Rocky Yeh

by ,

                                              Rocky Yeh

The spirit world lost a great person on December 2, 2019, someone I considered to be a dear friend…...so it seemed only appropriate to dedicate my first article of 2020 to him.  I first met Rocky Yeh at Tales of the Cocktail (TOTC) in 2011. At that time I was one of 70 cocktail apprentices and Rocky was often there to lend a hand, in any way he could assist.  He proudly wore an honorary CAP Jacket, and his infectious, larger than life personality was such a positive influence, especially during our long work days. As my role in the CAP program grew (I am now one of the senior leaders), so did our friendship.   Rocky always respected what we did behind the scenes to make TOTC the largest and most renowned cocktail festival in the world, and he would jump in and help in any way he could. The CAPs arrive days before the festival begins, and we work 10-12 hour days followed by more hours of enjoying New Orleans and visiting with all of our friends, new and old.    On the final day of the week, every year, Rocky would bring food and drinks for all 70+ CAPS, for us to enjoy during our last meeting. This was selfless, generous, and so appreciated, and is a true testament to the type of person he was.   

Professionally, Rocky began as a bar back at Seattle’s “Vessel”, working his way into a bartending role and was celebrated as one of the most influential people in the city.   He did ambassador work and consulting as well, and was truly a leader in the community. Over the past three years, Rocky was the brand ambassador for Maison Ferrand, the highly respected cognac company-- which is also home to the Plantation line of rums.   The iconic pineapple logo seemed the perfect match for him, as it is the international symbol of hospitality-- and hospitality literally oozed out of him. In 2014, Alexandre Gabriel (Cellar Master at Maison Ferrand ) and David Wondrich (author of Imbibe!) developed Stiggin’s Fancy Pineapple rum and brought it to Tales of the Cocktail to share with the CAPS and colleagues-- with no intention of making enough to sell.  It was their liquid thank you to the apprentices for all that we do at Tales of the Cocktail. Lucky for the rest of the world, it was so good they decided they couldn’t keep it just for us! Rocky was very passionate and knowledgeable about rum, and he and I spent a lot of time talking about it and its versatility. He will be missed very much, not only by me but by the entire cocktail world.

                               FANCY PINEAPPLE DAIQUIRI 

                          (the last cocktail I had with Rocky!)

                                              2 oz. Plantation Pineapple Rum

                                             .75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

                                             .50 oz. Simple Syrup

                                              2 dashes Angostura Bitters

                                             Shake well with ice and strain into a coupe glass.