Meet The Team
Jeff Van Horne
Owner, Catering Manager & Mixologist
Jeff is credited as one of the founding bartenders of the current cocktail renaissance in Halifax. As one of the first bartenders in the city to experiment with fresh juices and integrated, layered, classic cocktails – Jeff has helped revolutionize the city’s taste buds. He is the quintessential bartender: someone who is happy to serve. His adventurous and experimental outlook on cocktail creation has helped elevate many of the city’s most prestigious bars to hospitality excellence. His creativity and attention to detail are central to the quality associated with cocktails from The Clever Barkeep. Jeff manages the catering wing of the Clever Barkeep and is the lead consultant on restaurant projects.
Matt Boyle
Owner, Business Manager & Mixologist
Matt started his hospitality career at the age of 16 at a small resort in Western Nova Scotia. He fell in love with bartending a few years later, the same time he met his current business partner and co-owner of the Clever Barkeep, Jeff. An accomplished competition-circuit bartender, the 2016 Canadian Winner of Bacardi Legacy has gained the reputation as a polished performer and skilled bartender. He has an affinity for stirred cocktails, interesting stories and good old-fashioned hospitality. Armed with a Business Degree from Dalhousie University, Matt manages the business endeavours of The Clever Barkeep when not behind the bar.