It’s tough being the person who’s always engaging, so giving the guest a way to engage you makes for more give and take. We choose to serve, but if you can make it to be about more than ‘Here’s your drink...’ then it becomes an experience.

In order for a cocktail to be balanced, there needs to be a story behind it. Something to make the guest ask a question, and this is what I really love, is the conversation between the guest and the bartender, telling stories about specific things. One o...