Cody Palmer, 23, Iowa City 

Supervisor/Bartender @ Brothers Bar and Grill

How long have you been a bartender?
A year and half.

How did you get into bartending?
I had some friends that worked here. I just got a job through them and worked my way up. I started as security, then moved on to barback and then from barback to bartender.

What do you like about bartending?
Just being able to be out in the Iowa City downtown atmosphere — it’s just a fun college atmosphere and everyone’s willing to let loose and have fun and get crazy almost every weekend.

What’s your favorite night to work?
Slower nights like Mondays or Sundays. Those nights can get somewhat busy, but never so busy that you’re frantically running around. You get to hang out and go at a comfortable pace and converse with the clientele. It’s fun to push yourself on busy nights, but, overall, I prefer just talking and conversing.

What’s your favorite drink to pour?
A Bloody Mary. It’s not really governed by a recipe for the most part. It can be changed and customized according to whatever the person likes.

How do you like your Bloody Marys?
Just spicy. And the more fixin’s the better.

Name one song that gets played a lot at Brothers that pumps you up, and one that you wish you never had to hear again.
The “I love college” song — I wish I never had to hear that again. I’m not even sure who it’s by. They chant “Freshman, freshman, do something crazy.” That song is terrible and I wish I never even had that on our computer. I like high energy songs — techno and songs of that nature.

Are you running any special promotions or contests this summer?
More people need to know that our happy hours are a great deal. From 3 to 8 p.m., it’s $2 you-call-it including all shots, all beers and almost all liquors. Top shelf liquors are $3. Almost every day someone’s surprised at our deals.

Details: Brothers Bar and Grill; 125 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday; (319) 338-6373; www.brothersbar.com

Bloody Mary

2 ounces vodka
Ground pepper
Celery salt
Splash of Tabasco
Splash of Guinness
Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix
3 green olives
1 slice pickle
Combine all ingredients except the olives and pickle in a pint glass containing ice. Stir. Garnish with olives and pickle.

Landon J. Miller, 24, Cedar Rapids

Bartender @ Cibo

Where did you grow up?

Born in Waterloo. Lived there ’til I was 5 or 6 them moved to Waverly, ’til the end of my sophomore year. After that moved to Cedar Rapids’ southwest side and graduated from Jefferson High School.

How long have you been at Cibo?

I’ve worked with Tony and his family at the start of American Skillet in Marion around three years ago. I’m proud to say I’ve been working with them longer than any of the other service staff at Cibo.

What is your official title at the bar?

Lead bartender. Although Elisha (the general manager) and I were joking I could be the “bartender extraordinaire.”

How long have you been bartending?

I started bartending at Lone Star here in Cedar Rapids when I was around 19.

What was your first bartending experience like?

I’ll always remember my $125 tip on a $20 bill. I’ve been fortunate in that I haven’t had to deal with too many problems like some other bartenders have. That’s one of the reasons I like Cibo so much. People come in to have a good time, not to create problems.

 Tell me about Cibo’s Ultra Lounge? 

The Ultra Lounge just started last month. We turn what is already a classy restaurant into a hip upscale club that tailors to customers looking for something different. Ultra Lounge is a destination in the Cedar Rapids/Marion area that would normally be found in places like Chicago.

Why do you think a place like Ultra Lounge works in Cedar Rapids?

Cedar Rapids is a great place to live. But lt was really missing an upscale place like Cibo for people to go to on the weekends.

Fill in the blank: A bar just isn’t a bar without its _________.

Bartenders. Of course!

What’s your key ingredient when mixing drinks?

I love to make new and interesting (drinks). So it’s tough to limit myself to one item. I try to find out what the customer likes and build off that.

Details: 685 Marion Blvd., Marion; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Ultra Lounge 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday; (319) 447-1414; www.cibofusion.com

Atomic Bomb
1/2 ounce Peach schnapps
Irish Cream
Coffee Liquor

Chill the peach schnapps and pour it into a shot glass. Then slowly pour Irish cream on the top about 1/4-inch thick so it floats on top. Drip the coffee liquor in the center of the Irish cream to create a mushroom cloud shape in the shot glass.

Landon says: Besides looking really cool, it tastes great!

Tiffany Cohen, 25, Iowa City
Bar manager @ Bo James

How did you get into the bar business?
Bo James is owned by my family. It’s my mom, my brother and me. The job works well with a school schedule. I’m taking graduate classes in English and cinema during the day, and at night I can work. Other than baby-sitting jobs, I’ve only really worked at Bo James. We always joke that if you have experience with day care or baby-sitting, you’ll be good at working in a bar, because you’re baby-sitting the kids while they’re drinking.

How do your baby-sitting skills come into play at the bar?
In general, you’ve gotta have fun and play around. There’s also, like, people taking off their clothes and you have to be like, ‘Nope, keep your clothes on.’ Or if a girl is crying because she broke up with her boyfriend, you have to console her and give her tissues. Or if someone gets sick, you have to clean it up.

How long have you been a bartender?
Since I was 18, so it’s been 6 ½ years.

What’s your favorite night to work?
Wednesday is country night and that’s my favorite night to work. It’s a fun crowd and people are always happy. I’m not a huge country music fan, but it’s growing on me.

What’s your advice for getting good service in a bar?
Don’t just stare at the bartender and expect them to serve you. You have to hold your money straight in your hand. When someone serves you, fold the money back. That’s bar etiquette. It’s funny, because at Bo James it’s mostly girl bartenders, but girls will still lean their boobs on the bar, and I’m like, ‘Honey, I’m not going to serve you faster for leaning over the bar that way.’

Working at a college bar, I bet you hear a lot of pickup lines. What’s the best or worst one you’ve gotten?
There’s so many! I should write them down. There are the corny stereotypical ones, like, ‘Are you tired? Cause you’ve been running through my mind all day.’ The big thing now, too, is a lot of people use stuff from “The Pick-Up Artist.” We also have this one guy that comes in and spills his drink on purpose so you have to come over and wipe it up and lean over him. It’s horrible.

What do you like about working in a bar in downtown Iowa City?
I love that there’s so many different types of bars here, and they’re so close together, so you get a variety of people that jump from bar to bar. We have a bunch of regulars, but we always get new people coming in.

Tell me something about yourself that would surprise your regulars.
I’m an honor roll student, and I was poet of the year last year for Poetry.com. They think I’m a dumb blonde.
Details: Bo James, 118 E. Washington St., Iowa City 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, (319) 337-4703

Berry-licious martini
1 shot strawberry schnapps
½ shot grape Pucker
½ shot apple Pucker
½ shot amaretto
Splash Sprite
Splash pink lemonade
Put all ingredients in a shaker. Shake to combine. Pour in a martini glass.

Doug Roberson, 47, Iowa City
Talent buyer/bartender @ The Picador, Iowa City

**EDITOR’S NOTE: Shortly after this interview The Picador’s owners downsized and Doug Roberson was let go. He’s hoping to become an independent concert promoter in Iowa City.

How did you get into the bar business?
I guess it was through playing in bands. I played gigs at bars and one time, probably right after I graduated from college, we did a show at the old Gabe’s, and I talked to the owner and said, “Hey, can we get a multiple band deal and do whatever we want?” And he said, “Yeah, as long as you can get some people to show up.” Ever since then, that’s what I’ve been doing.

What’s your band?
That band way back then was called The Shy Strangers. My current band is called The Diplomats of Solid Sound.

Doug Roberson, Picador

Do you get a different perspective on a club when you’re behind a bar versus on stage?
If you’ve been on both sides, you’re not quite as… you don’t really get obnoxious with the bartender. You tend to be humble and patient if it’s really busy. Some people maybe don’t have that perspective if they’ve never had a service industry job.

The Picador has a long-standing reputation as a great rock club. Why do you attract such great bands?
Part of it has to do with having contacts and being the biz for so long. There’s some agents I’ve been doing shows with for 20 years, and as those agents step up the ladder and find bigger bands, they’ll still say hey, we’ve got somebody coming through your area, do you want to do a show? Other times it’s the routing – where they’re at and where they can play.

What drink is most popular with the musicians who play at The Picador?
Anybody that’s a fan of whiskey or bourbon, we ask if they’ve ever had Templeton Rye. It’s Iowa-made, and usually they are just completely floored by it: “My god this fantastic. I’ve got to get a bottle.”

Tell me something about yourself that would surprise your regulars?
When I was in college (at The University of Iowa), I was in a fraternity. I was in Delta Upsilon. That house got thrown off campus last year for selling drugs.

What are a few bands on your schedule this spring that people should know about?
On March 6, we have a band called Murder By Death. They’re very popular. On St. Patrick’s Day, Bonnie Prince

International Brainwash

Billy – he’s very popular too. And there’s one in April that’s going to be really big – tickets are flying out the door – The Hold Steady. It’s just, like, rock and roll. The lead singer has interesting lyrics, and the songs are pretty catchy. A lot of people comment on his lyrical cleverness.

– Anne

International Brainwash
1 shot vodka
1/2 shot of Kahlua
1/2 shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream
For shots, pour into a shaker over ice and shake. For a drink, pour in a glass and vigorously.

Doug says: This is basically a White Russian, but instead of putting cream on top, you put Bailey’s, so it’s like 3 boozes mixed together and they’re all from different countries.

Details: The Picador, 330 E. Washington St., Iowa City; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday; call (319) 354-4788; online at www.thepicador.com

Brett Klein, 28, Cedar Rapids
Bartender @ Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge

How long have you been with Piano Lounge?
I’ve been with Piano Lounge just a short time after they opened. Going on almost four years now.

Piano Lounge has always had a big draw, especially with dueling pianos. What makes this kind of place work in Cedar Rapids?
The dueling piano was something not really offered on a consistent basis around here before the Piano Lounge. It was something different. That plus the atmosphere, live music during the week. It just seemed to fit.

One image I will never forget was of you guys carrying out a piano after the flood. Tell us about the impact of the flood and your decision to come back.
We anticipated getting about two to three feet of water total and ended up getting six feet of water above our ceiling. Ben (another manager), Brett (Thomas-owner) the landlord and myself got to work quickly on a strategy to rebuild. People are still blown away when the see pictures we have from the flood. We knew right away we wanted to come back and take it a step further with some cool new ideas.

New ideas like the game room?
Exactly. We expanded our area with a place for recreation and relaxation. It became kind of a joke. We asked people “What would you like to have in your make-believe basement?” We have it stocked with a big flat screen TV, theater style seats, dart boards, pool tables, a Nintendo Wii and more.

It is amazing. My guy friends have a hard time leaving that new wing. Now me? I was excited about the return of the martini list. It’s one of the best around. Who created it?
When I came on board there were already a few recipes created, but over the course of the first few months we started taking the list and tweaking it based on what worked, what didn’t. We added or eliminated. We listened to the customers, got creative on some new ideas and new names and it’s what you see today.

What’s your favorite night to be behind the bar?
Definitely Saturday night. Big crowd. Everyone is into the dueling pianos and as a bartender you’re observing and giving the best service you can. You get people in celebrating a variety of things like bachelorette parties, birthdays or just life in general. I love the variety from farmers to lawyers.

The staff at Piano Lounge has a knack for dazzling customers with fun bottle tricks. Is that a required talent or do you take them under your expert wing and show them the ropes?
It’s not something we really teach. Before my job at Piano I worked at a bar that had a lot of slow time during the week, so I started practicing some moves. A few other bartenders here had done the same thing and before long we were known for throwing the bottles around. The goal is to always to get a drink out as fast as possible. But if you can pull in some fun moves while accomplishing that, all the better.

Raspberry Martini
Raspberry Stoli
Deyaner Razmatazz
Raspberry puree
Sweet and sour mix

 Brett says: My (favorite drink) would be the basic shot of Jager, but for the sake of the story, let’s go with a Raspberry martini. Shake all of the above with ice, strain and enjoy.

Details: Cedar Rapids Piano Lounge, 208 2nd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids; 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; (319) 363-0606; www.thepianolounge.com

Pete McCarthy, 31, Iowa City
General Manager/bartender @ the Yacht Club

How did you get into bartending?

I started working in the bars when I was really young, when I was probably about 13 years old, doing bar backing stuff and washing dishes and progressed on up.

When I moved to Iowa City to finish school, I got into the bars here. I worked at the Airliner and the Vine and the Fieldhouse. I always knew I would like to own a bar, so I just paid my dues, working my way up.

What do you like most about bartending?

I just love the interaction with people. It’s something different every day, especially at the Yacht Club, because I get to see a different band every time I come into work.

What’s your favorite night to work at the Yacht Club?

My favorite night to work would have to be any night that one of our favorite local bands play. That’s always a great time. When Public Property or Euforquestra or Cornmeal — a great bluegrass band out of Chicago — when those bands play, it almost feels like a party with all your friends. These bands have played at the Yacht Club for 5 years.

Sounds like you’ve built a bit of a following.

We have a lot of bands that are really true to this place. If it wasn’t for those guys, we might not have made it this many years. The live music is a hard business to keep a bar open.

What drink is most popular with the musicians who play at Yacht Club?

I would have to say shots of Jameson seem to be popular with all the bands.

What makes your bar a great place to celebrate New Year’s Eve?

For our New Year’s Eve, we always try to bring in one of the bands that really does well here, and it’s usually a band with local roots. It’s Christmas Break and a lot of students are gone, so New Year’s Eve really brings out the locals.

This year the headline band is Hunab. They’ve been on the scene here for almost 3 years and they’ve built up a good young following. This year we’re also doing a ticket give away; when you pay cover, you’re going to get a raffle ticket, and at 12:15, after band does its midnight celebration, we’ll draw a winner, and they’ll get two tickets to any concert of their choice in the country. Cover is $10 and you get three of the hottest local bands, a chance to win tickets, plus great drink specials, free tater tots and free Champagne.

Are the tater tots an homage to “Napoleon Dynamite”?

We had tater tots before “Napoleon Dynamite.” It’s just something we do every year. But he definitely helped us out.

Tell me something about yourself that would surprise your customers.

A lot of people that know me now don’t know that I used to be in a band and played all over Iowa City, like 10 years ago. We played a lot at the Green Room, which was my favorite bar when I moved here in ‘97.

Details: The Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., Iowa City; 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday; call (319) 337-6464; online at www.iowacityyachtclub.com

YACHT CLUB WHITE RUSSIAN

1 part Vanilla Stoli.
1 part Kahlua
1 part Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 part Dr. Mcgillicuddy Vanilla Schnapps.
1 part milk.

Pour all ingredients into cocktail shaker. Shake to combine. Pour over ice in a pint glass. Serve.

Pete says: “I would say our best drink here is the White Russian. In the spirit of “The Big Lebowski,” we use four separate shots, and we use milk instead of cream. It’s a really great White Russian.”

Troy Bartlett, 35
Cedar Rapids, Bartender @ Third Base Sports Bar & Brewery

Alright Troy. We know your name, your age. What’s your official position at Third Base Brewery?
General Manager

Tell us a little about Third Base Brewery. Three words or less.
Family, relaxed, traditional

How long have you been at Third Base Brewery? And in the biz?
About a year and a half at the current location. Eleven and a half with the (Third Base) “dynasty.” LOL.

What got you caught up in the Third Base craze?
We, (Dave Carey, Joe Denny, and I) were college buddies. They decided to open the first Third Base location, and on a whim, I said “Hey I could run the place for you.” Just out of graduate school, I decided to quit my job and just jump in with no experience whatsoever, absolutely no clue what I was doing behind the bar. But I went for it. After about one week I was hooked. I simply could not believe I was getting paid and tipped for doing that job.

Describe your most memorable customer.
No question. My wife.

Aww…. Who says you can’t find love at the bar? Way to beat the odds.
Definitely. She is the only person to achieve the impossible: leave me stunned and speechless behind the bar.

One of the unique pieces of the Third Base group is the management and staff. There is very little turnover. What do you attribute that to?
Respect. The owners do not take their managers for granted, and the managers do not take their staff for granted. The service industry is not easy. It’s highly competitive. You have to be doing it better, faster and friendlier than the other guy or you are out of business. So when you are lucky enough to find a great employee you tend to hang on to them.

You always seem genuinely happy to be at work and doing what you do. What keeps you going?
The social aspect. I am honored and privileged to share life memories with thousands of people throughout the years. The good times, the bad times and unfortunately some of the ugly times. Imagine throwing a really cool party. I get to do that every night of the year. The social connections are what keep me coming back year after year.

Alright, out with it. Troy’s Signature Cocktail. What is it and what’s in it?
Oh, I can’t tell you that. You tell someone. They tell someone. Before you know it I’m out of a job! Let me say, it’s just what you need. Opened, shaken, stirred or poured. Served  with a smile, and if you have time to sit and talk, a friendly ear to bend.
Details: 500 Blairs Ferry Rd N.E., Cedar Rapids; eat-in, takeout; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Sunday; call (319) 378-9090; online at www.thirdbasebrewery.com

– Quinn

Mindye Pickerell, 29, Cedar Rapids
Banker/Director of Marketing @ Family Merchants Bank
Bartender @ Volume Live Music & Dance

Saturday morning starts off at 7 a.m. at Aspen Athletic Club for spin class and strength training to get my heart rate up and burn some calories. Then shower up to go to work and open the bank.

9 a.m. to noon: I work at Family Merchants Bank on certain Saturdays.     

Off to Pancheros for a burrito bowl or a steak burrito for a lunch time snack with the girls to catch up on our Friday night activities.   

To work off lunch I take my 97-pound Weimaraner, Denver, out to the Sac and Fox Trail for a three-mile jog. I love the serenity of the trail and Denver loves dragging me for three miles!

I like to stop in at Nurtri Sport to grab a smoothie for the drive home to cool down.

3 p.m.: Back home to take a power nap and shower up for the “pregame” before working at the bar. Pregame is the word that the Volume staff uses when we get together for great food, drinks and fun before we entertain the city of Cedar Rapids all night.

5 p.m.: Kaji Japanese Grill is our first pick on the weekends. Their sushi is to die for; the Philadelphia roll is my favorite as well as the sheared white tuna. The bartenders always have a great recommendation of which wine to try with your meal. 

7 p.m.: The staff is off to Volume. Volume is the new hot spot in downtown Cedar Rapids. You get the best of both worlds, live music on one side and the hottest hits played by our house DJ on the other. 

I love bartending on my weekends. It’s a great chance to meet new people in our area, network, have a blast creating new shots (try a Mindye sometime) and the opportunity to make some great additional money.

3 a. m: Time to unwind with Denver and crash for the night. Sunday is my day to sleep in since it is officially my one day off.

What a great weekend, working out, great friends, great food and enjoying the Cedar Rapids’ night life.