July / August 2010
Watch an interview with author Karen Hofreiter on Fox’s Good Day Maine
Watch an interview with bartenders Tatum Thistle and Shahin Khojastehzad on Fox’s Good Day Maine
For Portland’s new-generation bartenders, it’s not just another Tequila Sunrise.
By Karen E. Hofreiter
They are our hosts, sympathetic ears, tour guides, and confidants. We go to them to celebrate our successes, drown our sorrows, relax from the stress of the workaday world, and warm up from the cold. They are Portland’s bartenders, a savvy and diverse group of talented ladies and gents who have kept step with the city’s rising culinary star. Here’s a toast to those who represent our heart and soul–and never let us go thirsty.
Scott Doherty
Sling spot: Vignola on Tues/Wed/Saturday
Signature drink: Old St. Rick
Roots: Born and raised in Kennebunk
Virgin beginnings: Cut his bartending teeth in Savannah, Georgia, and honed his chops in Seattle
Beyond the bar: Studied horticulture at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. “It definitely provides inspiration. I use a lot of fresh herbs and produce in my concoctions.”
Sticking point: Permissible pyrotechnics. “I get to light things on fire–mostly citrus peels. They add a distinct caramel flavor to a drink.”
Drink nemesis: Anything with a maraschino cherry garnish. “They’re not flammable.”
Worst act committed against a customer: Beer-stabbing. “It was back in Seattle. The guy was a friend and wouldn’t shut up and finish his beer, so I took a knife and attacked the beer can so he’d have to drink it fast and pay his tab.”
‘Tender crush: John Myers [of the Corner Room]
Preferred poison: “I’m a wine and beer guy.”
If Portland were a drink: Boilermaker. “We’re a real whiskey and beer crowd, but Portland is slowly adding a little sophistication, and people are up for new things. Cocktails are becoming a bigger trend.”
Stephanie Cole
Sling spot: 51 Wharf Ultra Lounge, Thurs/Fri/Saturday
Signature drink: Pineapple Upside Down Shot
Roots: Born and raised in Westbrook
Virgin beginnings: Pool shark. “A girlfriend and I would play guys for free drinks and extra money at Fore Play Sports Pub. I got to know the owners and eventually worked my way behind the bar.”
Day job: Massage therapist
Sticking point: “Bartending is my social outlet, a break from my quieter family life. And let’s be honest: the money is addictive.“
Titanic tip: “I was working a private party for Platinum Plus [now PT’s Showclub]. At the end of the night, one of the dancers gave me a big hug and said she wanted to do something nice for me. Then she handed me a fistful of twenties. It came to $680.”
Craziest drink request: Ray Charles. “You close your eyes, grab any three bottles of liquor, and mix.”
‘Tender crush: Brad–her boss
Preferred poison: Grey Goose on the rocks with two olives
If Portland were a drink: Long Island ice tea. “Both are made up of numerous ingredients–a Long Island with all of its liquors and Portland with its diverse culture, people, shops, and restaurants.”
Marcus Verrill
Sling spot: Styxx on Mon/Saturday
Signature drink: Spree [think an adult version of the candy from your childhood]
Roots: Born and raised in Lewiston
Virgin beginnings: Margaritas in Lewiston. “I was only 15 at the time and making like $300 a night. I learned all my tricks there.” [He channels a flawless Tom Cruise from Cocktail.]
Sticking point: People. “I’m much more of a talker than a performer. My patrons often say, ‘I can tell you anything.’”
Titanic tip: A $700 car repair. “I got to the shop, and it had been totally paid for, with an anonymous note: ‘I go to your bar. I appreciate you. You deserve this.’”
Drink nemesis: Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy [which is incidentally the No. 1 selling liquor in Maine]. “I’m not a fan of the smell.”
Preferred poison: Strawberry-jalapeño-infused margarita
If Portland were a drink: Sex with an Alligator. “It’s a layered, rainbow shot that you suck from the bottom up with a straw. Each layer has its own distinct taste, which combine to create a surprising flavor that grows on you.”
Jeff Grundy
Sling spot: Bull Feeney’s on Tues/Thurs/Friday
Signature drink: Feeney Martini
Roots: Born and raised in Dedham, Massachusetts
Beyond the bar: Psychology degree from UMaine Orono
Virgin beginnings: The Bear Brew Pub in Orono
Titanic tip: A $164 glass of Scotch
Most disgusting drink request: Smoker’s Cough. “It was back in Orono; it’s a shot of Jägermeister with a blob of mayo.”
Preferred poison: Guinness, Irish whiskey, or Absolut Mandrin with soda and cranberry
If Portland were a drink: LaPhroaig, a Scotch from the Islay region of Ireland. “It has almost a seaweed smell when you breath it in; it’s like bottled sea air.”
Chelsea DiMillo
Sling spot: DiMillo’s Floating Restaurant on Thurs/Friday
Signature drink: Cosmopolitan
Roots: Born and raised in Portland
Claim to fame: Granddaughter of Anthony DiMillo, Old Port pioneer, restaurateur, and entrepreneur
Virgin beginnings: ‘Tending at the family business
Beyond the bar: Photography degree from USM
On tipsy tourists: Maintains her sense of humor. “They were sitting at the bar, facing the marina, and they ask, ‘Are we really floating?’ I nodded. ‘Wow. So where’s the water?’”
‘Tender crush: Ryan at Sebago Brewing Co.
Preferred poison: Raspberry Patrón margarita
If Portland were a drink: Mojito. “It’s got to be something traditional yet eclectic, and inspiring for artists; making a mojito is using simple ingredients to create something really good and different.”
Shahin Khojastehzad
Sling spot: Novare Res on Fri/Saturday
signature pour: Cantillion. “Specifically, I love the St. Lamvinus, [a lambic] made with cabernet franc and merlot grapes aged in Bordeaux barrels.”
Roots: Born in Tehran, Iran; raised in Portland since the age of four
Beyond the bar: Sociology and marketing degree from USM
Virgin beginnings: “I already had bartending experience when I walked into Novare Res two years ago. Between the Beastie Boys, their Spring Sandwich, and Old Rastputin on tap, I was hooked and bugged the owner until he hired me.”
Sticking point: A passion for craft beer. “The free beer-scouting trips to Belgium and Germany are a nice perk.”
Worst drink request: A tie between Bud Light and flavored vodka. “We serve neither, so I’ll recommend something with a similar taste profile. A Kölsch instead of Bud, or blueberry mead instead of raspberry Stoli.”
‘Tender crush: Miranda at Binga’s Stadium. “She’s my girlfriend, after all.”
Preferred poison: Bacon Bourbon Old Fashioned at Hugo’s restaurant
If Portland were a beer: “A fictional collaboration of Allagash Hugh Malone and Maine Beer Co. Peeper Ale. Allagash represents Portland’s ability to provide world-class quality products, and MBC exemplifies Portland’s environmentally minded citizens!”
Jessica Joseph
Sling spot: Local 188 on Wed/Fri/Saturday
Signature drink: White Lotus
Roots: Born and raised in Waterville
Beyond the bar: Studies photography
Virgin beginnings: An Irish pub in Denver
Sticking point: The great neighborhood crowd
Tubular tip: Special herbs. “It was weird, but when I was a bartender at Sugarloaf, I’d sometimes get tipped with tiny nuggets of weed.”
‘Tender crush: J.C. at Sonny’s. “I work with his wife here.” [Wink]
Drink nemesis: Mint julep. “They are so labor-intensive. When I worked with John Myers, he’d muddle and crush ice for like ten minutes.”
Preferred poison: Silver tequila on the rocks
If Portland were a drink: Manhattan. “It’s classic but with a bit of metro sheen, laid-back but cultured, not flashy, and simple.”
Tatum Thistle
Sling spot: The Salt Exchange on Wed/Saturday
Signature drink: Raspberry lemonade martini
Roots: Born and raised in Windham. “I’m
a townie.”
Virgin beginnings: Waitress and occasional bartender at Foreside Tavern
Day job: Part-time hair stylist
Sticking point: Freedom to be herself. “I like interacting with people, putting on a show, being animated and witty.”
Titanic tip: “Does a marriage proposal count? I’ve had a few.”
‘Tender crush: Michelle at The Snug
If Portland were a drink: Champagne. “It’s classy, bubbly, and characteristic of our fun city.”
Joe Tomazin
Sling spot: Rí Rá on Tues/Thurs/Fri/Saturday
Signature drink: Everything. “It’s about having lots to offer people and catering to them instead of showing off.”
Roots: Born and raised in Portland
Virgin beginnings: The Bear Brew Pub in Orono. “One of my best customers was Jeff Grundy. Not long after, we were bartending together.”
Beyond the bar: Degree in wildlife ecology from UMaine Orono
Sticking point: The lifestyle. “I have time to do the things I love, like skiing, mountain biking, and training for triathlons.”
(Almost) titanic tip: “A woman ordered two vodka tonics and then asked me what I wanted for a tip. Jokingly, I said, ‘two hundred dollars.’ She didn’t even pause, she just wrote ‘$200’ on the credit card bill. I was stunned. I asked her, ‘What if I had said five hundred dollars?’ ‘Well, you should have, dummy.’”
‘Tender crush: John Myers at the Corner Room and Amy at Commercial Street Pub
Preferred poison: Beer and whiskey
If Portland were a drink: Rum in the summer–“it represents the city’s nautical past and present.” Beer in the winter–“like Geary’s Hampshire Ale that used to be ‘only available when the weather sucks.’”
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