Ice & Instinct / My StoryBorn of ritual, led by instinct.
My journey began not behind a bar, but in the pursuit of perfection. Ice & Instinct is the culmination of years spent refining the dialogue between nature's raw ingredients and the precision of modern luxury.
Teimuraz Benidze.
Founder & Flavor Architect
Five cities,
one instinct.
01SukhumiThe table is never empty - someone is always pouring, always arriving. The city is gone now, held only where no border can reach it, but its color stays with me: ripe persimmon, warm against the Black Sea. I set that table again every time I work.
02TbilisiIn Tbilisi the host answers for the whole table - not for the service, for the night itself. A supra is not hosted, it is carried; hospitality here is devotion, never transaction. I have never poured a drink any other way.
03LisbonPortugal gave me a life with no one watching - a new language in my mouth, work in my hands, a city that asked nothing of me but presence. There is a slow gold in that light I have never stopped missing. A man got made there, alone.
04MoscowMoscow is where instinct became discipline - the years that made me the first certified sommelier in Georgia's history. I came out of it able to read a room the way I read a wine: structure first, then what it is hiding. That reading never leaves me.
05New YorkEverything pointed here before I knew the city existed. Three decades of fine wine and high service have distilled into one thing: the private table as ritual, never transaction - Sukhumi's full table, set again on this side of the world. I have never loved a city more.
Iceis discipline - the order, the preparation, the patience of craft.
Instinctis intuition - the pulse, the moment, the whisper that changes everything.
When I arrive at your space, I bring nothing but my tools and attention. No menu, no routine. The evening unfolds in dialogue - between liquid and light, memory and desire.
This is not bartending.
This is Ice & Instinct.
The Record
Not claimed. Certified.
Three decades of wine and service, on paper. Tap any seal to read it in full.
The ritualexplained.
Plain answers about how an evening works.
How far in advance should I reserve?
Most clients reserve 2-4 weeks ahead. Every evening is built as a one-of-one ritual, and preparation begins the moment we speak.
Do you bring all ingredients and tools?
I arrive with the full bar kit and precision tools. I do not pour over hotel ice: proper clear ice is arranged through the Concierge before the evening, billed at supplier cost. Spirits and wine are provided by the host or sourced on your behalf at supplier cost; curated glassware and rentals are arranged through the Concierge.
Can we choose specific cocktails?
For Simplicity and Bespoke, yes - we collaborate to refine a curated menu together. For Omakase, there is no menu - each creation emerges spontaneously in the moment, tailored to individual guests and the evening's flow.
Do you provide a bar setup?
By default, I use your existing space. A full portable bar setup or premium glassware rental can be arranged upon request as an enhancement through The Curator add-on.
Do you travel outside NYC and New Jersey?
Yes, upon request. Travel fees and accommodations are arranged according to distance and event scale - subject to availability.
What about postponements?
Your deposit can transfer to a new date within 12 months, subject to availability. One reschedule is included; further changes or peak dates may incur a fee.
How many guests can you accommodate?
Foundation hosts up to 15 guests. Simplicity up to 12. Bespoke up to 30. Omakase up to 25. Larger events can be arranged with additional bar staff through custom consultation.
Can you create non-alcoholic drinks?
Absolutely. The ritual is about balance and craft, not alcohol. Every composition can be crafted spirit-free with the same precision, complexity, and emotion.
Payment and deposit process
A $500 deposit secures your date and is applied toward your final balance. Once your package is confirmed, the total is adjusted: if your total exceeds $500, you pay the difference; if it is less, the remainder is refunded. The balance is due at least 14 days before the event.
NDA and insurance
Confidentiality is part of the ethos. NDAs are available upon request. Certificates of insurance can be issued for venues that require coverage.
Each experience is a living dialogue - between craft, instinct, and atmosphere.
Now let me pour for you.
Thirty years behind the bar, one evening at a time. Tell me about yours and I will build the night around it.