Bartender Interview Series: Greg Best
I had the opportunity to meet Greg in person a couple of months back at the Team Hidi 2.0 event. He's a genuine guy full of knowledge and know how. Since September of last year, Best has been enjoying some time off, doing popups around town at bars such as Paper Plane, Seven Lamps, H. Harper Station, Pinewood, The Book House Pub and most recently The Lawrence (where I captured some shots of him making a few cocktails). Take a look at the interview below, where he touches on inspiration, favorite drinks and what he has up his sleeve.
Best uses olive oil in the Undeniable Truth (Leopold Bros. Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Olive Oil)
Where are you from and what brought you to Atlanta?
I’m from a small city in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley called Poughkeepsie. When I moved to Atlanta however, I was living in Las Vegas. At the time, I thought that moving to Atlanta with the company I worked with (Emeril’s) would bring me closer to New York, and get me the hell out of Las Vegas. Little did I know I’d fall in love with this city back then…
What do you love most about Atlanta?
Oh man, a great many things! Most of all, though, is the great melting pot of people. Socially, economically, culturally, this town is rich in ways that few places I’ve lived have ever been.
What are you and Regan Smith up to? Can you touch on the concept at all?
You mean other than meeting daily to play scrabble? Just kidding. Ha! I knew this would come up… Well, to be honest, the past six months have been a great opportunity to take a step back and look at what our city is doing big picture wise. We are in fact working on a project here in Atlanta, and if I were to say that there is a concept, it would be: food, drinks, and fun. I know that doesn’t really say much, but we just want to get back to what we love to do most. I don’t think our next manifestation will be relevant to the onward evolution of Atlanta’s cocktail scene, but more of a comfortable addition to it.
What’s one thing about your collaboration with Regan that people may not expect?
I don’t foresee any sandwiches being made using patties of beef, cheese, and buns…
What are you looking forward to most in 2014?
I’m fascinated by the way our city continues to change, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the east side building projects in Inman park, Old Fourth Ward, and on Ponce change the face of Atlanta.
What time do you usually wake up in the morning?
I wake up multiple times, usually starting around 5:30/6. It seems to be a weird tick I’ve developed as I’ve aged and it can be maddening, but usually when I do wake, it’s because of a really good idea that I’ll write down before I force myself back to sleep. I get out of bed however, at 8:30.
Do you see yourself as a Bartender or Mixologist? What differentiates the two?
I see myself as whatever the guests sitting at my bar want to call me. Titles may be important and terribly relevant in other businesses, but in a trade that is wholly in the service of others, it seems counter intuitive to me. That said, I came up hearing that a bartender is any person standing behind a bar and serving folks. A mixologist, is a person who has dedicated themselves to a career of learning and applying the intricacies of spirits, beer, and wine vis-à-vis unique creations to serve and inspire people.
What was your introduction to cocktails?
My grandparents drinking gin and tonics when I was a boy. I come from a house of black coffee, straight whiskey, wine, and beer drinking. Therefore those gin and tonics represented a mixing of liquids I had not ever seen before. I thought it was awesome!
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Any mentors along the way?
I believe we find inspiration daily. It can be the smell of a plant, the shape of a tile, or the laughter of someone in public. My goal when making drinks is to try to catch the sensations these things leave you with, even if only for a fleeting moment. Questing for the intangible in a tangible medium is mind opening. As for mentors? God yes! So many! The biggest one was a man named Dave Koloski. He owned the first bar I ever drank at, and took the time to teach (prior to drinking age) a kid like me what hospitality and the soul of a bar meant.
What is one of your favorite cocktails made by someone else?
I am a longtime fan of the Sazerac, and David Durnell’s Sazepop at Bocado is the perfect example of how fun a simple twist on a classic can be.
What is one of your favorite cocktails made by you?
One of the first recipes that I ever created on my own is still one of my favorites. The drink is called Edgewood, and it is basically a savory exploration of the Aviation.
Where are some of your favorite places for cocktails (local or not)
Local: Paper Plane, Kimball House, Bocado, H. Harper Station, The Lawrence, Seven Lamps, Proof and Provision, Pinewood Tippling, Sound Table, Sotto Sotto, geez. The list goes on and on…
Not local: Cane and Table and Bellocq (New Orleans) PDT, Pouring Ribbons, and Death and Co. (NYC) Bar 308, Husk (Nashville) The Ordinary, The Gin Joint (Charleston) AQ, Bar Agricole (San Francisco) Beechtree Grill (Poughkeepsie, NY)
What is the most difficult cocktail ingredient to pronounce?
Humilitatem: Latin for humility.
If given $100 and asked to buy all spirits/ingredients needed for a cocktail of your choosing, what would you purchase?
Probably a bottle of Regans’ Orange Bitters No.6, a few bottles of Cynar, several bottles of tonic and a few oranges. $100 would buy enough to make drinks for a small group. This way, I could make sure there was a chef in the mix, and I’d get a meal out of the thing too!
