Juniper & Ivy Snags Sycamore Den's Eric Johnson for Bar Lead

Eric Johnson, who helped to open and oversee the bar program at Sycamore Den, is swapping Normal Heights for Little Italy.

Johnson, an Eater favorite who was voted our Bartender of the Year in 2013 (get to know him in our Where the Bartenders Drink feature), will step in as the new bar manager at Juniper & Ivy, where he'll collaborate with Richard Blais and the culinary team on a new cocktail program.

In his six years in San Diego, Johnson has been behind the bar at many notable local cocktail houses, including Craft & Commerce and Noble Experiment, and co-founded a cocktail consultancy, Rumbling Tins Co. He'll remain a consulting partner at Sycamore Den, continuing to contribute to the bar's seasonal menus.

Stepping into Johnson's shoes at Sycamore Den is new general manager Sarah Ellis, who joined the bar last year after a long run as Jayne's Gastropub's cocktail maven.