The bartender: Clint Curtis, bartender at the Vaudeville Mews, 212 Fourth St.
The drink: Old fashioned
Why Clint called it: From the first hello, you can tell that Clint’s a traditional guy. You can find him wearing either a black or white T-shirt with jeans and sneakers any night of the week. And there’s no doubt that he’ll greet you the same way each time you pay him a visit — with a curt head nod. So it was no surprise when he pulled this drink out of the queue. But why does he favor the old fashioned? Clint’s response was short and sweet: “Because it’s delicious.”
What’s in it?: Orange slice, cherry, sugar cube, a few dashes of bitters, Maker’s Mark (Clint’s choice) and a splash of soda water. It costs $5 at the Mews.
Tips for making his drink his way: In a highball glass, take the rind off the orange slice, the stem off the cherry. Add sugar cube, four to five dashes of bitters on top of the sugar and fruit. Muddle for a couple of seconds until the fruit is mashed together and add a heap of ice and a four-count of bourbon. Pour contents in shaker, shake vigorously for three seconds, then pour all contents (including ice) back in glass, complete with a splash of soda water. “Always make the drink as if you were making it for yourself — with a lot of love,” Clint said.
About the drink: “It’s strong, smooth and delicately sweet. Not to be sexist, but it’s a manly drink.”
About Clint: The most ridiculous request Clint’s ever gotten at the bar wasn’t even for a real drink. “I made a girl a ‘screwdriver without the vodka in it.’ That was pretty crazy.” But that’s not the most interesting person he has served. That honor goes to Steve Martin. “The pharmacist, not the actor,” he says. “He’ll wear a top hat and tux with tails to the bar for no apparent reason.”
While Clint doesn’t have any bartending tricks up his sleeve at the moment, he does have a YouTube channel called “Tip Your Bartender,” focusing on bar etiquette and unfortunate bartender catastrophes He’s also an actor and had parts in “Blade,” “The Mexican” and “Splatter: Love, Honor and Paintball.”
