Tag Archives: Bartender

Refreshing Springtime Cocktails – Recipes

As the days grow longer and the air turns sweet with the scent of blooming flowers, there’s no better way to welcome spring than with a refreshing cocktail in hand. The season is all about renewal—warmer breezes, brighter colors, and ingredients that feel alive with flavor. Spring cocktails are lighter, crisper, and often bursting with garden-fresh herbs and ripe fruit, perfect for sipping on porches, patios, or during laid-back afternoon get-togethers.

To celebrate the season, we’ve put together three cocktails that capture the essence of spring in a glass. Each one is crafted to highlight the natural beauty and abundance this time of year brings. From juicy berries and fragrant herbs to floral liqueurs and citrusy brightness, these drinks are designed to be both visually stunning and delightfully refreshing.

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Dallas’ Cocktail Crown: The Jewel of the Mixology Scene

When it comes to the art of the cocktail, Dallas has no shortage of masters behind the bar. However, if there’s one name that stands out in the city’s vibrant cocktail scene, it’s Midnight Rambler. Beneath The Joule hotel, this subterranean cocktail den is more than just a bar—it’s a shrine to the craft of mixology.

At Midnight Rambler, the drinks are as eclectic and electric as the atmosphere itself. Here, every cocktail tells a story, meticulously crafted by bartenders who are more akin to alchemists than mere drink-slingers. The dimly lit ambiance, punctuated by curated music, provides the perfect backdrop for savoring some of the best drinks in Dallas.

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Meet Bartending Luchador Jesse Powell

20150303_202515_1by Steven Doyle

I have been checking in at Scotch and Sausage as of late and enjoy how chef Joey Allette has kicked up the menu with his fresh take, and of course always into a good scotch or whiskey. But as we reported a few weeks past, the front of Scotch and Sausage has been converted into S&S Tequileria, preparing some tasty tacos and serving up, of course heady tequila cocktails. The cocktails were of particular interest due to their unusual flavor combinations, and lack of that cloying sweetness that so many margaritas seem to take on. These are instead smooth, creamy and extremely well balanced. To find out more we went to the source, barmen Jesse Powell.

Before working at Scotch and Sausage, and Powell has been with the restaurant from the very beginning, he was working at an Addison sports bar. Prior to working in Dallas he had been in Wichita Falls. We chatted up Powell to find out more of his background and the thought behind some of these delicious drinks he is now serving up at S&S.    Continue reading

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Meet Mover and Shaker Bonnie Wilson

DSC03155by Steven Doyle

Now in its eighth year, Bombay Sapphire and GQ Magazine’s “Most Imaginative Bartender” program traveled to over 40 US cities and welcomed more than 3,500 participating bartenders in 2014. With the aim of advancing best-practice bartending, cultivating mixologists’ skills and encouraging their creativity, the “Most Inspired Bartender” program has played a pivotal role in recognizing up-and-coming cocktail cities, as well as strong holds such as New York and Portland.

The local contest which sends the winner on to compete nationally was held this week in Dallas, and the winner of the competition was Bonnie Wilson, the beverage program manager for Frontburner’s Fork It Over Restaurants (The Ranch at Las Colinas, Mexican Sugar, Whiskey Cake, Velvet Taco). As good fortune would have it, we spoke to Ms. Wilson recently and had a spirited conversation in this Q&A.   Continue reading

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Zielke And Jeffers To Bartend At Outpost Tonight

cocktailby Steven Doyle

Each week Outpost Dallas has been hosting local celebrity bartenders to run the bar for a few hours on Wednesday’s. The deal is that these celeb types bring in their crowd and donate proceeds to their charity of choice. There have been some entertaining bartenders since they began the program. I was the first to be behind the stick, and it can be un-nerving if you haven’t bartended in some years. This will be the case this Wednesday (tonight) as owners Chris Zielke and Chris Jeffers (the same lads who own Bolsa, Smoke, Chicken Scratch and the rest) get behind the bar after so many years of simply managing their empire. Zielke started at Bennigans and Jeffers started with Uncle Julios.

Yes, Chris and Chris started their careers as bartenders.    Continue reading

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TGI Fridays Crowns Their World’s Best Bartender

DSC00006by Steven Doyle

TGI Fridays has crowned Andy Hool of Canton, Mich. the World’s Greatest Bartender at the 23rd annual World Bartender Championship last night at the House of Blues in Dallas. Andy’s mixology, precision and speed, coupled with his personality behind the bar, wowed a panel of industry expert judges and helped him secure the coveted title of World’s Greatest Bartender.

To make it to the final showdown, 12 finalists had to prove they were the best of the best on the local, regional and divisional level by ousting over 8,000 bartenders from over 900 TGI Fridays restaurants in more than 60 countries around the world. In the final competition, each bartender exhibited product, ingredient and recipe expertise through a series of rigorous tests followed by a freestyle performance, where a panel of judges assessed each finalist’s ability to make innovative drinks while displaying both an engaging style of service and flawless mixology techniques. Think Tom Cruise in Cocktail.   Continue reading

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I Will Be Guest Bartender At Outpost Weds, Jan 8 And You Are Invited

bartenderby Steven Doyle

Recently we announced that Outpost on Beckley, which was opened by the design dream team John Paul Valverde and Miguel Vicens, was taken over by Compound Restaurant Management, the same folks who own Bolsa and Smoke as well as many other fine dining establishments in Oak Cliff and West Dallas.  There has been a heavy push to see that the tiny eatery succeeds, and the menu was quickly revamped by Smoke super star chef Tim Byres. In addition, the new owners have employed local musicians to fill the smallish space, as well as Gong Show style comedic karaoke nights.

The plan has been working, and Outpost has made a positive turn-around.    Continue reading

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Cocktails For A Cause This Sunday At Standard Pour

trigger1by Tracy Jimenez

Calling all cocktail lovers! On Sunday, December 15th, 45 of DFW’s best bartenders are shaking concoctions for charity in this year’s Cocktails for a Cause. They will take over The Standard Pour in Uptown to raise money for a local charity called Trigger’s Toys, dedicated to donating toys to children in hospitals around the area.

Bryan Townsend, the Founder of Trigger’s Toys, with the help of Whiskey Cake’s Sean Conner and The Standard Pour’s Bryan McCullough, have rallied local bartenders and mixologists to put on the ultimate pop-up bar where teams of five bartenders will come in every hour to craft specialty cocktails for $10 each. 100% of all proceeds will go to Trigger’s Toys and those in need. Participating bartenders include: Kyle Hilla (Bolsa), Ivan Rimach (Mexican Sugar), Alex Fletcher (Victor Tangos), and many more.    Continue reading

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