San Antonio bar pro Ohio Crawford selected for national cocktail apprentice program

Ohio Crawford is the mind behind Dibs Mixers. Credit: Courtesy Photo / Dibs Mixers

The Tales of the Cocktail Foundation has named an Alamo City bar owner as part of its 2026 Cocktail Apprentice Program class.

Backyard on Broadway owner-operator Ohio Crawford is the only San Antonio resident named to the esteemed program, which allows bar-industry professionals to work alongside established experts in the field during the annual Tales of the Cocktail conference in New Orleans.

Crawford’s inclusion in the program is another development suggesting San Antonio’s food-and-beverage scene is gaining more attention on a global scale.

“Tales of the Cocktail has always represented the best of what this industry can be, and being accepted into the CAP Red Coat program feels like a full-circle moment for me,” Crawford told the Current, noting that the announcement occurred concurrently with his latest business launch.

“Right now, I’m in the middle of opening [my new project] Overtime Bar in San Antonio, and everything I’m building there is rooted in the belief that hospitality can operate at a higher standard than what most people expect from it,” Crawford added. “I’ve spent my career trying to leave this industry stronger than I found it, and this is an opportunity to do that on a bigger stage.”

To that end, Crawford is also the entrepreneur behind Dibs Mixers, a brand of artisan cocktail mixers used in numerous San Antonio restaurants and bars.

While Crawford is excited about his role at the Tales of the Cocktail Conference from July 19-24 at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans, he said he remains grounded in his goal to pay it forward.

“The people who poured into me early on changed the trajectory of my path, and I want to be that person for someone else,” he said. “That’s what this is really about.”

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