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Sep 1, 2015 · Luckily that’s not the case today because these 13 Pittsburgh bartenders are among the city’s best -- and they just happen to be women. They’re serving up craft cocktails, sharing what they ...
May 28, 2015 · Jeremy Bustmante, bartender at Salt of the Earth. Steve Pacacha of Liquid Flair Entertainment. Jana Jenkins, bartender at Olive or Twist. Conventional cocktail wisdom says all the drinking trends start on the coasts, eventually filtering their way into the interior of the country.
Oct 8, 2024 · If you are looking for great cocktail bars in Pittsburgh, don't worry. We've got you covered with some of the region's best for all things spirits!
- Cecil Usher
- Tim Quinlan
- Wes Shonk
- Colin Anderson
- Craig Mrusek
- Gene Ney
- Will Groves
- Sean Rosenkrans
- Carrie Clayton
- Alyssa McGrath
Once you learn Cecil Usher’s backstory, it’s clear why he can smoothly handle a high-volume crowd in a craft-cocktail bar. The Meat & Potatoes bar manager got his start in 2006 working a State College bar with nickel-beer nights and $1 mixed drinks. When the owner wanted to open a higher-end bar in the basement, Usher went to work learning the art of mixology. He brings that knowledge and appreciation of the bartender’s craft to Meat & Potatoes, where he aims to make each patron feel like a g...
Gooski’s
“My favorite bar in the city? That’s easy: Gooski’s. Tim is the bartender we all really want to be,” says Butcher and the Rye’s Maggie Meskey (who we profile in this month’s Grow. Cook. Drink. on page 107). Tim Quinlan is the bartender’s bartender, the chief-of-staff of one of the city’s most iconic bars. Show up late night at Gooski’s, and you’re likely to find at least one of the other bartenders on this list drinking at the bar. Quinlan, who looks like a punk-rock mountain man, started wor...
Craft-cocktail bartender turned distillery-brand rep and recipe developer Wes Shonk is a whiskey master. He’s even attended an adult summer camp called Camp Runamok that’s all about bourbon. Shonk now is translating his knowledge of the brown stuff as Wigle Whiskey’s barrelhouse manager and brand representative. His easygoing attitude and ease with customers have made him one of the most popular bartenders in the city. That’s translated to his current work, where he’s just as comfortable donn...
Cure’s Colin Anderson is the wizard of the space oven and the king of the cold infusion. We appreciate how Anderson freely crosses between modernist flavor extraction and old-school alchemy. His cocktails are a reflection of that flexibility — rooted in classic knowledge but totally of the moment. The challenge is that there is a four-seat bar at Cure. So unless you’re visiting late on a weekday night, you’re going to have to make a reservation at the restaurant in order to enjoy one of his d...
Pittsburgh’s bartender corps buoyed over the last few years with a number of cocktail enthusiasts who’ve decided to either moonlight behind the stick or leave their day jobs for a new career. The recent crop of bar pros is following Tender Bar + Kitchen’s Craig Mrusek’s lead. A longtime enthusiast and writer of the bartending-related Dr. Bamboo blog, the affable Mrusek started working behind the bar by picking up a few guest shifts at the former Strip District cocktail spot Embury. He also wa...
Gene’s Place
How often do you spend time at a college bar that’s owned by . . . a professor? Carlow University instructor Gene Ney bought the bar in 2004, but he’s been a fixture there since he was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh; he had an apartment upstairs and worked shifts at the bar. There’s nothing fancy about Gene’s Place. This isn’t the place to ask for a Ramos Gin Fizz or even a negroni. What you’ll get is a throwback joint with loyal regulars and old-school great times. Why inc...
Butterjoint Bar Manager Will Groves is a serious fella. He’s a craft cocktail creator, a food preservationist, a beer nerd and a coffee guru. Don’t let his precision fool you: The avid biker — he took a cycling and beer vacation to Vermont — also knows how to keep the night moving. One of our favorite Will Groves qualities is his ability to pivot quickly from a fun, friendly conversation with one bar guest to a deep debate about hop varietals with someone just a few seats over. Groves makes s...
If you happen to pop into a Pittsburgh coffee shop in the early afternoon, you might run into Allegheny Wine Mixer bartender Sean Rosenkrans reading an obscure 19th-century bartender’s manual or a cutting-edge book on contemporary cocktail techniques. There’s a reason that Rosenkrans made our Best Blog’s “Nerdiest Bartenders” list. Rosenkrans doesn’t overtly display his homework when he’s working. In fact, he’s partially to blame for the resurgence of the disco-era cocktail moment — think Gra...
Carrie Clayton started bartending at a dive bar in Brooklyn while she was attending the Pratt Institute to pursue a career in illustration. After working for a few years as an illustrator, however, she realized that bartending was a more rewarding experience for her because she could have conversations with people of all stripes. That’s clear when you sit down at her bar, where she’ll often greet regulars with a high-five. Clayton’s conversational skills are especially handy at Bar Marco, whe...
One of the greatest indicators that a neighborhood restaurant is firing on all cylinders is when the space has a bartender who builds a regular clientele of people who love to visit for a quick snack and a sip of something tasty. Dish Osteria and Bar is a welcome refuge from the East Carson Street hubbub, and Alyssa McGrath adds an extra layer of warmth to the experience. It’s not just regulars who will want to visit Dish; anyone who sits at the bar is sure to have a wonderful evening. McGrat...
Oct 20, 2014 · Pittsburgh, it’s time to get familiar with your Best Rising Star Bartenders. Abbie Brehm: The Livermore. Abbie Brehm’s first bartending gig was at McFadden’s, the now-shuttered Columbus, Ohio, bar famous for its rocking Ohio State University football parties.
Aug 24, 2019 · Order the “Bartender’s Choice” and regale your bartender your ideal spirit and flavor profile. What comes out is a mystery! If you’re not into surprises, Bar Marco also has a great selection of fun and tasty featured drinks.
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May 27, 2014 · Head to Tender Bar on Wednesday nights (or any night really; fellow bartenders Pyles, Nathan Lutchansky and Craig Mrusek could all have made this list) to get a taste of what’s on Rosenkrans’ mind at any given moment. The history lesson, however, is optional.
