Sauced

Five Questions for the Bartender: Mark Sexauer

The man behind the bar at Barrio Bellevue likes Mezcal, hoppy beer, and Sun Liquor.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 12, 2010 at 03:31PM 0 Comments

Mark Sexauer: blogger, bartender, parent.

No, Mark Sexaueur’s favorite cocktail is not a Sexauer On the Beach. So don’t even try it, because there’s no way he hasn’t heard that joke before.

In between blogging about cocktails and parenting that adorable little person in this photo, Sexauer serves up stellar cocktails at Barrio Bellevue. He can also teach you a thing or two about tequila.

Here, five questions with Mark Sexauer.

What is the most underrated spirit?

It’s easily Mezcal. Mezcal is stereotyped as being of low quality, and bad marketing (like the “worm” in the bottom of the bottle—it’s not actually a worm, it’s a moth larva) has only polished its reputation as a spirit that your buddies dare you to order in shot form.

From heavily smoky barrel-aged Mezcals to unaged light, vegetal mezcals, it is one of my favorite spirits to mix with. Mezcal is quickly gaining interest on both sides of the bar; watch as many more arrive on the market in the coming years.

What is your favorite Seattle bar?

This is really, really hard, but I think my favorite bar—and the one that is closest to a bar I would want to own—is Sun Liquor on Capitol Hill.

What drink do you order at the bar?

I usually order a nice hoppy beer and/or tequila to sip.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen in a bar?

I’ve seen lots of stupid things, but the worst may have been when some guy passed out ON TOP OF the fence surrounding the smoking section of this bar where I worked. He was trying to climb it, I guess? We had a hard time pulling him down and eventually he woke up. It looked pretty painful….How do you fall asleep over a fence?

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

People eat well and drink well here, and there are a ton of places in which to do both.

I’m all about driving west and seeing the Sound and then eventually the ocean, or driving east and hitting the Cascades.

The neighborhoods. I love the different offerings and vibes from all the little (and big) neighborhoods around the city.

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Tags: Bellevue, Five Questions for the Bartender, Bartenders, Mezcal

Five Questions for the Cocktail Chef: Cameo McRoberts

Cameo McRoberts is not a bartender, but that doesn’t mean she can’t make you a very good drink. Just don’t be snapping your fingers in her general direction.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 07, 2010 at 11:11AM 1 Comments

Cameo McRoberts, not a bartender.

Working for Kathy Casey Studios, Alaska-native Cameo McRoberts (who—prepare to be impressed—was once sous chef to Rick TopChefMaster Bayless at Chicago’s Frontera Grill) creates plenty of cocktails, as well as bitters and syrups. But she’s careful not to call herself a bartender.

“Only because I know most of the bartenders in this series and they will make fun of me!” explains McRoberts.

“Coming from the kitchen I have a pretty strong knowledge of flavors and what pairs well,” she says. “As Kathy’s Executive Chef I work on tons of cocktail development with her and I put together all of our seminars. So in the past year I’ve had a crash course in cocktail culture, spirits, classic cocktails, cocktail history, and the whatnot.”

All I know is, she can make me a drink anytime—preferably using the amazing cherry bounce she keeps jarred up at the funtime cocktail lab she and Mrs. Casey call an office.

Here, five questions for cocktail chef Cameo McRoberts.

What is the most underrated spirit?

There is no bottle left uncorked in the cocktail world right now, it’s like a massive flavor unearthing. It’s really fun. Among the non spirit-geek crowd: definitely gin. It’s not the gin that hurts the next morning, it’s all the sugar in that tonic water! Good gin is like Dusty Springfield, sweet and gritty at the same time.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar?

The usual suspects: Rob Roy, Vessel, Zig Zag, Liberty, but the Ballard crawl is quite nice too: Moshi Moshi, Hazlewood, Oliver’s Twist (not Ballard, I know), and, as always, Sambar to finish.

What drink do you order at that bar?

Cocktail bars: anything the bartender wants to give me. Usually whiskey or gin-based. Everywhere else: shot of whiskey and glass of bitters and soda, with extra bitters.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

My mom bartended in Alaska when I was younger so let’s just say I’ve seen some crazy stuff. Service-wide, I am not a fan of the snapping of the fingers.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

Proximity to the motherland (Alaska).

The water, the trees, the views—it really is breathtaking a lot of the time.

Seattle’s delicate balance of big pond/small pond, especially in the service industry.

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Tags: Cocktails, Hazlewood, Kathy Casey, Rob Roy, Zig Zag Cafe, Vessel, Gin, Whiskey, Bartenders, Five Questions for the Bartender, Sambar

Five Questions for the Bartender: Marley Tomic-Beard

Who knew “I’m so wasted” was a bad thing to say while ordering drinks? Indispensable wisdom from the learned lady behind the bar at Spur.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jun 07, 2010 at 09:15AM 2 Comments

Photos by Jim Anderson

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Photos by Jim Anderson

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Photos by Jim Anderson

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Bartender Marley Tomic-Beard moved to Seattle from Boston after learning to craft cocktails at a bar called the Eastern Standard.

“It was one of the few bars at the time that mixed classics,” says Tomic-Beard. “I honed my skills and learned not only about mixology, but the history that went along with it.”

She moved to Seattle and picked up shifts at Belltown’s Bath Tub Gin and Licorous on Capitol Hill. While working, she met Anne Magoon and David Nelson of Spur, who hired her for a fulltime gig at the gastropub right across the street from Bathtub. You’ll find her there Sunday through Tuesday and on Friday nights. Every other Wednesday, she’s back mixing drinks at Bathtub Gin.

Here, five questions for Marley Tomic-Beard.

What is the most underrated spirit?

Rye is an underutilized spirit not because it isn’t well known in the restaurant industry, but because the public doesn’t seem to understand its historical significance. Many people don’t know that a Manhattan should always be made with rye (or that it’s the Great Grandfather to the vodka martini). Rye whiskey is an American invention and thanks to many bootleggers and their Canadian counterparts, Rye got us through the Great Drought and Prohibition.

What is your favorite Seattle bar?

Rob Roy is my bar of choice when I imbibe. I love the environment and the drinks are always delicious.

What drink do you order at the bar?

My classic standby, the Boulevardier [rye, Campari, and sweet vermouth].

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen do in a bar?

I have seen so many spectacles in my nights behind the stick but the most obnoxious has been customers who bluntly tell me how drunk they are as they order drinks. Usually they are already falling off their stools, but the nail in the coffin is when they say, “ I am so wasted, I’ll take a Jack and Coke.” Then they are offended when I refuse to serve them.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

Being a newcomer and seeing Seattle with fresh eyes, its beauty astounds me. That Seattle is broken into so many incredible neighborhoods is another reason I love it. It is great to be able to zip over to Phinney Ridge or Greenlake or Capitol Hill and get different experiences. Lastly, the food and drinking scene in Seattle is outstanding, there are so many options to choose from.

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Tags: Five Questions for the Bartender, Bartenders, Whiskey

Five Questions for the Bartender: Mike McSorley

Do not threaten Bellevue’s fiercest cocktail competitor. He’s got weapons.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 13, 2010 at 10:07AM 1 Comments

Mike McSorley

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Mike McSorley

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Cocktails at Naga

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Naga Cocktail Lounge

There’s a bar in Bellevue called Naga Cocktail Lounge, it’s attached to Chantanee Thai restaurant.

Behind that bar, two bartenders are making award-winning cocktails. Evan Martin’s punch just became the official cocktail of Tales of the Cocktail 2010, a massive drinks convention in New Orleans. And Mike McSorley, who is the bar manager over there at Naga, was the regional winner in the verybigdeal 42 Below World Cocktail Cup. And here’s a little-known fact about Mike McSorley: his homemade maraschino cherries will change your cocktail-making life. Guaranteed.

Here, five questions for Mike McSorley.

What is the most underrated spirit?
Well, there are many… but my current vote goes to aquavit. I’m working really hard to make it the new bartenders’ shot of Seattle (the way Fernet is in San Francisco). When frozen, it’s a really delightful shooter. It makes me think of drinking a slice of pumpernickel.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Naga)?
I can’t say the Zig Zag Cafe, or Vessel, or Naga, so I have to talk about my local: Snoose Junction part dieu on 105th and Greenwood. They have a vinyl menu, and will play an entire side of a record upon request. They also have a great selection of liquors, liqueurs, and absinthe. Happy hour isn’t bad either.

What drink do you order at that bar?
Manny’s Pale Ale and a whisk(e)y of some sort. Excellent bedfellows.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?
Threaten to jump over the bar and “teach me a lesson”. I promptly grabbed my fish billy club (which I use to crush ice) in one hand, and then grabbed my 7 1/2 inch Nakiri-style chef’s knife by Ryusen in the other. Needless to say, the customer in question did not stay around to see what I planned on doing with said items.

Scary. Name three reasons you live in Seattle.
I came to Seattle to go to college at the UW. I stayed here because I like how people relate to one another. I keep staying here because of my wonderful girlfriend.

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Tags: Bellevue, Cocktails, Five Questions for the Bartender, Cocktail Competitions

Five Questions for the Bartender: Erik Carlson

The mystery man behind the bar in Ballard is making some of the most innovative drinks in town.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 18, 2010 at 11:15AM 6 Comments

Catch him if you can. Erik Carlson is behind the bar at Moshi Moshi Tuesday night through Saturday.

After 11 years tending bar all around San Francisco, Erik Carlson moved back to Seattle to help his friends Kevin and Tracy Erickson open Moshi Moshi sushi bar in downtown Ballard.

Raw fish is fine and good, but right from the start Ballardites recognized Moshi Moshi as their favorite new cocktail bar. They told tall tales of a brave new bartender and the wicked tasty cocktails he created with inventive infusions and rare spirits.

These tales were told from behind Seattle’s bars as well: Some of the city’s most discriminating drinkslingers welcomed him as the newest member of their rarefied brood. And yet, he is a rare sight around town, a mystery man who is seldom seen outside his shifts at the sushi bar.

Where has he been all your life? Here, Erik Carlson answers that question and five more.

What is the most underrated spirit?
I would have to say pisco [a South American brandy]. I always have a revolving pisco drink in the brandy section of my cocktail menu.

People who are unfamiliar with pisco see the “brandy” moniker and are put off for some reason, but pisco is one of those spirits that I use to turn on hardcore vodka drinkers and convert them. There is nothing more refreshing, midsummer, than a pisco punch.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Moshi Moshi’s)?
I’ve been a real deadbeat when it comes to getting out and supporting other Seattle bars since I’ve been home. Ask around, I’ve been a ghost.

There is a handful of bartenders that continue to catch my eye around town, however. Anu Apte and Zane Harris from Rob Roy and Jim Romdall from Vessel really laid out the welcome mat when we first opened. Andrew Bohrer from MistralKitchen and Jay Kuehner from Sambar run awesome bar programs and continue to put Seattle on the map as a cocktail-forward city.

What drink do you order at that bar?
Anything with rye or rhum agricole, the latter makes me nostalgic for San Francisco.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?
One night I was breaking up an argument at the bar in the Redwood at the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. It was between three loud patrons. When I approached the woman who was the loudest and most aggressive out of the bunch, she turned on me and began screaming and swinging wildly at my head. Luckily as I peddled backward, one of my bartenders, who had similar experiences while working at a methadone clinic, sprinted at her and tackled her onto the floor. He then pinned her to the ground for about ten minutes while her liquid courage wore off and security arrived.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.
Quality of life. I moved my beautiful wife and daughter out of a junior one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco to a big house in Seattle with a yard and free parking. I also traded nights on the town for family dinners at home. I couldn’t be happier.

Family! My Mom and sisters argue over who gets to watch my daughter, I have the three best nannies in Seattle on my team.

Memories. I moved home to give my family the same great experiences I had growing up here.

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Tags: Cocktails, Five Questions for the Bartender, Ballard, Pisco, Rum

Five Questions for the Bartender: Susanna Welbourne

Burlesque star, bartender, musician: Meet Hazlewood’s triple-threat drink slinger.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Mar 05, 2010 at 02:43PM 0 Comments

Oh, Susanna. Welbourne as Kitten La Rue.
Photo: Bobby Miller

Burlesque. You love it a lot, Seattle. What else do you love? Cocktails. You love cocktails. And sweet lo-fi postpunk bands like The Intelligence. And dropping musical terms like “lo-fi postpunk” into conversation, just so the people get that you get it and that you’re not some dorky booze blogger who has to consult Wikipedia in order to know how to describe a band.

Thusly and therefore, you love Susanna Welbourne: producer/director of burlesque troop The Atomic Bombshells, slinger of fine cocktails at Hazlewood in Ballard, keyboardist for the Intelligence.

Welbourne’s bartending career began 10 years ago in New Orleans, the greatest city on earth, and one she describes aptly as “boot camp for bartenders.” These days she’s not so often behind the bar at Hazlewood—where her favorite drink is a Bloody Dog with Aperol—due to all the burlesquing and lo-fi postpunk rocking. So if you see her there, lucky you.

Here, five questions for the lovely Susanna Welbourne.

What is the most underrated spirit?
Rye Whiskey. Old-fashioned goodness, and the essential base to the most classic of New Orleans cocktails, the Sazerac.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Hazlewood)?
Ocho: super cozy, cool owners, great food.

What drink do you order at that bar?
They make an amazing Dark and Stormy.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?
This guy vomited on the floor in a room full of people, and then just sort of looked up at me and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say “Well, what do you expect?” Not that!

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.
My dancing girls, the killer food, and this incredible weather. [On this last point, it should be noted that Welbourne did this interview during an unseasonably sunny spell in late February, 2010.]

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Tags: Cocktails, Five Questions for the Bartender, Music, Ballard, Burlesque

Five Questions for the (Visiting) Bartender: Neyah White

Legendary San Francisco bartender Neyah White will be in town next week to teach Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. Get to know him now.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 15, 2010 at 10:21AM 0 Comments

Neyah White comes to Seattle February 21 and 22 for Drinking Lessons.

It’s a Five Questions first, everybody. We’re talking to a bartender from San Francisco.

Specifically, we’re talking to Neyah White. He’s the bar manager at San Fran’s Nopa where his housemade bitters, tinctures, and liqueurs have earned him love, fame, and all the perks that come with being a rock-star bartender in a city so obsessed with food and drink it puts Seattle’s own food and drink fetishism to…let’s just say it gives us something to which to aspire.

Together with fellow SFer Duggan McDonnell, Neyah White comes to Seattle on February 21 and 22 to host Drinking Lessons at the Hunt Club. Don’t miss it.

Here, five questions for Neyah White.

What is the most underrated spirit?

I am actually going to go with a wine rather than spirit and say vermouth. The 50s and 60s were not very kind to vermouth and it is really a shame. We abuse it by storing it wrong, pouring it wrong, and just plain not understanding it. I challenge everyone reading this to open a fresh bottle of any vermouth (well, almost any) and pour a little over ice with an orange slice. It’s delicious.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar?

I haven’t been to Seattle a whole lot in recent years, but there sure are some great folks working in your town. I get teary-eyed when I think about Murray Stetson [ Zig Zag], jealous when I think about Jamie Boudreau [ Knee High], nostalgic when I think about Eric Carlson [ Moshi Moshi] and Nate Weber [ Tavern Law, I think], and just plain happy when I think about Anu Apte and Zane Harris [ Rob Roy].

What drink do you order at that bar?

I am a big proponent of being a good guest by enjoying what is being offered. I like to drink whatever is most appropriate: Beer in beer halls, wine in wine bars, Scotch every chance I get.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

I work very hard at forgetting stuff like that. Alcohol brings out the best and worst in people, getting $100 tip and getting stiffed on a $200 tab come pretty much from the same place.

Name three reasons you like to visit in Seattle.

1. The sun is evil and must be avoided at all costs. 2. They say the human body is made up of about 60 percent water. In me, 50 percent of that water is coffee, and Seattle is fine place to refuel. 3. I look good in a scarf.

GET TICKETS TO DRINKING LESSONS WITH NEYAH WHITE HERE.

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Tags: Cocktails, Booze 101, Wine, Behind the bar, Five Questions for the Bartender, Drinking Events, Scotch

Five Questions for the Bartender: Philip Trickey

The Rob Roy up-and-comer will turn you into a gin lover, but asks that you keep your shoes on at the bar.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 08, 2010 at 12:30PM 0 Comments

Philip Trickey moved to Seattle from Salt Lake City, Utah in the fall of 2005 “because of a girl, isn’t that always the case?” He tended bar before the move, but says he didn’t develop a passion for the job until he started hanging out at Vessel with bar manger Jim Romdall and then-bartender Zane Harris. “Zane eventually challenged me to come behind the bar and that began a two-month, unpaid ‘internship’ with Jim.”

Today, Trickey works at Rob Roy, the Belltown bar Harris owns with partner (in both senses of the word) Anu Apte.

Here five questions with the Rob Roy’s tattoed up-and-comer.

What is the most underrated spirit?

From a drinker’s perspective the most underrated spirit would have to be gin. I am constantly surprised at the vast number of people that claim to hate gin but have never had a properly made gin cocktail. From my perspective as a bartender, the most underrated spirit is tequila. I am just now discovering its myriad uses for crafting new drinks as well as updating some of the classics.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Rob Roy)?

My favorite bar in Seattle is definitely the Zig Zag. Everyone there (Casey, Ben, Ben, Jacob, Erik, Murray, Autumn, Annie, sorry if I forgot anyone) goes out of their way to make me feel welcome. Plus, it’s right across the street from my apartment.

What drink do you order at that bar?

I drink what every bartender drinks: a shot and a beer. Occasionally I will have a cocktail but I always leave it up to Erik or Murray or Ben or Ben as to what that drink will be.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

I’ve seen many people over the years do stupid shit in bars, but they’re mostly just your run of the mill transgressions: puking, passing out, punching someone, getting punched by someone, etc. The worst thing I have seen though, is a woman who took off her shoes, pushed out the chair next to her, and proceed to use said chair as an ottoman. I was just appalled that someone could think that this was acceptable behavior in a public place.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

I live in Seattle because I really love the local food scene. Coming from Salt Lake City, it’s really not that hard to be impressed by anyone that at least makes an effort, but Seattle chefs really do an amazing job. I also live here because I don’t need a car to navigate this city. I live and work right downtown and the metro system is good enough to get me out to the sticks if need be. (By sticks, I mean Ballard.) Finally, Seattle is home because it has all of the amenities of a large city but still feels like a town.

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Tags: Belltown, Five Questions for the Bartender, Gin, Tequila

Five Questions for the Bartender: Chris Bollenbacher

The bar manager at Serafina makes his own infusions and rhapsodizes about rum.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jan 26, 2010 at 11:00AM 2 Comments

Do you know Chris Bollenbacher? You should. He is the bar manager at Serafina and Cicchetti, two twinkling Eastlake eateries where the food is great, the atmosphere ridiculously romantic, and the owner smart enough to step away from the bar and let her talented ’tender do his thing.

Way before every bartender made his own tinctures and studied up on the history of cocktails, Bollenbacher was at it, quietly amassing homemade infusions along with has an intense amount of knowledge about booze. Together with former Serafina bartender Miles Thomas (Tavern Law, Toulouse Petit), he also owns Scrappy’s Bitters, a local line of bitters you’ll find at bars all around town.

Here, five questions for Chris Bollenbacher.

What is the most underrated spirit?

The most underrated spirit in my opinion is rum, with so many brands and styles it is in a world of its own. Any fine rum brings with it so much flavor from the sugar cane/molasses it’s made from that it creates beautiful lift in cocktails and causes subtle flavors to pop even more than gin does.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than the one at Serafina)?

I enjoy imbibing at Zig Zag and Oliver’s Twist, but wherever there is a bar taking its cocktails seriously, I’ll be there.

What drink do you order at that bar?

I go for a Negroni or a Boulevardier (a Negroni with rye), I do love bitters so I’m also a sucker for a Manhattan made with a vintage Pedro Ximénez sherry and both Angostura and Scrappy’s chocolate bitters.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

A man to who I had refused service returned hours— and many drinks—later to kick in the front window of the bar.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

Seattle really has that “port city” feel I enjoy; everyone is from different backgrounds and walks of life and it has quite a bit of hustle and bustle, yet it still has a down-home, sleepy side to it. There are incredible nature escapes in every direction and the whole area is a fishermen’s heaven (fishing is another passion of mine).

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Tags: Cocktails, Eastlake, Five Questions for the Bartender, Bartenders

Five Questions for the Bartender: Jim Romdall

The bar manager at Vessel tells us about fortified wines, barbequing in the rain, and one thing you should never do against a pinball machine.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Dec 18, 2009 at 08:00AM 1 Comments

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Vessel bar manager Jim Romdall began his bartending career in college, just after he turned 21.

“After college,” says Romdall, “I decided I wanted to make movies. So I packed up and moved to LA where I became the bar manager of a fine-dining restaurant in Malibu. Got tired of movies, moved back to Seattle, and ended up landing a job behind the bar at Vessel.”

Since taking over management duties, Romdall has turned the austere cocktail bar on Fifth into a welcoming community hub for cocktail geeks, hosting guest bartenders from as far away as Germany (and as close by as other really good Seattle cocktail bars), holding drink-mixing competitions, and making sure no drinking-related holiday goes uncelebrated. He’s also really nice.

Here, five questions for Jim Romdall.

What’s the most underrated spirit?

I’m repeating a previous answer, but I have to go with fortified wine. Vermouth, sherry, port, pineau des charentes, pommeau. These spirits pack so much flavor without the heavy alcohol content, so they can compliment a base spirit wonderfully in a cocktail. I use them constantly.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than Vessel).

I love all the great cocktail bars in Seattle, but often, my favorite place to go is Shorty’s. Booze, hot dogs, and pinball. Everything that makes life worth living.

What drink do you order at the bar?

Scotch, and likely a beer next to it so it doesn’t get lonely.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

One time, I witnessed a couple having sex against a pinball machine. When I told them they needed to leave, the man proceeded to tell me that the woman was a famous local porn star and that he was going to get me fired for this. Ahh, sometimes i miss working at a college bar.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

The ones I love are here.

There are mountains and trees all over the place.

In another city, if you go out in the rain to barbeque people look at you funny.

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Have I asked your favorite bartender five questions? Find all the interviews here.

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Five Questions for the Bartender: Erik Hakkinen

You came for Mur the Blur, you’re staying for Erik Hakkinen.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Nov 24, 2009 at 10:00AM 7 Comments

Photo: Nick Feldman

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Zig Zag

Erik Hakkinen works at Zig Zag Cafe, a magical bar if ever there was one. Tucked along a quiet stretch of the Pike Street hill climb, Zig Zag is a pink-lit den of superior cocktail concocting, the bar everyone agrees is the best bar in the city. (Need proof? See every bartender interview on Sauced.)

This all started with Murray Stenson, of course. Stenson is the sultan of Seattle spirits. The bartender’s bartender. The consummate gentleman. The man. It would take an exceptional young someone to work elbow to elbow with Mur the Blur, but Hakkinen—who looks like one of those dapper, tap-dancing actors in old musicals—pulls it off with understated panache.

Here, five questions for Erik Hakkinen

What is the most underrated spirit?

Depends on when payday is—if it’s tomorrow, then armagnac or some nice barrel-proof bourbon or rye; if it’s next week, well then I think the well tequila just hasn’t been getting the attention it deserves.

What is your favorite Seattle bar?

Lately it’s been Bathtub Gin over in Belltown, which is a great space with topnotch drinks. It’s kind of like an industry clubhouse over there, so it’s easy to find someone like-minded to drink with.

What drink do you order at the bar?

The most expensive spirit I can afford coupled with the cheapest canned beer.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen do in a bar?

The worst drink I’ve ever served was Cosmopolitan with olive juice. I made my server verify this order twice; the patron had four of them.
The worst thing I’ve seen was long ago (in a Belltown bar) when this very intoxicated gal took off her skirt on the dance floor. It quickly became obvious that she was a he, and he turned out to be a pre-op transsexual.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

My family, my job, and its proximity to Tacoma.

HEY BOOZE NERDS, CAN YOU GUESS WHAT DRINK HAKKINEN IS MAKING IN THE SLIDESHOW ABOVE?

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Five Questions for the Bartender: Kristen Finstad

Shhh. Don’t tell this Hideout bartender that the Sonics were sold—basketball and bigfoot are her two great Seattle loves.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Nov 16, 2009 at 08:00AM 4 Comments

Photo: All photos Nick Feldman

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View Slideshow » Photo: Nick Feldman

After years behind the bar at Seattle music-scene spots (Neumos and the original Cha-Cha), Kristen Finstad flew away. “I was looking to explore what else was out there without having to leave the city and career I love. So I left the local haunts and became a flight attendant (aka a bartender at 35,000 feet) for Alaska Airlines.”

Temporarily grounded by the recession, Finstad plans to return to the friendly skies in 2011. In the meantime you can catch her at The Hideout, Serafina, and Serafina’s little sister bar, Cicchetti.

“I have an affinity for the spaces I work in,” says Kristen, “and for the regulars that saddle up with me for the evening and lend me their palates. Bringing life to classic cocktail recipes is my favorite part of the job, next to the great conversation that tends to come with it.”

Here, five questions for the lovely and talented Kristen Finstad.

What is the most underrated spirit?

What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Truth is, there is a gamut of great bartenders dusting off bottles, everything from the amaro family to rhum agricole. It’s the spirit of the bartenders themselves—their ability to incorporate alchemy as an art—that can be underrated.

What’s your favorite Seattle bar (other than the Hideout and Serafina)?

I love to post up at the bar with John Atkins at Lottie’s Lounge, Drew and Sara at Hazlewood, Chris Bollenbacher at Serafina, Archer [Brown] at Tavern Law, and of course the fellas at Zig Zag. They all embody the Jean Cocteau quote: “Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.”

What drink do you order at that bar?

Bartender’s choice. Elsewhere I stick with gins and all things bitter.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen someone do in a bar?

Oh geez. When I was 21 I worked at a local music venue. One night a girl passed out in a bathroom stall late into the night and nobody knew she was there. She woke up in that dirty, pitch black space and tripped the motion alarms. The police came in response to find this poor girl locked in the club! I can’t imagine how terrible that must have felt.

I suppose I didn’t exactly see it happen—but it still resonates with me as being the worst.

Name three reasons you live in Seattle.

My family and friends, the Seattle SuperSonics, and knowing bigfoot is out there…somewhere. I’d like to buy him and the Sonics a drink.

GET TO KNOW SEATTLE’S BEST BARTENDERS HERE.

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Tags: Five Questions for the Bartender