REMEMBERING TED MUNAT

On November 8, 2025, our friend and former colleague Ted Munat passed away after a long battle with cancer. Ted was a deeply kind and generous presence, known for his sharp humor, thoughtful perspective, and steady compassion. He played an important role in shaping the modern cocktail community by co-authoring “Left Coast Libations,” the funniest and most heartfelt cocktail book ever written. He was also an important cog in Novo Fogo’s early years, helping bring to life programs like Bars on Fire and Sweat Sessions, which connected hundreds of bartenders around the country and helped define the brand’s intersection of integrity and joy. Ted had a rare ability to turn introductions into lasting relationships and words into encouragement, whether through his famously memorable emails or in conversation. After stepping away from alcohol, he became an example and a trusted confidante to many members in the hospitality industry. His career after Novo Fogo took him to Spokane, WA, where his social work literally helped save lives by supporting unhoused people as they built skills, found housing, and moved toward stability.
Ted spoke his own language, one rooted in compassion and service to others. His empathy, humor, and openness to multiple perspectives left a lasting mark on everyone who crossed his path. Those of us at Novo Fogo will remember, in particular, these three lessons from Ted:
  1. Show compassion above all else.
  2. Build community.
  3. Withhold judgment.
Ted made a difference in countless lives, and that influence continues through the people and communities he helped shape.
Peace and love, Ted.

TED’S SEATTLE CELEBRATION OF LIFE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 | 3PM – 6PM

ROB ROY | 2332 2ND AVE, SEATTLE, WA

Please click here to view the event details and RSVP.

We hope to see you there.

If you can’t join us, please consider sending us a video message that we will display at the event.

Ted spent the last few years as part of the team at Transitions in Spokane WA, a non-profit organization fighting to end poverty and homelessness for women and children. In the video below, Ted shares his perspective on humanizing struggle, elevating dignity, and increasing individual worth as part of building a healthy community. 

Learn more about Transitions Spokane here. In Ted’s words, supporting them is a form of supporting yourself, by bringing out the light in the human condition. 

As Events manager for Novo Fogo, Ted was integral in organizing 100 Bars on Fire events and dozens of Sweat Sessions across the country, which advanced spirits knowledge, increased cultural diversity, and provided a wellness path for personal and professional sustainability for thousands of bartenders and hospitality industry members. Here are some of them. If you see yourself here, please consider putting that Brazilian shirt on and joining us for Ted’s Celebration of Life in Seattle on January 25.

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