Kiya of Dram + Draught: Finding Confidence Behind the Bar

Kiya never set out to build a career behind the bar. She first entered the service industry at 19, without any particular plan to make hospitality a long-term career. Bartending wasn't even on her radar. But the more time she spent in the industry, the more curious she became about what happened behind the bar.

By the time she turned 21, she started bartending. What began as a job quickly became something much more interesting: an opportunity to create. For Kiya, cocktails offered a combination of things she had always enjoyed. She had grown up with an interest in math and science, particularly chemistry, and bartending gave her a way to explore those instincts in a completely different environment.

"I fell in love with the creating aspect," she says. "I was always fond of math and science/chemistry growing up, so this was an extension of that in my eyes."

That curiosity has stayed at the center of her approach to the craft.

From Fast-Paced Bars to Cocktail Experiences

Kiya's experience behind the bar has taken her through a wide range of hospitality environments, from fast-paced dive bars to cocktail-focused establishments where creating a personalized experience for each guest is part of the job. That range has shaped more than her technique. It has taught her how differently people experience a bar. Some guests want speed and familiarity. Others want to slow down, ask questions, discover something new, or have a drink created specifically for them.

Working across those different settings has helped Kiya develop an adaptable approach to hospitality while also expanding her understanding of spirits and flavor. The more liquor she worked with, the more she learned how different ingredients could work together. That knowledge now informs the way she builds cocktails. Her style is ingredient-driven, but she's not interested in predictable combinations. Kiya likes unexpected pairings and flavors that don't necessarily seem like they belong together at first.

"I like putting things together that you normally wouldn't say in the same sentence," she says. Her inspiration starts with food and fresh flavors, but the creative process is about seeing what happens when familiar ingredients are pushed in an unfamiliar direction.

A Home Behind a Bar With 300 Whiskeys

For Kiya, that creative freedom has found a home at Dram + Draught. She remembers seeing the bar before she ever worked there and immediately being drawn to it. It was the kind of place she knew she wanted to be part of.

Today, one of the things that makes Dram + Draught particularly memorable is the sheer depth of its back bar, with nearly 800 bottles and a whiskey collection that runs more than 300 deep. But the bar's identity goes beyond its whiskey selection.

Dram + Draught began in a 1930s filling station on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh. When Kevin Barrett and Drew Schenck opened the first location in 2016, they preserved much of the building's original character, including exposed brick, the old Esso sign, roll-up garage doors, and other elements that give the space its distinct neighborhood-bar personality. The concept itself is reflected in the name. A dram is a pour of whiskey. A draught is a pour of beer. The bar was built around the idea of offering a little bit of everything, with whiskey at the center but cocktails, beer, and wine also part of the experience.

That combination of personality and range is part of what makes the environment so appealing to Kiya. She says working at Dram has given her a place where she can be imaginative with drinks and continue learning. Being part of a bar that encourages creativity and innovation is something she takes pride in. It's a fitting environment for a bartender who sees cocktail creation as an ongoing experiment.

Learning to Take Up Space

Kiya's path in hospitality hasn't always been about feeling completely comfortable in the spotlight. She's naturally shy and describes herself as someone who tends to keep to herself. That's one reason Battle of the Babes represents more than another cocktail competition. It's a chance to step outside of the comfort zone she's spent years working within. Kiya has competed before and even won first place in the first competition she ever entered. At the time, the result was unexpected. But the experience taught her something important about confidence.

Once she stopped second-guessing herself and simply focused on the task in front of her, her perspective changed. That lesson has stayed with her. As a woman in the bar industry, Kiya has also experienced moments when she felt overlooked. She has encountered assumptions that women may not know their way around bourbon, can't lift a keg, or aren't suited for positions of authority.

For her, the change she wants to see is straightforward: women should be recognized as knowledgeable and qualified professionals. That starts with women recognizing their own expertise and being willing to speak up for themselves. Kiya's advice to women entering the industry reflects lessons she has learned firsthand. Be firm. Speak up. Set boundaries. Decide what kind of bartender or mixologist you want to become. Being kind doesn't mean being passive, and being soft-spoken doesn't mean lacking authority.

Kiya has no intention of giving up the parts of herself that make her who she is.

Stepping Into the Spotlight at Battle of the Babes

That may be what makes this year's Battle of the Babes competition particularly meaningful for Kiya. She's not entering because she suddenly became comfortable being the center of attention. She's entering because she's willing to challenge herself. Battle of the Babes gives her an opportunity to combine two things she loves: cocktail creation and pushing herself beyond her comfort zone. This will likely be the most publicized competition she's participated in, which she admits is a little nerve-wracking for someone who describes herself as super shy. But sometimes growth requires exactly that.

For Kiya, the competition is another opportunity to see what happens when she trusts her skills and allows herself to take up a little more space. And if she can leave the night with people remembering her cocktail, that's a bonus. What she really hopes they remember is her personality. Kiya describes herself as soft-spoken, silly, and kind. She's been told she's "too nice," but it's not something she wants to change. Instead, she hopes that kindness is part of what people remember when they think back on the competition.

Meet Kiya at Battle of the Babes

Kiya will represent Dram + Draught at the 6th Annual Battle of the Babes Cocktail Competition on September 27, 2026, from 5 PM to 9 PM at Merchant + Trade, 303 S Church St.

Come watch Kiya bring her ingredient-driven approach, unexpected flavor combinations, and unmistakably kind personality to the competition floor as she steps outside her comfort zone and takes on some of the region's talented female mixologists.

Get your tickets and join us for an evening of cocktails, competition, and the women behind the bar.

And if you want to experience Kiya in her home environment, visit Dram + Draught, where an extensive whiskey collection, creative cocktails, and the feel of a neighborhood bar come together under one roof.