It’s hard to fathom someone being critical of Meaghan Dorman, given the wealth of success she’s achieved as a bar owner, bartender, educator, speaker, and mentor. It becomes even tougher to comprehend when Dorman shares the cause of the criticism.
“I’ve been told several times I’m too nice to be successful,” she says. “I don’t buy that.”
She shouldn’t. Dorman started proving the naysayers wrong in 2009, when she helped open the critically acclaimed Raines Law Room in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. Since then, she’s put together a mean streak of successes. She’s launched a second Raines Law Room and two iterations of the celebrated bar Dear Irving. She co-founded the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s annual Dames Hall of Fame award (now known as Tales Catalyst). She’s been a finalist for Tales’ U.S. Bar Mentor multiple years. She regularly shares her expertise through presentations at industry conventions across the country. On top of all that, she possesses a brilliant mind for cocktails — you’ve arguably never had a Gibson in New York until you’ve tried her take.
Perhaps Dorman’s most stunning career accomplishment, however, is Dear Irving on Hudson, the rooftop bar at the Aliz Hotel Times Square she helped open in 2019. The success of the space symbolizes a remarkable trio of achievements. First, it provides a permanent outpost of cocktail excellence in an area dominated by out-of-towners. It also obliterates the wrongheaded “rooftop bars are subpar” narrative. Most impressively of all, it compels even the stodgiest of New York cocktail snobs to admit that there’s good drinking to be had amid Times Square’s garish neon glow.
Dorman attributes part of her wide-ranging success in the hospitality industry to her family. “My grandma threw parties for every occasion. She’s the reason why my cousins are still close to this day,” she says. “Plus, I’m a twin, so I’ve never built anything in my life with just one person in mind.”
In addition to lessons learned from her family, Dorman’s also never forgotten where she came from within the industry. This isn’t an empty statement — she still slings drinks at Raines Law Room just like she did 16 years ago. “I always felt like if I found my lane, I’d put down roots and just go for it,” she says. “Raines was my lane, and at the end of the day, I’m glad that I’m still in it.”
And yes, Dorman is indeed nice, and that makes her a delightful human. It also makes her an inspiring boss and mentor. According to her, holding such a disposition allows her to be consistent in her approach to hospitality, whether she’s making a drink, building relationships within the bartending community, or teaching the next generation how to thrive.
“I try to be the same person every day,” she says. “I’ve worked with people that were volatile, and that was not good. I figure that if I’m the same no matter what, people can feel comfortable approaching me.”
