Look Who's Behind the Stick

"Behind the stick." That's a term I have to tell you: I basically had no idea what it meant. Well, until a number of years ago that is. Isn't that when other clever terms, such as "mixologist" and "cocktalian" came into being? Whenever. Whatever.

However. This past Monday night, for the first time in a long time, two excellent mixologist cocktailians were behind the stick. Yeah, yeah - there were 2 bartenders behind the bar; I get it. Glad we got that out of the way.

You see, these two gents, whom I first met way back in the mid-2000's at a place called Pegu Club, were working a shift together for the first time in, well, a long time. At a place called Fatty Johnson's, which appears to be hosting guest bartenders on a fairly regular basis. By the way, Fatty Johnson's is a pop-up restaurant - and yes, pop-up restaurant is another new and clever term, isn't it?

So, when I arrived at 6, the duo was kinda just starting to work...

Then things started heating up a bit, as can be seen from the multiple brown drinks ready to be stirred...

I started with an old favorite, since that's what these special nights are all about. So a Oaxaca Old-Fashioned was on the bill, as was a Cornwall Negroni, Monongahela Mule and a Martinez variation, called a Martica and a few others whose names escape me at the present time.

Yes it was fun seeing old co-workers back together again, if only for a night. And both Brian Miller and Phil Ward were kind enough to allow me to take a quick picture of them both. Thanks, guys...