Meet Matthew Gerdin and Danielle Caramagna | Entrepreneur (MG) and Mixologist (DC)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Gerdin and Danielle Caramagna and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew and Danielle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
To be honest, we must have had some loose screws! To start an events based business post COVID and in a recession? Alas, we continue to see a need in this area to provide a curated beverage experience for our client’s special day. (Matthew and Danielle) We met in 2017 bartending at Swift Lounge in Portland, OR and knew one day the goal was to create a bar program somewhere. Matt the salesman and Danielle the mixologist. Late night conversations with drinks and 5 years later Aviation Bar Co was born.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Aviation Bar Co, founded early 2022 was formed out of a passion for cocktails and making that passion accessible to all. We create a bar-like atmosphere in your backyard, with friendly staff and beautiful drinks. At Aviation, we are constantly innovating to meet the needs of our area’s trends, the seasons and our client’s needs. We have been so happy to have some of Southern California’s best planners, photographers and caterers to support us with open arms. In our infancy, troubles will always arise, but we are confident that we are on the track to true success.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A trip to San Diego would undoubtably start off with a visit to Ocean Beach followed by a walk along Sunset Cliffs. This city has so much to offer and every neighborhood is a new vibe. San Diego has some of the best speakeasys with an attention to craft cocktailing that rivals any major city. False Idol and Noble Experiment, just to name a few. For beer and delicious food, hitting up North Park is a must, hit up Polite Provisions and Pure Project. Little Italy is an amazing neighborhood to visit, a place to find some delicious eats and treats. This city always has something to do and somewhere fun to go.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We both come from families of serial entrepreneurs. I guess you could say it’s in our blood. Our grind is very much dedicated to our families and from people in the industry. We have personally gained so much love and respect for cocktail craftsmanship from all our mentors over the years and it has given us both so much perspective and respect for this career as a whole.

Website: Www.aviationbarco.com

Instagram: @aviationbarco

Yelp: https://yelp.to/bdzu5xW7Srb

Image Credits
@bohobabesphotography