Blog Archives

Behind the Bar: Bricks Bar & Grill

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drewmunson

Drew Munson, 31, Cedar Rapids
Owner @ Bricks Bar & Grill

Bricks took on a lot of water in the Floods of 2008. What was the bar like before the floods? Now?
Bricks was the main spot pre-flood.
Since the flood, we get a pretty strong turn out over weekends and in conjunction to events that take place,
but we’re not where we want to be in terms of numbers during the week.

What do you attribute that to?
So many people still aren’t aware of what’s downtown since the flood.
People need to realize that coming to downtown and supporting those businesses that have reopened is not only good for that particular business
but benefits the entire city.

What makes Brick’s unique to downtown?
The physical building is really unique.
It’s over 100 years old and the exposed brick inside is so original. People from out of town will come in and comment on
the fact that the bar feels familiar to them — either they have a place back in their hometown that looks like Bricks or they just feel like they can relate to the layout of the bar. Another unique item
is our kitchen. Within the core of downtown we are one of the few bars that also serves food.

Last summer Brick’s collaborated with the Cedar Rapids Jaycees and Teeghans and Volume. Why?
Lots of people don’t understand that we (businesses) are all in it together to get people downtown. Unlike a lot of communities we want to support each other and understand that working together is much more beneficial than competing. What’s good for one is good for all of us, and that not only goes for the bars downtown but for all downtown business.

Why Teeghans and Volume?
Besides the location, people like to bar hop when they are out and each of our places offers patrons something different. People usually start at Bricks, then go to Teeghans and end the night at Volume.
— QUINN

Behind the Bar: The Airliner

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bartenderJohn Osborn, 25, Iowa City
Bartender @ The Airliner

How long have you been a bartender?
Five years.

How did you get into bartending?
I was working in Cedar Rapids at Red Robin and they asked if anyone want to try bartending. So I did, and I was OK at it, so I stuck with it. Then I came down to Iowa City, and I’ve been here for three years.

What do you like about bartending?
I like talking to people. I get along with people. Seeing drunk people is pretty funny. It’s just fun. It’s like the most fun I could have making money.

What’s the worst part of bartending?
Dealing with the drunkest people. And the hours. Like Friday and Saturday nights, I don’t get to go out those nights, because I’m working.

What’s your favorite night to work? Why?
Monday and Tuesday nights. Because on Monday and Tuesday nights you’re at the bar by yourself, the whole bar is yours. It’s not that busy, but you have a decent crowd.

How would you describe the crowd here?
Young. They like to be out. If there’s something going on, they like to be there. We have a lot of frats and sororities that come in here. That brings in a large crowd, and they’re pretty fun.

What do you like to do outside of work?
I hang out with a lot of people who work here. We get together and play football. We hang
out and go to other bars. I have three animals — a cat, a dog and a snake. And I hang out with my girlfriend a lot.

Tell me something about you that would surprise your regulars.
Usually it’s my age. Everyone thinks I look 19, but I’m 25. I get carded a lot. I got ID’d for super glue last year. And I didn’t have it on me, so I couldn’t get it.
— ANNE

Behind the Bar: Shawn Ryan’s Irish Pub

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lyle

Lyle Williams, Center Point
Owner/bartender @ Shawn Ryan’s Irish Pub

How long have you owned Shawn Ryan’s?
It will be two years in April. I went into retirement after being a truck driver for nearly 30 years then decided to purchase Shawn Ryans.

What was it about this bar that made you want to get into the bar biz?
Aside from the fact that the price was right, I had been a patron for a number of years and knew there was potential for growth in the bar, clientele and kitchen.

And have you seen that happen over the last couple years?
Absolutely. We’ve broadened our customer base, with much credit going to our staff who have brought in a variety of people. The staff builds a great rapport with the customers, and that keeps them coming back.

Are there any local bar owners that have helped you learn the ropes?
Shannon Dixon, owner of Gilligans, has been a great mentor for me. She’s owned her business for more than 20 years and has been very helpful.

What makes Shawn Ryan’s unique?
Several things. First, our hours. We’re open 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and our kitchen stays open that entire time. We also have pool tournaments every Sunday along with karaoke every Wednesday and Sunday.  Another unique point is our zero tolerance policy. Anyone that gets out of line is automatically out.  It’s strict but our patrons know they can come here, relax and avoid trouble.

What do you have in store for St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s  is always a record breaking day. This year we’ll be running our corn beef and cabbage special and of course will be open for the parade.
— QUINN

Behind the Bar at Donnelly’s Pub

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Stacey Donahue, 28, Iowa City
Manager @ Donnelly’s Pub

How long have you been a bartender?
About a year and half, two years.

How’d you get into bartending?
I started out as a server, and then kind of just worked my way up and became manager and started filling in as a bartender.

What’s the best part of being a bartender?
Honestly, we have a pretty amazing group of regulars here. I like being able to converse with them, meet new customers and just get the whole atmosphere of Donnelly’s. We’re a little bit of a different kind of a bar in the middle of the ped mall. We’re kind of relaxed. We’re open only to 21-and-over after 10 p.m., and we have a little bit of an older crowd, one that likes to come out for good conversation and good drinks.

What’s your favorite night to work?
Wednesdays, definitely. We have a $2 drafts, bottles and wells, so we remain pretty steady all throughout the night. It’s really rare to find a $2 Guinness or Boddingtons, so people get pretty excited about it. We get a good string of awesome, awesome regulars coming in on Wednesday night too, you know, everybody knows your name, knows who you are, and that’s so awesome.

What’s the best — or worst — pick-up line you’ve heard while working?
Ah, I’ve definitely heard a few. People always try to give you their phone numbers. You get them a lot of times on credit card slips with “call me later.” One guy, once, asked “Do you have a pen?” OK, why? “So I can give my number to you.” I think our guy bar tenders get hit on more, though. The women here are more aggressive.

What’s your favorite drink to pour?
A really good whiskey. We have a really good selection of single-malts. We have really good scotches here, too. We have Templeton Rye, which is made here in Iowa. It can be hard to find, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we’ve been able to keep it in stock for a couple of years now. Our top shelf liquors are so good. The Johnny Walker Blue Label is one we always recommend.
— ANNE

Behind the Bar at Paddy O’Rourkes

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Jen Kibbe, 39, Cedar Rapids
Bartender @ Paddy O’Rourkes

paddys

How long have you been at Paddy’s?
A little over 11 years. I started bartending at a couple of bars in Czech Village, moved on and landed where I’m at today.

Anything new at Paddy’s we should be aware of?
The new menu comes out very soon. People need to stop in and check it out.

What keeps you behind the bar?
I love the industry. People are great and make it interesting. Snow days, for example, are the best.

Snow days?
Proof that people might not be able to make it to work or school on a snowy day, but they’ll make it to the bar and enjoy their day off.

What tricks of the trade have you picked up from other bartenders?
One guy who tends a bar up the road taught me a very important lesson. One night he was incredibly busy, and people were demanding things from him left and right. He finally just stopped and said “I only have two hands.” It was simple but taught me you have to take things one at a time and not get so caught up in trying to do everything at once.

What other things have added to your current bartending style?
I tell people like it is, which can be a bit unconventional but appreciated.

Have you ever had to go into counselor mode?
Counselor, personal financial officer, referee. You name it. I like it though because every day is different which makes it fun. Plus you get to learn all sorts of fun secrets.

What kind of impact can a bad bartender have on a bar?
You run a high risk of running customers out and developing a reputation for bad service fast. Bartenders are at the bar to set the tone. Bad service means bad tone.
— QUINN

Behind the Bar at Mickey’s Irish Pub

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Jack Craig, 24, Iowa City
Manager/bartender @ Mickey’s Irish Pub

mickeys

How long have you been a bartender?
2 years.

How did you get into bartending?
I needed a job. I go to The University of Iowa, so it was convenient to work someplace downtown.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Probably the people. Having fun with the people I work with. And getting paid.

What’s the crowd like at Mickey’s?
It’s a lot of groups of friends. People come because of word-of-mouth.

What’s the worst thing about your job?
Probably having to deal with really drunk people. After the last football game there was an former basketball player who’s 7-foot-2-inches, and he got in fight with someone and I had to try to break that up, which wasn’t very easy when I was standing there staring straight up at him.

What’s the best night to work?
Friday. It’s the busiest.

What’s your favorite drink to pour?
Captain Planet. It’s our famous shot here. It’s a sweet drink that has a lot of flavors combined, like Captain Planet, you know, “By your powers combined — I am Captain Planet!”

What’s the best pickup line you’ve overheard while working?
How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice.

Why is Mickey’s a good place to come for New Year’s Eve?
We’ll have some pretty decent specials. We usually do. And this is a bar where you can easily access a drink, but there’s still has a busy, busy crowd. Also, we don’t charge a cover, so that’s pretty good for downtown Iowa City.
— ANNE

Behind the Bar: Downtown Live

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Jaclyn Turner, 22, Cedar Rapids
Bartender @ Downtown Live

Downtown Live (in the former Allure/Karma location) is ready to go and you’re there from day one. What got you behind the bar?
I’ve been bartending for three years starting out at 3rd Base Brewery when I moved here from Mount Pleasant. When Downtown Live was announced I knew I wanted to be here!

What will Downtown Live bring to the downtown night life scene?
The idea is live music whenever we’re open. Small but strong live music will perform here — local and regional acts. The range will be from jazz to rock. Basically all over the board. I’m excited to see the place packed. So many people enjoy good live music, and that’s what we’ll have.

What’s your favorite part of bartending at Downtown Live?
It’s definitely interacting with people. The drinks stay pretty simple — lots of beer and Jager — but the biggest perk of working at Downtown Live is the fact that I love live music. I’m lucky to be paid to do something I would love to go to anyway.

And one of the misconceptions about your gig?
You make friends which is great, but a frustration will be when people feel like they’re entitled to be served first even while others have been waiting way before them. I try to be fair and just hope they understand you can’t play favorites.

So when you’re off work, what do you do?
I’m still checking out live music. I’ll go to 1st Avenue Live and now that it’s open will be back to Downtown Live. I have a few friends that are in local bands here so I’m all about going to their shows.

What’s your signature drink?
Is it bad if I say a tall boy?

Tall Boy it is.
— QUINN

Behind the Bar: Dublin Underground

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Scott Hage, 41, Iowa City
Bartender @ Dublin Underground

testdublin
How did you get into bartending?
It was a good way to pay for school, but not very good for grades. I don’t think I ever got more than three or four hours of sleep a night. I was young though. I could handle it.

What’s the best part of your job?
There’s a lot of things. If I had to narrow it down, it’s kind of like going out, but getting paid to do it instead of spending money. You can be social and not blow $100 a night on cocktails.

So have you gotten to be friends with a lot of your regulars?
Oh yeah. And I’ve been in town for quite a while. I’ve probably worked in five or six bars in Iowa City alone.

What’s the worst part of your job?
Telling people their limits, cutting people off, because they never agree with the bartender. In the morning they probably think it was a good decision, but you never hear the thank yous for that.

What’s your favorite drink?
I’m kind of an old-fashioned cocktail guy. When I work in big cities I tend to gravitate toward cocktail bars. I learned a lot in the big city, and like to bring that back to Iowa City.

Do you think cocktails have gotten more popular lately?
Over the past ten years, yeah. Back when I was in school, people just drank beer and whiskey Cokes, but now you’ve got a million flavored vodkas and liquors, and you just have more things to mix than ever before.

Describe your typical crowd.
There’s a lot of what we call “kids’ bars” in our neighborhood. We’re the more mellow pub, where everybody behaves themselves.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a bartender?
I’m a photographer as well as a bartender. Sometimes I’ll take two or three months off and do a project. I do magazine work, book art, pretty much anything. That’s what keeps me sane, that’s why I can work five nights a week as a bartender.
— ANNE

Behind the Bar: Triple Threat

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Mandy, Melissa and Tiffany Recker, 26, Cedar Rapids
Bartender @ Cocktails & Company

Were the three of you hired all at once?
Mandy: The three of us had worked at a bar at Delhi and were planning to move to Cedar Rapids. One of our regulars knew Angie (Angie Dahl, owner) at Cocktails and suggested we chat with her about a job. After chatting with her, the three of us were offered jobs.

What are customer’s reactions to the three of you? Do they pick up on the multiplicity or start questioning their own sanity?
Tiffany: When we first started, it took people awhile to realize there were three of us. Customers would come in and if one of us was working they would order “the usual.” If we weren’t who they thought we were, we would have no idea what a “regular” was. Some people got offended we didn’t have their drinks down, and we were just meeting them for the first time!

What are some of the challenges that come with working with each other?
Melissa: We used to live together so sometimes we would just need a break from each other, but now it’s just great to see them. They are my best friends. We can argue one minute then laugh about it the next.

Do you ever get annoyed when someone gets you confused with another sister?
Tiffany: Most of the time you just let it go. You know it’s not intentional and the non-regulars just don’t know there are three of us. The funny part is if we don’t correct them and a regular is at the bar they will stop, get defensive and correct the customer. They’re more sensitive about it than
we are!

What keeps you at Cocktails and what’s the plan for Halloween this year?
Tiffany: Definitely the customers. They take care of us. You get the occasional stalkers but most of the time you make great friends.
Melissa: Agreed. The customers. A lot of the workers and customers are one big happy family. Tips don’t hurt either.
Mandy: Halloween at Cocktails is huge every year: costume contests, fun games.

What’s your specialty drink?
Tiffany: My Jiggler Bomb that includes strawberry Stoli and Blue Maui.
Mandy: A Majestic with raspberry Stoli, vodka, Blue Maui, 7-Up, Red Bull and grape Pucker.
— QUINN

Behind the bar at The Sanctuary

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David Basinger, 28, Iowa City
Bartender @ The Sanctuary

sanctuary

The Sanctuary claims to be Iowa’s best beer pub. What makes you the best?
We have the largest selection of beer in Iowa City by far. We have 21 drafts, and over 100 different bottles, and we rotate and change it up pretty regularly.

What’s the best beer you have on tap?
Right now we have a Belgian beer called Gulden Draak that I like a lot. It’s a stronger Belgian ale. Also, the Rogue Brewery out of Oregon — we’re one of their preferred customers because we sell so much of their product, so we get a lot of their smaller batch stuff. It changes every two weeks or so.

What about bottles?
Any of the Belgian beers. They’re all really good. It just depends what you’re in the mood for.

What was the first beer you ever tried?
It was probably something like a Keystone Light or a Bud Light at, like, a family gathering, stealing it. I didn’t really get into good beer until I was 22 or 23. It takes some time to learn that there is something other than Miller Light and Bud Light.

What’s a good beer for someone branching out from a Bud or Miller for the first time?
Start off with Stella (Artois), something similar in flavor, then maybe work your way into some of the lighter wheat beers. After wheat beers, maybe start doing American ales, getting into the hoppier stuff, like Rogue Dead Guy Ale or Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, then eventually start getting to the stronger, more obscure stuff. A lot of times, if someone’s never had the Framboise Lambic, the raspberry beer, I’ll give them that and they’ll be like, “This is beer?!”

What beer do you wish you could get more easily in Iowa?
Anything by the New Glarus Brewery up in New Glarus, Wisconsin. They don’t export their beer out of the state, and pretty much anything they make is good. They make this cherry beer that is one of my top five beers. Every time I’m in Wisconsin, I end up dropping like $60 on a case, and just hoard it in my house.

What’s the best thing about being a bartender?
People. Meeting new people. Every shift is different. It’s not like a job where you go to your desk and sit down and do the same thing day in and day out. You meet new people. You’re active. It’s just fun. And you get to drink, to try out the product while you’re here. Not a lot of professions allow you to get a drink or two while you’re getting paid.
— ANNE