Ronald “Ron” Spohnholz Village Brauhaus 710 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-888-1951 Villagebrauhaus.com Ron stirs up the Ron “Bourbondy” Stay Classy Alexandria – Evan Williams Bourbon, Clove Simple Syrup, Lemon, Ginger Bitters with a Pear Cider Float garnished with fresh rosemary. How did you get started in the Bar Business? I was a cop for 20 years in Alaska. When I retired I did what every cop wants to do, bought a bar. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? My pet peeve is guests who move tables for no apparent reason. Not a big deal unless you’re old like me who keeps track of orders by table number. What is the best/worst pickup line you’ve heard at the bar? “You wanna to go fool around?” And…it worked….she’s my wife. And….she said it to me! What is the cleverest thing a customer(s) has done to garner a free drink from you? In Alaska, I had a few guests who arrived on horseback, tied up outside, came in to have a few beers and then rode off into the sunset. Tell us an interesting story about an encounter you’ve had with a customer. A few weeks ago I had a person come into the bar in a giant gingerbread man costume, said nothing…..then left. If you could have a drink with anyone in the world, past or present, who would that be? If I could have a drink with anyone it would be with Prince Ludwig of Bavaria who started Oktoberfest. He bought all the beer! If you would like to see your favorite mixologist featured in this space, send contact information to office@oldtowncrier.com.
Steve Bork RT’s Restaurant 3804 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-684-6010 RTsrestaurant.net Steve conjures up RT’s Creole 75 #1 – House made rosemary and pear infused gin, ginger and lemon shaken and strained, topped with champagne and a lemon twist. How did you get started in the bartending business? While in college I got a job as a server and ended up being pretty good at it so when a bartending position opened up they asked me if I was interested. My “regular” job is writing code and I luckily get to work from home so being a nerd with social skills I feel like they will go away if I don’t use them. The extra money surely doesn’t hurt as well. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? My biggest pet peeve as a bartender is actually (some) other bartenders. If you are going to be surly while behind the bar then DON’T BE A BARTENDER. Go sit in a cubicle and be miserable. You don’t necessarily have to be entertaining but you at least have to be pleasant and affable. If a guest annoys you laugh it off and let it roll off of your back, most are at the bar to have a great time so don’t take it out on them. Tending bar should be fun. End of rant. What is the cleverest line anyone has tried on you in order to garner a free drink? A rather disheveled gentleman approached the bar and asked for a drink and then explained that he had no money but told me if I bought him one he would “pay it forward”. I spent the next 10 minutes explaining to him how that wasn’t how paying it forward works but he didn’t get it. Buying him a drink would have…
Jacob Sunny Bastille Brasserie & Bar 606 North Fayette Street Old Town Alexandria 703-519-3776 BastilleRestaurant.com How did you get started in the bartending business? Two years ago, after I got out of my engineering job, I was looking for something new and refreshing to do for couple of months. I came across Bastille’s ad, responded and got hired as a waiter and have since moved up as a bartender. I came into the realization that bartending isn’t a just a job for me anymore, it’s a calling. I love what I do and the satisfaction I get from my guest’s smiles is impeccable. Bastille fuels my imagination and talents to endeavor uncharted territories in craft cocktails. Here it’s more like a family than a team. I can always count on my colleagues for their help and advice. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? That would be the people who come to the bar thinking they know everything about everything. I had this lady once who was so convinced that you cannot make a Cosmopolitan without the Triple Sec – we don’t carry those bottom shelf liqueurs and I hate making a cocktail with cheap quality products. So…I made her a Cosmo with Cointreau instead and told her if she didn’t like it I wouldn’t charge her. She drank it, and then she had 2 more. What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink? A while ago, I was trying to create some new cocktails for spring. I had this guest in the bar and she told me she has huge experience in tasting cocktails and that she was a professional cocktail sommelier. That was a great line – too hard to resist. What is the best/worst pickup line you…
Alyzabeth “Lyz” Davis Village Brauhaus 710 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-888-1951 Villagebrauhaus.com Lyz Conjures up her Summer in Maine cocktail. Stoli Bluberi Vodka, Bacardi Superior White Rum, blueberry lemon-honey syrup, lavender extract, lemon, club soda and blueberries for muddling! Lyz is behind the bar Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – 4pm to close. How did you get started in the bartending business? I started in the bartending business in an unusual and interesting way. As a native of Maine, I began working at 17 at a local dine-in movie theater, Smitty’s Cinema. Smitty’s beverage execution consisted of servers taking drink orders then actually going to the back and preparing them on our own. We were trained in cocktails, proper beer pours, etc. After working there for 4 years I was fortunate enough to have a friend introduce me to this awesome island in Sebego Lake. There was a cafe there called Frye’s Leap. Here I would actually get behind a traditional bar, prepare cocktails and interact with patrons. The interaction with great people and creating drinks that they loved really drew me in. I was hooked. Creating cocktails for people also linked into another passion of mine which is baking. Now I could use my pastry expertise to combine different flavors to really create unique combinations that my guests would love! What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? My biggest pet peeve is when guests believe they are entitled to one too many drinks – especially when it’s after hours. Having to tell guests that they can’t have another cocktail or that the bar is closed is an issue I know all bartenders share! What is one of the ways clients try to get you to buy them a FREE drink? When their drink is gone so quick, they…
Kyle McFarland Irish Whisper 177 Fleet Street National Harbor 301-909-8859 Irishwhispernh.com Kyle pulls a perfect “Half and Half” – Harp on the bottom and Guinness on the top How did you get started in the bartending business? I started in the restaurant business almost 13 years ago as a simple door guy. Once I graduated from college in 2009, there weren’t many jobs available due to the housing market issue with the exception of restaurants. There always seems to be work in the hospitality business. Over the next 10 years I worked my way up from a server to a bartender and the rest is history. What is your biggest bartender’s pet peeve? My major pet peeve is when a bar is extremely busy and it’s your turn to order drinks and #1 you don’t know what you want or #2 you can’t remember what you are buying for all your friends. “Uhh”…..is the worst answer to give a bartender when it’s busy. What is the cleverest thing a customer has done to entice you to give them a free drink? In years past, I was pretty good at drinking Irish car bombs and it got to the point where people would try to race me. I would always get “I can beat you, you’re not that fast” comments from customers. So…I would make them a deal….”If you can beat me, I will buy them, but if I win it’s on your tab”. I think that I’m about 90% when it comes to winning. What is/are the best/worst pickup line(s) you have overheard at the bar? “Are you my appendix? I don’t know what you do or how you work but I feel like I should take you out.” To my shock she kept talking…
Pedro Mendoza Northside 10 10 South Glebe Road Alexandria 703-888-0032 Northside10.com Pedro conjures up the Northside Breeze – Deep Eddy Grapefruit Vodka, Cranberry and Orange Juice and a splash of Prosecco garnished an orange slice and cherry How did you get started in the bartending business? I started bartending at parties for friends — just for fun to talk to people and have a good time. People from the parties started to hire me for private functions. My regulars at Southside 815 and Northside 10 wanted to see me behind the bar, so I moved back there permanently in 2017. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? A couple things make me crazy – when people pour their own wine from the service bar and when they say they’re in a hurry but they want to ask a million questions about the menu. But… nothing makes me crazier than customers who talk with their mouths full of food. I want to hear what you have to say, but chew and swallow first! What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink? A woman at the bar saw we had a chili dog on the menu. She said she could swallow the whole thing if I gave her a free shot. I didn’t take her up on it, her friend stepped in before it got too far… What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar? I’ve heard a lot of awful material. “I’d swipe right for you” was pretty bad. The better ones are specific to the person – I saw a guy come up to a beautiful redhead and tell her he was “thirsty for a tall glass of ginger ale”. She smiled and let…
Tara Hopkins Fish Market Restaurant Anchor Bar 105 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-836-5676 FishMarketVA.com Tara serves up the Copper Schooner – 32 ounces of Habanero Moonshine, Owens Craft Ginger Beer & Lome’! How did you get started in the bartending business? I was a server at the time and the day bartender needed some of her shifts picked up, so I volunteered. I had to beg management to give me a chance, and they did. A few months later one of the night bartenders came to work drunk, he was fired, and I took all his night shifts! What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? Oh boy, that is a tough one! My biggest pet peeve would be when a customer yells at me to “turn the game on” and it is already on but has gone to commercial. What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink? Ha! I already paid my tab “T”, can you hook me up with a shot? What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar? Can I be your Uber tonight?! Tell us about an interesting encounter you have had with a customer(s). I am from Maryland and I take pride in my obsession with picking crabs. I always make it a priority to invite my dearest customers to join me at my favorite crab house. I pick them all up, load them in my truck and off we go for a field trip to eat some crabs and drink some beer! If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone in the world, past or present, who would that be? Judge Judy, hehehehehe! I just love that woman, straight to the point and gives it to you straight!…
Andy Gillies Public House Bar & Restaurant 199 Fleet Street National Harbor 240-493-6120 Publichousenationlharbor.com Andy is behind the bar Monday through Friday days. How did you get started in the bartending business? I got started out in the business through my Dad – best known as “Russian Mike”. He owned a few joints back in the day including the Quarter Deck in Arlington and Jonathan’s Place in Crystal City (he was partners with Bill Bayne Sr.) and Michael Anthony’s in Maryland. This was the 70s early 80s .When it was time to get a job – I was 17 getting ready to turn 18 – I started waitressing at Champions in Falls Church which later became Broadstreet Bar and Grill. I’ll never forget it! My first night started out as a disaster! I was thrown to the wolves! Lol! The first table I waited on was these guys in this band called the Road Ducks. Some of you might remember them, they were very popular through NOVA back then. Anyway, the lead singer, Mike McCormick (who is gorgeous by the way), and his girlfriend (who was wearing a fur jacket –white at that) were at the table and I spilled my whole tray of drinks on them! Needless to say, my money went to dry cleaning that night. My dad’s best friend, Bill Bayne Sr., and his son Billy Bayne Jr. along with Arty Dourty and Jimmy Madden opened the Crystal City Sports Pub in August of 1994. That was really the bar I can say I grew up working in. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? Don’t ever come to my bar and say “can you hook me up?” and then proceed with telling me you are “in the industry” and my tip…
Kerry Nagle Pirates Cove Dock Bar 4817 Riverside Drive Galesville, MD 410-867-2300 piratescovemd.com Kerry mixes up a couple of West River shots! Coconut rum, fresh squeezed OJ, a splash of blue curaçao and topped with prosecco. How did you get started in the bartending business? I have been in the service industry almost 16 years now. I started at Galway Bay in Annapolis where I first started serving and then moved to Killarney House in Davidsonville where I served and managed. I was then sent off to Brian Baroo in Severna Park to train fellow coworkers all tricks of the trade regarding serving and managing. Bartending was the one part of the industry that I had not learned so I dove in head first and love the excitement of the job and meeting fun people this summer at the Dock Bar at Pirates Cove in Galesville. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? One of my biggest pet peeves – and maybe it’s because I’m old-school – is greeting people and not being acknowledged because they’re glued to their technology. What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar? There are so many….Do you come here often? Don’t I know you from somewhere? I would like to get to know you. Telling the bartender “their drinks are on me”. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven? Although I think most of “the picking up” is now done online. What is the cleverest thing a customer has done to get a free drink from you? I had a customer ask, “Is it free drink hour instead of happy hour” and my reply was “Sorry love ain’t nothing in this world for free” and we both chuckled out loud. Tell us about an…
Al Chadsey – Local Legend Comes to Old Town By Bob Tagert For those of you who have been in this town for the past 50 years like myself, we can remember a time when D.C. was really crazy, Georgetown was the hot spot and the Golden Triangle was becoming the new hot spot for places to meet old friends and make new ones. Luigi’s or Gusti’s were the hip restaurants where you could get a dinner for two of veal parmesan, a side of pasta in a red sauce and a bottle of Mateus or Lancers Rose for a grand total of about $25.00. All these memories came flooding back when I recently sat down with Al Chadsey, the new General Manager of Union Street Public House. Back in those days, circa 1974, Al was a bartender and then manager at the extremely popular Beowulf restaurant and pub. He soon after invested in his own restaurant and bought The Embers a few blocks from Beowulf on 19th street N.W. Chadsey and his 5 partners eventually changed the concept and Pierce Street Annex was born. Pierce Street grew in popularity over the years as did the other neighboring watering holes…Flaps, Rumors, Apple Pie and Sign of the Whale. The pace of life just seemed slower back then. Celebrities would visit D.C. and there would be no entourage. “John Denver would come to town and play the Cellar Door and then stop at Pierce Street and we would play backgammon till the wee hours of the morning,” Chadsey tells me. “Arnold Schwarzenegger would stop by and we even had Ted Danson and Rick Springfield (when he was Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital) as a guest bartenders!” Happy Hours seemed to last longer back then. In those days the bartenders would…
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