mine host
the average bartender, despite the slanders of professional moralists, is a man of self-respect and self-possession; a man who excels at a difficult art and is well aware of it; a man who shrinks from ruffianism as he does from uncleanliness; in short, a gentleman…the bartender is one of the most dignified, law abiding, and ascetic of men. he is girt about by a rigid code of professional ethics; his work demands a clear head and a steady hand; he must have sound and fluent conversation; he cannot be drunken or dirty; the slightest dubiousness is quick to exile him to the police force, journalism, the oyster boats or some other Siberia of the broken.
h.l. Mencken, Baltimore evening sun, may 11, 1911
via the joy of mixology, gary regan, 2003
my first week being trained as a bartender. an arsenal of freshly polished glassware for a seemingly endless bevy of delectable liquids of all colors and flavors.
imbibe.
building cocktails is by no means the hard part of the job. ice in the cup. ingredients in the cup. shake it till it’s cold. strain, serve. ice in the cup, pour ingredient, serve. ice in the cup, add ingredients, stir, serve.
the hard part of the job is the hard part of any art—expression, and balance. the bartender is in charge, no matter the situation. as guests enter the culinary barn, and are seated in the lounge by a hostess, the bartender begins their experience. a poor cocktail, or worse—poor service—could taint the entire evening yet to come.
the bartender comes early and leaves last.
as I rotate from one arm of this octopus to the next, it’s humbling to see the depth of knowledge required for each individual element of blackberry’s fine dining experience.
“a man who excels at a difficult art and is well aware of it.” it feels good behind the mahogany. it feels good shattering ice on steel, and clanking glass bottles down into the well with authority. it feels good popping corks, and when the lime juice stings my cuts--it feels good as well. it feels good creating, and serving, and pleasing the palates and minds and times of strangers.
I'm High On Cooking
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