Celebrated bartender was 'one of a kind'

Zebulin “Zeb” Hermanson, the young bartender whose friendly demeanor made him a fixture in the downtown restaurant scene, was honored this month with the Rochester Magazine award for the city’s best bartender.

Hermanson died in July of last year at the age of 28. Friends and family remember him as someone whose contagious smile brought happiness to those around him. “Bartending was a natural talent,” his obituary reads.

On Tuesday, Hermanson’s former employer, The Loop, expressed its appreciation to the magazine for allowing the community to vote for him this year. They said Zeb was “one of a kind.”

“He truly does deserve it and we know he would be so proud of the title and thankful to his guests for voting for him,” the business wrote on Facebook.

Zeb’s mother, Kim, told the magazine she hopes her son’s award will help shed light on suicide awareness. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34.

Note: If you are in crisis, call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to anyone. All calls are confidential. 

In addition to Hermanson, this year’s edition of the magazine’s ‘Best Restaurants’ also included a tribute to the late Nicci Sylvester. As the founder of Tonic Juice Bar, Sylvester was remembered for “[changing] Rochester’s restaurant scene while giving back to the community.”

Cover photo: Zeb Hermanson / Urban Flair Photography