Lynnette Marrero

While bartending at Elettaria, Marrero refined her skills even further and began working with rum, which she liked due to its versatility and history.[2][3] Through her work with the spirit, Marrero became fascinated with Latin culture, particularly Peruvian culture and its signature spirit, pisco.[4] Regarded as a rum expert, Marrero became the Trade and Mixology Ambassador for Zacapa Rum, as well as the national brand mixologist for Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water.

After working behind the bar at Elettaria, Marrero worked as a rum ambassador for UK-based alcoholic beverages provider Diageo for two years. Subsequently, she launched her own consulting company, Drinksat6.[5] After Marrero moved to a new position as beverage director of New York's Rye House, the bar won Time Out's Eat Out Award for "Best New Cocktail Bar" and "Best Bar Restaurant Hybrid." After winning awards at Rye House, Marrero and partner Jim Kearns created the cocktail program at the Astor Room in the Kaufman Astoria Studios. In 2009, at perhaps the height of her on-bar career, Marrero was presented with the James Beard Foundation award as one of "America's Leading Female Mixologists."

After founding the New York chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC), a union of sorts for female bartenders, Marrero was approached by another NY bartender, Ivy Mix. In 2011 Marrero and Mix created "Speed Rack," a national cocktail competition for female bartenders that raises money for breast cancer charities. Their goal was to promote female bartenders and distillers while supporting women's-based charities with a women-only cocktail competition [6] In the first year of Speed Rack, the competition introduced Marrero and Mix to over 200 female bartenders across the United States, all while raising over $69,000 for breast cancer. In its 6th season, Speed Rack has expanded globally to the UK, Canada, and Asia, and cumulatively raising over $500,000.