Marsha Lindsey, bartender at Gufo, was one of just four bartenders nationally named an ambassador for Navet 1804, a Haitian rum brand.

Bartender Marsha Lindsey loves bringing people together. The Roxbury native has been working in the hospitality industry for nearly two decades and her warmth and passion radiates across the bar.

Lindsey began her restaurant career at Sorrelina in Back Bay and then became one of the first Black female bartenders in the North End where she worked at Italian joints Artu and Bricco before joining the team at Venetian bistro SRV in the South End.

These experiences were formative but difficult.

“There weren’t very many Black bartenders, and even less Black female bartenders. So that was a challenge in a very segregated city,” said Lindsey.

The grueling hours and demands of the hospitality industry were compounded by microaggressions and the isolating experience of often being the only person of color in the room.

It was at SRV where Lindsey was really able to hit her stride.

“I always had the creativity when it came to cocktails, but I think I got a leg up from them and their support,” she said. “It was a lot of ‘Yes, and’ at SRV and I think that’s super important for people to back you up.”

With that support and those resources, Lindsey could really get into infusing liquors, making syrups and getting creative with ingredients and presentation. Here, too, she made her first Black History Month menus highlighting Black-owned spirits makers and cultural ingredients.

Lindsey’s roots are a strong inspiration for her cocktail creations. This year she was one of just four bartenders nationally named an ambassador for Navet 1804, a Haitian rum brand. To secure the spot, Lindsey pulled on memories of her mother’s cooking to create a cocktail inspired by soup joumou, a hearty pumpkin stew typically eaten in January to celebrate Haitian independence.

One of her favorite drinks is the MJ, named for her daughter. It’s a dynamic take on a classic whiskey cocktail with brown butter-washed whiskey, sage syrup and amaretto.

Black history is another powerful source of inspiration for Lindsey. She was the first guest bartender for The Huntington, where she made a cocktail inspired by Toni Stone, the first woman to play regularly in a major-level professional baseball league when she joined the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro leagues in 1953.

After so many years in the industry, Lindsey has seen it diversify. She shouts out Cairo Kironyo, Kyisha Davenport and other Black women leading the bar charge in Boston.

“It’s really lovely to see that it’s not so much of a shock to go into a bar and there is a beautiful Nubian queen standing at the ready to get you whatever you may need,” she said.

Nowadays you can find Lindsey behind the bar at Gufo, where she’s pouring BIPOC-owned liquor brands and educating cocktail lovers about the stories behind them. Uncle Nearest, Black Mamma Vodka and Ten To One Rum are just a few of the Black-owned spirits they serve.

“Intent is super important when you’re making a cocktail, because everything matters,” Lindsey said. “The ice matters, the ingredients matter and the story matters, too. It should always have some kind of story.”

Gufo’s atmosphere appealed to Lindsey for its casual comfort. It’s a neighborhood restaurant where diners can grab a pizza and a craft cocktail and unwind. She hopes to introduce more diners to Black-owned spirits and to break down barriers to entry when it comes to cocktails. Also, she wants people to have a good time.

“I love what I do,” said Lindsey.

“Drinking is supposed to be a fun, effervescent experience. I want you to enjoy yourself, I want you to feel joy.”