"Bar Month" at OnMilwaukee.com is back for another round! The whole month of February, we're serving up intoxicatingly fun articles on bars and clubs -- including guides, the latest trends, rapid bar reviews and more. Grab a designated driver and dive in!
As OnMilwaukee.com gets ready to host its second annual Bartender Olympics, you can prepare to cheer on the competition by familiarizing yourself with future Milwaukee Bar Olympians.
We've been profiling all 10 bartenders over the last two weeks in preparation for the big night at the Milwaukee Ale House on Thursday, Feb. 25. All in the name of friendly competition, cheer on your favorite Olympian while you enjoy deals on Ale House food and Jim Beam, Malibu, Hornitos and Jameson, Absolut and X Rated.
Here's a quick Q & A with bartender contender Dustin Drankiewicz of Mi-keys.
OnMilwaukee.com: How long have you been a bartender?
Dustin Drankiewicz: Six years.
OMC: What's your signature drink?
DD: I myself am a High Life and bourbon guy. Ask the boys about my "Twinkie bombs" or "egg shots," but if you're a cocktail nerd, stop in at Mi-keys and try the new cocktail menus I recently put out.
OMC: What's your favorite Milwaukee bar (other than the one you work at)?
DD: I'm gonna have to go top three: Velvet Hour, Jackalope Lounj and Burnhearts.
OMC: How do you get good tips?
DD: I plead the fifth.
OMC: Have you ever cut someone off?
DD: More than I like to. People don't like being cut off.
OMC: Do you believe in "Beer after liquor, never been sicker, liquor before beer in the clear?"
DD: Que?
OMC: Are you more likely to go out for Sunday night service industry night or Sunday morning brunch?
DD: I love me some brunch and day drinking. That, in turn, turns out to night boozing. Its a vicious, intoxicating, awesome cycle.
OMC: Are you looking forward to the smoking ban?
DD: Yes, more than the second coming of baby Jesus.
OMC: What drink are you preparing for the Bartender Olympics?
The Hornitos New Fashioned
Hornitos Reposado
Simple syrup
Orange bitters
Ginger ale
Muddled fresh fruit
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
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