Hot Bartender, Cool Drink: Pain D'Avignon

In between pouring drinks, he answered 5 questions for us:

What do you wish people knew about bartending?

That there is Vermouth in a Martini—the classic drink needs at least a token amount for it to be counted as an authentic Martini.  Also, that the bar should be about letting the ingredients in a drink talk for themselves and shine on their own.

Is this your career, or is it just paying the bills?

It's my career. I am a certified Sommelier, but I love bartending.  It’s fun.  People aren’t as intimidated by me when I am a bartender.

Bartenders talk to a lot of people every day—tell us about the most bizarre person or experience from work.

This crowd is surprisingly tame, but with adventurous tastes.  We have a cocktail du jour, and no Martini list.  We try not to repeat drinks and a lot of times we get our inspiration from the kitchen.  If the kitchen has fresh peaches, then we’ll do a Peach Bomb.

What one quality separates a regular bartender from an unforgettable one?

An unforgettable bartender is one who knows what they don’t and do have behind the bar, in order to make appropriate suggestions.

People come to you to let off some steam and relax—what is your favorite spot in town to do the same?

Here—it’s a great vibe, and, if I do say so myself, I love the wine list.  I also go to BBC—they have a great beer list.

Brendan likes the simple Cosmopolitan.  Up your sophistication factor by making his House Cosmo:

In a shaker with ice, pour:

1.5 oz. Stoli Citrus

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. fresh lime juice

Splash of cranberry juice for color

Strain into Cosmo/Martini glass.  "Pinky out" is optional.