Ektoras Binikos, the visionary co-founder of Sugar Monk, Bitter Monk, and Atheras Spirits, has been a pivotal figure in New York’s cocktail scene for over three decades. Originally from the Greek island of Ikaria and with a background in filmmaking and visual arts, he brings an artistic approach to mixology, treating each cocktail as a work of “liquid art.” In his latest venture, Atheras Spirits—developed alongside Sugar Monk’s sibling bar, Bitter Monk—he meticulously crafts unique spirits such as Amari, liqueurs, and bitters, utilizing botanicals sourced by his collaborator, Tama Matsuoka Wong. Renowned for transforming cocktails into immersive experiences, Binikos has received high praise from industry icons, including the late Gary Regan, who called him “one of a kind.

Simon Jutras was born in Montreal, Canada. He has a diverse creative background including architecture, interior design and furniture design for private clients. Also, a professional photographer, with a focus on both commercial work and fine art, Jutras ran Simon Jutras Photography for over 20 years with clients including Calvin Klein, Nine West, Tod’s, Mark Fisher, Coach, and Guess, among others. His work has been published in numerous books and magazines. Jutras is currently working on a book of fine art photography with Binikos that centers on mixology inspired by world-renowned artists.

Krista was raised in the Pacific Northwest and moved to NYC to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art at The City College of New York. Her experience in hospitality spans over ten years in various roles including bartender, server, and manager. Krista has a passion for painting, horticulture and travel and is happy to have joined the Atheras LLC team. We are equally happy for her contribution and tremendous commitment to running Bitter Monk.

Ryan was born in Oklahoma. His vast experience in the hospitality industry includes bartending at The Smith (Lincoln Square), as well as Arts on Site NYC, Inc. (Residency and Retreat). He was also a partner/mixologist at QCocks, a weekly delivery cocktail service (2020-2021). He holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Oklahoma City University. He is the former Head Bartender of Sugar Monk and the Brand Ambassador of Atheras Spirits, our micro-distillery right next door.

Giga, originally from Georgia, studied business administration at the State University of Tbilisi. His bartending career took off in various craft cocktail bars in Tbilisi and extended to France, where he became the bar manager at the prestigious La Maison De Beaulieu in Beaulieu-Sur-Mer. In early 2025, he relocated to the United States and kicked off his bartending journey at Chama Mama in New York City. Giga also honed his skills through flair bartending training, achieving championship titles in Georgia in both 2013 and 2014. Now at Bitter Monk, his second bartending role in New York, he is excited to be part of the team and looks forward to exploring the unique spirits crafted at the nearby distillery, Atheras Spirits.

Tama Matsuoka Wong is a forager, weed eater, meadow doctor, lawyer and mother of three. She is the author of the backyard field guide and cookbook Foraged Flavor (Clarkson Potter June 2012), nominated for a James Beard award in 2013. She just published a new book “Into the Weeds”, how to Garden Like a Forager, available on Barnes & Noble and amazon. After more than twenty-five years as a financial-services lawyer, she launched Meadows and More to connect experts in the fields of meadow restoration, botany, and wildlife with people in the community. For the past three years Tama has supplied Sugar Monk with wild plants, roots, fruits, and flowers, ingredients that are often overlooked as inedible, yet full of flavors that connect us to the natural world. We utilize many of these wild ingredients in our cocktail program in the form of aromatic bitters, tinctures, infusions and syrups while others are important ingredients for our Amari and house made liqueurs. She is also the official forager for Restaurant Daniel, the pillar of haute gastronomy in Manhattan's Upper East Side. She also works with organizations including the Audubon Society and Slow Food USA. In 2007, she was named Steward of the Year by the New Jersey Forest Service.