7 Questions (mostly about cocktails)

7 Questions (mostly about cocktails)

1. Question: one time u admired my ability to keep ice in the freezer and I really took that compliment to heart because I knew ice was a passion for u. Tell us when u began to care so much about ice and some of the forms u currently store it.
2. Andrew (A):

   as soon as my wife and I started having friends over for drinks I realized how important it was to have plenty of ice, running out is a sure fire way to kill a party. When you are planning ahead, my general rule is when you think you have enough ice - double it! When I started working/managing the bar (Dive) is when my ice obsession reached another level. It was right around the time large format pieces of crystal clear ice was becoming more available and even expected in cocktails, no one had ever seen anything like that in Eau Claire so I was on a quest to have to provide it for my guests at the bar. Once a month I would freeze water in a 30 gallon cooler in the walk in freezer which would yield a massive 50 pound block of clear ice that I would then break down with a carpenter saw and ice picks to get a stash of ready made 2x2 inch pieces of clear ice. It was a very labor intensive process, but well worth the effort - I could go on and on and on, corner me at a party and ask about directional freezing and watch the time fly! 

3. Question: it’s a hot day, I come home from the office - another day trying to make ends meat. I plop down on the couch and slide my bra off through my shirt sleeve like in the commercials and you hand me a drink. What is it?
4. A:

   key word here being HOT - I'd pass over a margarita, which tastes better with each degree the temperature rises.

5. Question: describe a drink u would make inspired by each of your current pets
6. A:

   we have two german shepherd mixes at home, Bernie (1.5 yrs) and Cora (13 yrs) - Bernie is long, lean and slightly bitter so she would inspire me to make a Gin & Tonic w/ bitters and Cora is old, stubborn and squat which would inspire me to drink (make?) Lagavulin 16

7. Question: if u and I were to open a bar for dogs, that served cocktails for dogs, what would the establishment be called and what would our signature drink be?
8. A:

   it would be called BARQ and we are well known for our daily all day happy hour where Miller High Life is just $1 and served out of frosted stainless steel dog bowls

9. Question: we have chatted a bit about your new venture, ECCC, and all the cool events on ur horizon. what are u most excited for in 2022?
10. A:

    I'm most excited to get my Old Fashioned Cocktail Syrup available in select retailers in early 2022 and teaching more and more people that with a few intentional steps, they can make delicious cocktails at home   

11. Question: What will ur company look like in 2042?
12. A:

    I'll be 54 by that time, so hopefully I'll work VERY part time at my private oceanside tiki bar making daiquiris and margaritas for our friends and family who visit to escape the cold Midwest winters :) 

13. Question: my partner claims to have inspired ur life of cocktail enthusiasm, can u share a story to validate this claim?
14. A:

    I think Dr. McGullicuddy is the responsible party here,  growing up every year around Christmas when decorating the tree my dad would let my sister and me have a thimble sized portion of Cherry Schnapps - nothing has ever tasted as important or influential since...

15. Question: name a bartending icon from a previous generation that u feel a connection with, what should we all know about them?
16. A:

    Toby Cecchini, who is single handedly responsible for popularizing the version of the Cosmopolitan that we all know and love and some consider the only 'modern classic' cocktail added to the canon over the last 80+ years.  He was born and raised in Eau Claire, WI and now owns and still bartends at a place in NYC called The Long Island Bar, which in my opinion is a must visit if you are ever in the city. Toby wrote a book called Cosmopolitan: A Bartender's Life which is an enormously fun read that I highly recommend!