THL: What are your other gigs and interests?

I have degrees in Film Studies and Spanish, so movies and travel are never a far second. I love live music and will go anywhere for a good show. I am Co-Director of Critical Mass, LLC, an events and strategy company based in New York City, and I am the current Vice President of the United States Bartenders' Guild's New York Chapter.

THL: What is something that best represents your personality?

Ma Na Ma Na: Watch it on YouTube

THL: What is your bartending style?

Making people happy and sharing my passion is the bottom line.

Always learning: I've been very lucky to work with some of the best all over the world and I remain a humble grasshopper.

THL: How do you find inspiration for new cocktails and recipes?

New spirits, dishes, and seasonal ingredients are crucial. I've done a WHOLE lot of traveling in the past two years and that has been a great source of inspiration. It also never gets boring to do a little archeology and look to the classics. Hugo Ensslin's Recipes for Mixed Drinks has been a recent favorite.

THL: Besides bartending, what things do you do well?

Eating, sleeping, and snuggling. I play the drums really badly, too.

THL: Ever had any strange customer requests while bartending?

I recall a time when I was a student back in Columbus, Ohio just cutting my teeth at my first, ahem, "Martini Lounge". It got to be after hours, as it did often back then, when I was asked by a group, including a select pair of my own fellow bartenders, who at this point somehow ended up in their underwear, to pull out more than my barspoon.

THL: What is your favorite after-shift drink?

A neat spirit and a beer is the best way to come down after a hard shift.

THL: What is the one thing you can’t live without from your home liquor cabinet?

Various rare Chartreuse bottlings gathered on trips to France.

THL: What is the most underrated cocktail?

I have to say that, by and large, the Daquiri is the drink that has been most abused and misconstrued to the masses. While it's still the litmus test of a skillful bartender for many of us in the business, pre-mixed high-fructose corn-syrupy slushies are what the vast majority of people associate with this storied, simple mix of three ingredients that were meant to be together. When done with a rum that possesses finesse and character, I'm hard pressed to think of many a better example of what classic drinks are all about.

THL: What is the test of a great bartender?

Remaining a calm, collected, and gracious host under high pressure (and sometimes flat-out embarrassing) conditions. A great bartender should have knowledge of everything he/she serves and be aware of what each person at the bar is drinking and eating at all times. That, and if you can stir four drinks at the same time.