking menu helped him discover not only the classics but also the true art of service and cocktail craft. Under the guidance of bar mentor Jackson Cannon he learned to master the techniques and fundamentals of drink-construction and hospitality. Working his way up to Principal Bartender there, he helped Cannon develop Eastern Standard’s heralded bar program by rediscovering lost classics, creating signature cocktails, and passionately educating both staff and guests. He dove head-first into every classic cocktail book he could find- one of his favorites being Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails.

When plans to open the Island Creek Oyster Bar came to fruition, McCoy jumped at the opportunity to manage the bar program. With a focus on local products, seasonal produce, and aperitif-driven cocktails, he’s quickly put ICOB on the map as a drinking destination in Boston.