The Aging Bartender

Pop Up Review: Smogen Sandwiches

These guys did a pop up over in Studio City at a place called Vintage Wine + Eats. I knew nothing about it. Jo is the one in the family with her thumb firmly on the pulse of what the influencers are pumping up. I have to say, it’s quite nice because I have no…

Read more

Recent posts
Recent photos

  • Pop Up Review: Smogen Sandwiches

    These guys did a pop up over in Studio City at a place called Vintage Wine + Eats. I knew nothing about it. Jo is the one in the family with her thumb firmly on the pulse of what the influencers are pumping up. I have to say, it’s quite nice because I have no…

  • New Cocktail: Lighten Up, Francis

    Now that the holiday doldrums have ceased for another year, I think we can begin to fire up some new cocktails. Yes, I can feel some distance now which, in turn, is creating some space in my brain. The new cocktail name, if you guessed it, is a long stretch but still somewhat relevant because…

  • Maybe I’ve Been Too Hard on Citrus Season

    For whatever reason I’ve been extra harsh on citrus season for no particular reason and now I’m embracing it and relearning to really love it. Not sure why I ever was a hater in the first place…I think maybe because the season was so damn long and arduous last year and became rather boring. A…

  • List of Potential Cocktail Names

    Some bar managers are smart and they don’t name cocktails because it’s a bit lame and it actually adds additional work. If you’ve never had to do this, refrain, as it is sometimes not so easy. The cocktail name has to reflect something to do with the drink…Most of the time…A story, a quip, a…

  • Bar Hack: ‘Cello

    No not that cello, you ninny. All the relatives of Limoncello. You know, yuzucello, orangecello, and so on and so forth. It’s all pretty easy but you will need a few choice tools and potent liquids in order to get the most out of this season’s citrus harvest–a zester, a big old glass jar, lots…

  • Citrus Season has Already Begun

    When did this happen? I blinked and all of a sudden there’s kumquats in the walk in, white grapefruit, and even some decent blood oranges. Is it going to be another weird year for fruit? If I remember correctly, “decent” blood oranges usually come around in late February. I say decent because blood oranges are…

  • Bar Resolutions?

    Is this even a thing? Last year was our best one in terms of creativity. Over 40 seasonal cocktails ain’t no joke and if you’ve ever seen what our bar looks like, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s tough to think about anything coming next. I’m still a bit in awe of what…

  • Booze, Books, Plants…

    …The perfect bar, in my opinion. No, not the one I work in, although it’s close…But a bar where I would want to go. Dark. A shelf full of old dusty books. Lots of plants and jars full of infusions. Maybe a little record player in the corner? It would probably look like Old Man…

  • Bar Program Year in Review: 2023

    Well everyone, here we go. 2023 was an interesting year for many reasons. Produce wise it was a bit challenging due to the intense amount of rain and the uncharacteristic cold we had here in Southern California which delayed stonefruit until almost the end of May whereas we usually see some cherries trickling in sometime…

  • Interview with a Cherimoya

    “Tell us a little about yourself.” “Where do you want me to start?” “Where are you from?” “I grew up in Peru and moved to Ecuador for a while. Nowadays I spend most of my time in the same type of sub-tropical regions such as Central and South America but I’ve been all over the…

  • Bar Hack: Apple Sherbet

    Yes, we use a lot of sherbet around here. Sue me. If you’re low tech and want to make the most of your citrus then you should do this. Why? Because it’s fucking delicious. Jeez. Don’t ask dumb questions. This is some bartending 101 stuff here. Take a pile of your fave citrus, peel, add…

  • Nog Thoughts…

    Anyone else notice how popular egg nog was this year? Shit, every company, even goddam Eggo came out with a nog. It seemed to replace pumpkin spice during the 2023 holidays. Every bar manager with any sand has a nog, and probably a damn good one. It’s one of those things that’s pretty hard to…