Enjoying Your Cocktail?

Are you enjoying your cocktail? Let me ask you another question: Did you know you were going to order that drink when you first sat down? From the perspective of a hospitality manager, over the years I’ve realized most people have a preconceived notion as to what they are going to order when they walk into a restaurant or bar. For me? I’ll start with a Stella, and I’ll have a second if I don’t see something I recognize on a wine list, or am not brave enough to order the label they have on hand, simply pour me another beer, please.

Is the Manhattan you asked for just right? Well, that’s the sign of a great bartender. When you enter any restaurant, you have a trust that your drink is going to be tailor-made to your liking. The bartender is responsible for orchestrating every cocktail, glass of wine, and beer exiting the bar and being placed in front of you in an expedited fashion and with a smile on their face. It takes a certain skin to tend a bar. From your local corner bar up to that upscale restaurant’s cocktail list you browsed on their Facebook page, these people have a specific skill set to adapt to every guest they come across. They must be witty, charming, funny, playful, entertaining, and everything in between. Didn’t like your entree? Well, they are there to fix it for you and make sure your dining experience is second to none. Why do they do it? Every guest counts. It’s not always about the money. Word spreads like wildfire, and if you find a great bartender, you will tell your friends, and more importantly, you will be back.

Are you a creature of habit or do you lean towards trying the cocktail whose ingredients you would never in your wildest dreams imagine go together? Well, our bartender caters to both. Crafting contemporary cocktails, new and exciting, and the most old fashioned (no pun intended). When you walk into our restaurant, and we do recognize you, he over time automatically knows what his pour is and if you’re lucky enough it is right in front of your favorite bar stool, or if you take a table is being prepared without the server even taking your order. He takes pride in his job and is happy when you’re happy. For those who venture out and try one of his bold cocktails, it’s exciting for him to make it just perfect, so it wows you. And if your drink is a classic, I would personally put him up against any bartender in the area drink for drink. His knowledge comes from experience, and his expertise comes from every cocktail he has made over his decades’ long career. And yes, it is a career.

From a manager’s perspective, getting your drink to the table as fast as we can is of the utmost importance to us. I feel that as long as your drink is full, and you are in great company, the night is already a home run. Food is primary and the most important part of your dining experience here, but I learned from a wise man that a symphony has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The start of your symphony begins with your cocktail, and our bartender John S. starts your evening’s symphony right.