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Next time you're in the Esquire Tavern on the river walk, order the Ruby Suze. It's a drink that my fiancé invented. The main ingredient is a french made liquor called "Suze". It was a guilty pleasure of my Grand-père's so I'm very proud to see it used in a cocktail on the menu at the Esquire. Suze liquor has a bit of a licorice flavor that I find truly unique. It's actually quite difficult to find in stores. I recommend giving it a try the next time you're in the mood to give your taste buds an adventure.
The Ruby Suze
Dry Gin, Suze, Grapefruit, Rhubarb Bitters, Sparkling Wine
When my fiancé told me that he wanted to start working part-time as a bartender, my head nearly fell off. This is a guy who, at the age of 26, had a mortgage in the country club and a 2nd rental property with tenants. He was the most responsible and grown-up person I knew. I just couldn't wrap my head around his desire to serve drinks or to serve anything, really! Call me snobbish but I always thought we were the type of people to be served...not the other way around. I mean, that's not what successful homeowners and 6-series BMW drivers aspire to, right? So what was he thinking?
We had been toying with the idea of opening up our own bar in Dallas for quite a while. At the time, his brother was helping the owners of The Brooklynite open in downtown San Antonio and so, when the opportunity of getting inside knowledge about what really goes into running a bar arose, it was a big enough incentive for him get involved. I can't say that I was thrilled with the idea but I could see that it was something he really wanted so, like a good girlfriend, I conceded.
Through the first few months of his "fun work" I maintained a snobbish attitude about what he was up to. I didn't tell anyone what he did and I still thought (like most people) that the guys behind the bar were just simple-minded servers. Some dude pouring liquid into a cup isn't going to impress me, no matter how fancy he makes it look.
I know I wasn't the only one with that attitude. Often a customer will speak condescendingly to my fiancé and I can tell that they view him as beneath them. But they don't know that he's the Owner of a successful commercial finance firm and is working on opening new offices in Paris by the end of the year. To them, he's just another jerk pouring liquid into a cup. They also don't know that his knowledge of drinks far exceeds the complex classic cocktail recipes served at the Esquire Tavern, where he tends the bar three nights a week. He can tell you exactly where, by whom, and in what type of container each liquor was made. It's amazing how much knowledge he's amassed in so short a time.
Since he's been working at the Esquire I've had the opportunity to meet many people in the industry. I've been surprised to learn that some of them are part-owners of the bar they work in, some of them are grad students, some of them are artists, and many of them are world travelers. In every case, these folks have an impressive knowledge of their craft. It encompasses so much more than just pouring liquid into a glass. These guys and ladies are trained and continuously educated on what they're doing.
I've been surprised to find myself out-witted and even out-traveled by many of his industry friends. My opinion of the industry and the people behind the bar has changed dramatically since he's been involved. So, next time you're out enjoying happy hour, be nice to your bartender...they're much smarter and more successful people than you may think.