Guest Bartender Series at Nick + Stef’s

I bartended at Nick + Stef’s a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I had professionally bartended. Yes, I’ve been the bartender at many house parties and no holiday party is the same without my XXXmas Sangria but I’ve never worked as a bartender. I do enjoy making drinks  (yes, really!) and blogging about it. Even though this pop-up was fun, it didn’t really count until I got behind the stick.

I wrote this recipe after tossing around some ideas. It’s summer and I wanted something to with Chef Megan Logan’s grilled food for her Girl and a Grill series.

Anger ManageMINT

• 2 oz gin – Hendricks or something less juniper heavy recommended
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup*
• 3 or 4 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 ripe white peach, cut into chunks
• pinch of freshly ground pink peppercorn (1/16^th of teaspoon)
• 1 sprig mint for garnish
• 1 thin grilled white peach slice for garnish

Slap mint leaves to release oils and put in shaker. Then muddle all ingredients except garnish in shaker. Fill 3/4 of shaker with ice. Shake for at least 30-40 seconds. Pour into double old-fashioned glass* and garnish with grilled peach slice and mint spring.

• May adjust simple syrup depending on ripeness of peach
• Pint glasses are fine

I wasn’t very nervous about my night bartending. Maybe because I was told I could mingle with my guests. But when I got there, I jumped into it and probably made something like 30 of these bad boys in two hours. I had named this drink Anger ManageMINT after my roller derby nickname. And after whipping (muddling) these babies and then shaking the hell out of ’em, my arms were numb and I was exhausted. And that was just two hours!

I was starting to run out of ingredients, my hands were sticky, I was bumped into a bit, I was asked if I was carding, I was asked for napkins, beer, tabs, etc, etc. Tickets started appearing near my elbow. I always knew bartending was more than what meets the eye but my goodness, this was not what I really thought it was going to be. And yet, it was and I was into it.

Seeing my friends enjoy themselves was worth it alone.

And people kept assuring me they liked the drink. Some bravely ordered more than one! Hiccup.

People even photographed the drink, tweeted it and basically did what I normally do on the other side of the bar.

But soon, it came to an end and I handed it over to the boys at Nick + Stef’s where they would continue making the drink for a week. Here’s bartender Nick going through the steps. He didn’t use a jigger but the drink was perfect.

And it was really very good if I do say so myself.

Check out the next few guest bartenders including my friend Megan next Thursday, August 9 and The Beer Chicks on August 30 from 5-7PM. And if you want to find out who’s guest bartending in between those dates, follow them on Facebook.

Nick & Stef’s

330 S Hope St # 100, Los Angeles, CA 90071-3115 — (213) 680-0330

 

© The Minty 2012