"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.
Watch for profiles of all 10 bartenders over the next two weeks and then catch the action 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 Michelle Hoff of Ten Bells.
OnMilwaukee.com: How long have you been a bartender?
Michelle Hoff: 10 years.
OMC: What's your signature drink?
MH: A shot of Irish whiskey, preferably Jameson or Powers.
OMC: What's your favorite Milwaukee bar (other than the one you work at)?
MH: Up & Under or the BBC during the day.
OMC: How do you get good tips?
MH: I'm good at what I do.
OMC: Have you ever cut someone off?
MH: Yes.
OMC: Do you believe in "beer after liquor, never been sicker; liquor before beer, you're in the clear?"
MH: No, I believe in knowing what you can drink, what you can mix and how much you can consume.
OMC: Are you more likely to go out for Sunday service industry night or Sunday morning brunch?
MH: Wait, those are two separate things?
OMC: Are you looking forward to the smoking ban?
MH: Yes and no. Yes, because I will smoke less and no, because who is the government to tell what I can and cannot do in my own bar?
OMC: What cocktail are you preparing at the Bartender Olympics?
The Chocolate Leprechaun
1 oz. Jameson
1.5 oz. fresh espresso
5.5 oz. hot cocoa
Top with fresh whip cream
Serve in an Irish coffee glass
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.”