Featured bartender: Larry Van Den Eng of The Bartending College

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Talking to Larry Van Den Eng about alcoholic drink recipes is like telling a joke to a professional standup comedian.

He's heard them all.

"I probably know about 500 drink recipes," said Van Den Eng, 29, a 10-year bartending veteran who serves as operations manager and lead instructor at The Bartending College in West Allis. "A lot of them have different names depending on what part of the country you're in, but most of them are pretty standard."

When he isn't teaching students how to mix martinis and maximize tips, Van Den Eng likes to kick back at "hole in the wall" bars that feature lively dart matches and ample supplies of his favorite spirit, Jack Daniels.

Although he does consulting work for several bars throughout the area, Van Den Eng does not currently work as a bartender at any one establishment. "I pretty much limit it to private gigs now," he said. "I like the banquets and parties because it's part-time and I can work around my schedule at the school."

There is another advantage to working banquets, too.

"Because it's usually a special event, people tend to tip more," Van Den Eng said. "You may be working only once or twice a week, but you can make as much you might in four shifts at a regular bar. It's also a little easier, because when you get two families together for a wedding you're pretty much going to make the same five drinks all night. You're not going to be shocked with the weird stuff."

OMC: How long have you been a bartender?

LVE: I've worked for about 10 years, and I've been at the school off and on for the last six years.

OMC: What is your specialty/signature drink?

LVE: Probably the Reverse Stooge. It's Yukon Jack, orange juice and Grenadine. It's a sweet, fruity drink but it does have a little kick to it. It's basically a Tequila Sunrise, but I make it with Yukon. When girls come in and don't know what to order, I like to suggest that. A lot of times, they end up drinking it all night.

OMC: What is the most ridiculous thing you've seen a drunk patron do?

LVE: Man, there have been so many. I think 21st birthdays are where you see the most ridiculous things. You get people who drink and drink and drink and then it all hits them. They fall down, brush off and go back to it. The other thing that stands out are the ladies who lock the bathroom door. They've had too much to drink, they go in the bathroom and lock themselves in and pass out. You start seeing a long line outside the bathroom with people knocking on the door and you can't get them out. That seems to happen a lot.

OMC: Have you ever broken up a bar fight?

LVE: Plenty. Fights happen, but if you're a good bartender you're always paying attention to what is going on in the establishment and you can prevent things from getting heated. The bartender has to be in control. You have to keep your head up and look around while you're making drinks.

OMC: What are the best/worst pick-up lines to use in a bar?

LVE: You hear so many bad ones, like "You must be tired, because you've been running through my mind all day." I think the best line is to simply say "Hi, my name is ..." Just introduce yourself and sit down next to the person. It's the most effective way to do it.

OMC: What is the best/worst part of the job?

LVE: The best part about bartending is that it's a party every night. You get the social atmosphere and you get paid for it. The worst part is the patrons who don't know when to say when and having to deal with them. This is one business where the customer is not always right.

OMC: Do you go to other bars when you're not working?

LVE: Yes. You have to keep up with the trends, so it's important to go out and see what different bars are doing. Personally, I like hanging out at your hole in the wall bars. To me, you get the "Cheers" atmosphere. When you walk in and you've got 10 people saying "Hi," and they know your name, that's the kind of bar that I like.