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Bartenders

  • Film’s Cool
    Movies and cocktails—that’s the ticket

    The adults-only theaters at Cinépolis lavish customers with plush reclining lounge chairs and in-seat cocktail and food service. Stefanie Holmes sees a piece of the action. She also sees the tear-jerkers, chick flicks and comedies.

  • New Waves
    A native son returns to San Diego to make a splash

    What do people who drink cocktails through straws and East Coast waves have in common? They both suck.
    Just ask surfing bartender Nick Majersky.

  • Crystal Peers
    Pacific Beach bartender unites colleagues for community good

    To establish greater solidarity in her sandy corner of the industry, Ciara Guedesse formed the Beach Bar Guild—a collective of bar owners and their staff who meet each month at one of the member’s venues

  • Soaking it In
    Assimilating bartending expertise, one drink at a time

    According to Sarah Ellis at Jayne’s Gastropub in North Park, becoming a great bartender is simple. “The best way to learn about drinks is by drinking them, and I dedicated quite a bit of time to my studies,” she says.

  • Bringing His ‘A’ Game
    New mix master makes the grade at Mister A’s

    For mixologist Shawn Barker, landing at the venerable Betrand at Mister A’s high above Bankers Hill is a career pinnacle.

  • Sand and Deliver
    Punk-loving pageant winner finds her niche bartending in Mission Beach

    During her recent tenure as “Miss Emerson,” the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club’s (OMBAC’s) community spokes-model, Stephanie Woods fell in love with the tight-knit community of Mission Beach—so much so that she found herself a gig slinging drinks at the neighborhood’s Sandbar Sports Grill.

  • AIRR Quality
    For one Gaslamp bartender, less air means more flavor

    When someone is up in the air about what they want to drink, Morgans recommends the Eight—AIRR’s signature cocktail, comprised of Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, an orange slice, lemon and cranberry juices, with a muddled Serrano chili.

  • The Night Stuff
    San Diego's nightlife visionaries reveal their next big things

    On any given night, tens of thousands of San Diegans flock to the city’s swanky night clubs and restaurants—marveling at light displays, killer DJs, gorgeous go-gos and other flourishes. What club-goers usually don’t see is the extensive planning and foresight that go into designing, building and running a top-tier nightspot.

  • Well Drinked
    Tatted tender wears her art on her sleeves

    Alexis Piotrowski, who slings drinks at North Park’s U-31 four nights a week, sees it all the time. On at least one occasion, she’s had to toss patrons out for sexing it up in the club’s memory-making contraption.

  • Old’s Cool
    Turquoise Room schools parched young'uns on the classics

    Poring over the cocktail menu at La Mesa’s Turquoise Room is like liquid archaeology—an exploration marked by progressive sips, proving just how cool our grandparents could be.

  • Body Shots
    A local bartender grins and bares it

    When you’re pouring drinks without a shirt on, pickup lines are part of the game. “It just comes with the territory,” says Timothy Giebel.

  • Rad Hair Day
    A dreaded bartender returns from "reality"

    On November 30, seven of our Finest City’s finest bartenders converged on one of San Diego’s most respected cocktail destinations, downtown’s El Dorado, to determine, once and for all, who is the pourest of the pour.

  • Ice, Ice, Baby!
    A cold front is blowing in from the West

    What’s the coolest thing you can do by the beach? If bartender Jenica Martin has anything to do with it, it’s having a drink at Bar West in PB.

  • Skirting the Issue
    An East Village bartender puts on something a little more comfortable

    For Kris Denton, tending bar at the Tilted Kilt in East Village presents a unique challenge. “We sometimes have a bit of a problem with the ladies that come in here.”

  • Super Sonic
    One man, countless bars and high-frequency airwaves

    Sean “Sonic” Leckie’s bartending resume includes prominent local hotspots: the W Hotel’s Beach, Onyx Room, Vin de Syrah and even Petco Park.