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What would you want people to know you for as a bartender?

I’d like to be known as a creative person in the industry. I think what’s most important, you come to my bar, you know you’re going to have a good time. You’re going to be taken care of, and you’re going to want to come back, and within that, we’re going to make you a good drink. But if you’re not enjoying yourself, there’s really no point. Who cares.

What’s your top selling cocktail at The Eveleigh, and why do you think that’s the case?

The top selling cocktail here is maybe one of the least creative, but it has a balance to it. The best selling cocktail is a Poor Carlito. It’s tequila, honey, lime juice, and smoked sea salt. It’s simple and it’s delicious and it’s successful. All of those ingredients are easily recognized by people. Nobody’s thrown off by any ingredient in that drink, and you can look at it like a fancy margarita, so it’s very easy for people to latch on to. Also for me, as creative and out there as people get with their drinks, nothing beats a good margarita. Nothing beats a really simple cocktail. Most of them have been done. Nothing’s going to beat a great margarita on a hot summer day. It’s simple. It’s nothing fancy. It’s just every ingredient is good, and it’s well balanced.

As far as naming cocktails, what’s your basic approach?

It’s hit and miss. Sometimes the name is so obvious and it’s so good. And then sometimes it takes weeks and weeks to figure out. On a couple occasions, I’ve had a good name for a cocktail, but no cocktail.

How does that work, when you approach it that way?

Hopefully the name will inform you which way to go.

What do you look for when you’re hiring bartenders?

You want to have someone; it’s easy to get someone that already has dedication to the craft. You’d almost rather take someone off the street and invest themselves than to bring someone who just wants to make a lot of money, who’s fast and good. To work here, you have to want to do this for a career, or if not a career, you want to grow up. That’s the most important thing, to find someone who wants to learn and wants to study, because in craft cocktails, you’re not going to make a lot of money. There’s a lot of decent bartenders that are bartenders who are fast and efficient and can sling it, and are charming and funny and witty and entertaining, and you want all of that behind your bar, but maybe they’re an actor and only want to work three nights a week, and they want to make 500 bucks a night. I don’t have anything against those guys. They’re working for the person that’s paying them, and that’s what they do, and that’s fine. For here, you’re going to make less money, because we’re doing craft cocktails, and they take longer to make. You’re not going to make as many, but it’s going to be harder. You have to have that attitude where you’re willing to sacrifice and learn and grow.

When you’re behind the bar, what kind of music do you listen to?

There’s a range of stuff that I like. Just whatever I’m in the mood for. It can go anywhere from Belle & Sebastian and The Smiths to the Black Lips or the Stooges.

How are you able to maintain balance in your life, if you’re even able to?

I’m not able to do that. It’s probably possible for someone to do what I do to maintain balance in their life, but I’m not that organized. It probably takes me longer to do what I do than it should. I can’t maintain a relationship. I don’t really have a life outside of work right now. I’m working on it. That’s my goal for this year, is to start developing time for myself. These last couple years, especially with my learning curve, I jumped into managing before I even knew what I was doing, and it probably takes me a lot longer to figure things out. I was figuring things out as I was going.

Who’s somebody that you’ve never worked with behind the bar that you would most like to work with?

My ultimate goal with the bars that I run, that I run now or that I might run in the future, the ultimate thing for me would be to turn that bar into an institution that’s kind of there year after year, and is producing good bartenders year after year, going off and doing their own things, coming back and what not. When I think of places like that, I think of Employees Only, Death & Co., Milk & Honey. Those places are institutions, where they have bartenders that have become well known for what they do, out of that place, that place is still going strong with new people. Maybe they’ll go out and do consulting somewhere, but they always have their home base. There’s not one person in particular that I would love to work with, but I would have loved at some point to work in a place that’s run like that, just to figure it out. Most of my questions, as a manager, you’re responsible for all your employees. I would love to work with the people who have that institution set up and know how to take care of their employees. Creatively, to work with someone, I could name a dozen people. You probably have similar people on your list who you respect as bartenders too.

Where and what do you like to drink when you’re not working?

It depends on the time of day. My favorite cocktails to drink are aperitifs. On a Sunday afternoon, which is one of my favorite times to drink, I just want to drink Americanos. When I drink cocktails, I like lighter stuff like that, that are crisp and light and refreshing. After work, all I want is a Scotch and a beer.

Anywhere in particular?

Whoever has good Scotch and good beer.

If you could travel to any city in the world right now, primarily to drink cocktails and spirits, which city would you go to and how come?

I always think of New York just because they have such a large amount of great bars in a condensed area. I would love to go there. I’m not that familiar with where the good bars are in the rest of the world. I like aperitivos so much. I like Sherry too, so maybe I’d want to go to Spain or Italy.

If you could only drink one more cocktail, what would be in the glass?

It would be a Manhattan.

Who would you let make it for you?

Gary Regan.

What’s a great simple cocktail that you suggest people make at home, and what’s your preferred recipe?

Americano, which is equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth. Campano works good in there, with some soda, and a twist of orange.