Eric Bennett of Continental Drift — Eric Bennett was named a semifinalist for the Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service for the James Beard Awards. (Nathan Watson / Bham Now)

This year, Birmingham’s restaurants garnered an impressive five James Beard Award nominations. Bham Now is sitting down with each nominee to learn more about their backgrounds, inspiration and goals.

Eric Bennett, co-owner of the Southside favorite Continental Drift, was recently announced as a 2026 semifinalist for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service by the James Beard Foundation.

Those who haven’t visited the Southside spot yet are missing out on a vibe co-owner Bennett describes as “’80s, ’90s cinema and like Miami meets Birmingham.” The “drift” in the name isn’t just for show — the menu actually changes its geographic inspiration two to three times a year. Currently, the team is serving up flavors inspired by Northern Italy, but a brand-new “continent” is just weeks away.

For Bennett, a Birmingham native who has spent nearly two decades behind the bar, the honor feels like a spotlight on the city he loves.

Here are the highlights from our conversation with Eric Bennett about his background, how he gives back to the community and what recognitions like this mean for Birmingham.

The ‘whirlwind’ nomination

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Bennett started out as a Birmingham-Southern College chemistry student working a summer job serving and bartending at Brio Tuscan Grille, and like every other Birmingham James Beard nominee, he ended up falling in love with the industry.

From working on the bar programs at local icons like Bettola and Carrigan’s, he finally realized a career-long dream by opening Continental Drift in 2022.

The bar’s philosophy is rooted in the “drift” — a rotating focus on global flavors that changes several times a year.

Despite his deep roots in the industry, Bennett admits the nod from the “Oscars of the Food World” caught him completely off guard.

“This Beard nomination was… unexpected, to say the very least.

“Everyone else knew about it before I did. The last couple of weeks have been kind of a whirlwind because of it.”
Eric Bennett, co-owner at Continental Drift

The award recognizes several factors in cocktail service, ranging from innovation and creativity in the drinks to promoting a positive work culture and serving as a mentor for other professionals.

Advocacy beyond the bar

To those who know Bennett, the nomination from the James Beard Foundation is anything but surprising. The ingenuity of his cocktails speaks for itself, but he also understands the importance of creating a safe space for marginalized communities and giving back to the mixologist community that’s supported him.

Bennett’s impact stretches far beyond the walls of his Southside establishment. As a co-chair for the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Philanthropy and Development Committee, he works to provide grants and scholarships to help diversify the industry.

“It’s been a really cool thing to be a part of… really understanding on some level how a nonprofit works in real time has been amazing.

“[Mixologists and bar owners] are all a lot more interconnected than people think.”
Eric Bennett, co-owner at Continental Drift

He believes it is important to be accessible to the LGBTQ community as part of his broader mission to ensure the bar serves as a space that guests can truly feel is their own. He highlighted this alongside the bar’s accessibility to the Black community, noting that the venue’s design and products are intended to be inclusive and welcoming to all.

Representing the Magic City

As he prepares for the next round of the awards — with finalists set to be announced March 31 — Bennett remains focused on his hometown. Ultimately, Bennett sees this national recognition as a win for the entire Birmingham ecosystem — from the high-end white tablecloths to the local lunch counters.

“It’s nice to be recognized and it’s nice to be part of showing that Birmingham is an amazing place to eat and drink among many other things.”

“I’m always happy to represent Birmingham and represent this great city and this great place where I’m from and born and raised.
Eric Bennett, co-owner at Continental Drift

The work of fine dining icons like Frank Stitt “trickles down” into what the bar community does, Bennett said, but he also looks up to the “stalwarts of Birmingham” just as much as the Michelin and Beard-recognized restaurants.

“Birmingham is a fine dining city, even though we’re super casual. But we also are still a city of meat-and-threes, where Eagles and Niki’s West… are stalwarts, and that’s why they’ve been around for so long.”
Eric Bennett, co-owner at Continental Drift

Whether Continental Drift is “drifting” through the flavors of Italy or an imaginary landscape, Bennett is just proud to prove that Birmingham’s cocktail culture can finally stand toe-to-toe with the best in the world.