Hey Bartender Page #5

to be that person.

Who walked into a place and

everybody knew them and...

it changes on a dime.

It's almost impossible

to stay in business.

About the year or so ago, a

friend of mine had come in,

who works for a larger importer.

And had mentioned something

And he was kind-of concerned

about my business a little bit

saying he noticed that there was,

you know a little fall-off

in the bar business and since

he travels extensively and he's

He mentioned and he said you know,

have you considered cocktails?

And I said, you know, I

haven't given it much thought.

And he made a mention, he

said, you know there's this

annual event that takes place

in New Orleans called

"Tales Of The Cocktail".

He want dot know why we

didn't do cocktails, why we

didn't have a menu.

You know, and he figured

it'd be a good idea

for me to go down there and

check it out.

But I just don't see myself

planning a trip

and going down to New Orleans

to see

a seminar or a conference

on an industry that I think I

have a pretty good handle on.

Here at the Elms Mansion

and Gardens.

A beautiful property, right

on Saint Charles Avenue

in downtown New Orleans.

And we're here for the

Promenade Of Jubilations.

IT's the opening party for

Tales Of The Cocktail.

Perhaps the biggest cocktail

event in the world now,

is held in New Orleans.

Tales Of The Cocktail.

Tales Of the Cocktail is a five day

cocktail and culinary festival.

It's programmed for the craft

of the bartender and it is a

I love the fact that we're

finally celebrating cocktails.

And Tales Of The Cocktail

bring you like-minded,

passionate people, to my city.

The city of the cocktail.

It's just a great thing.

Gathering of hundreds, and

now thousands, of the world's

top bartenders.

Brand ambassadors,

spirits producers, cocktail

enthusiasts.

Tales of the cocktail is, for

me,

certainly the biggest event

of the year.

And then on a serious note,

we have the Spirit Awards.

Uh, basically, the top

of the field, get uh.

They get recognized. So the

best bars, the best bartenders

Uhm, just as you hear on the

Oscars and the Golden Globes.

There's no greater honor than

being recognized by your peers.

As being somebody

who stands out.

Your attitude back there,

what you project to the guest

is all important.

I mean people see

confident movement

behind the bar.

And right away they're at ease.

Who you are back there

will define the space.

And it will also define whether

you have any people at the

bar or not.

You're in the action.

You're part of the action.

And I don't mean you

should be showing off.

It's not that at all.

You a hundred different things

to a hundred different people.

You have to be a

bit of an actor.

You have to be able to react

to what's in front of you.

And fulfill the needs

of that person.

You know, make them

comfortable in this space.

That's what you do.

I came to New York City in 1969.

I worked as a dish washer

at Howard Jones'

in Times Square.

No kidding.

I was luck. I caught the end

I say the end of an era

because, for example...

Swing Street...

52nd Street.

This was Swing Street because

Lined up all the way to 8th

Avenue were jazz clubs.

Part of that was America was

on top of the world then.

Yo came out of the war.

As the number one civil power.

In New York men had came in

in the morning, went to lunch

had three martinis, went back.

Slept with their secretary and

caught the 504 to Westport.

And we ruled the world then.

I mean it was just...

it made it all look so easy.

Well, I came to New York from

the university of Rhode Island,

where I was studying in the

theatre department.

Continued pursuing acting but always

working first as a dish washer

then as a waiter at a really

cool place called

Charley O's, which was a

Giovan restaurant.

My interest in the studying,

actually history of my profession,

which is bar tending.

Started with a genius named

Joseph Baum.

Joseph Baum very nearly

single handedly

changed the way that we

eat and drink in America.

He opened the first fine

dining restaurant

in the international airport,

called The Newarker.

A New York airport where people

took limousines from New York

to go dine at New York airport.

People said it couldn't be

done and Joe did it.

The Four Seasons is still

operating.

I had lunch there yesterday.

That's the guy who made

what I do important.

He's the guy who even tipped

me to what could be done.

I got a waiter's job at Charley

O's in the early seventies

in 1974.

They were looking for a

bartender

I lied and said I was one.

Went to work at Gracie

Mansion, doing parties

One day they manager came

running in and said

"Oh, my god, we're stuck!

We don't have a bar tender

for Gracie Mansion.

And it's a big party. It's an

important party."

"Does anybody tend bar?"

And I go-

So I went up to the bar and I

called Michael and I said

I got an index card, you know.

Put down like ten really

popular drinks for me.

Gin and Tonic, Whisky Sour,

So that was an education.

And I started to realize

I- I didn't know as much

as my customers did and I

was really embarrassed by that.

A guy wanted a fresh margarita.

This one wanted a malt scotch.

I didn't know what they were

talking about.

I was really embarrassed

by that.

I went to Hollywood, still

pursuing acting.

Within a week I had walked in.

One of the top ten hotels in

the world.

The hotel Bel Air in

Stone Canyon, Bel Air.

I walk in.

Where did you work?

Charley O's. He'd heard of it

because it was Joe Baum.

Okay, come behind

the bar. Pour me a shot.

Okay, come back tomorrow

morning, we'll give you a try

for a few days.

Stayed there for six years.

After a couple of years, the

piano player, Bud Herman,

who, by the way had played

with Benny Goodman.

which we did every night when

I finally got the night shift.

And he said...

"You know, Dale..."

I know how important that

acting thing is to you...

But I gotta tell ya...

You know, you're pretty good

at this bar tending stuff.

You know.

It's always a pleasure to

work with Dushan.

He uh... He's the one who... He

wrote the book.

On being the rock star.

The mixologist... and the sage.

He's got all three going.

And has been a

great mentor to me.

A lot of times I have great

ideas, but uh...

I'm always missing that one

ingredient. That one...

Dushan ingredient.

Emily, I wanted it

Employees Only on cordial.

She's leaving? Not yet?

I want her to be on cordial.

Absinthe.. Uhm...

I wan the new brown sugar syrup.

- So far.

- Okay. - Three ingredients.

I was thinking pineapple

maybe, the brown sugar syrup

with some pineapple.

Soak it in pineapples. Is

there a lot of season maybe?

Cucumbers and stuff like

that. And strawberries.

Let's make this drink to see how

it's going to taste by itself.

Okay.

And then we can expand on it.

This will not, you know, this

by itself will not do.

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