Bartender of the Month: October 2004

(Fritz Hahn - washingtonpost.com)

Who: Patrice Hammond
Where:Tonic
Why we like her: "I was a Marine from '91 to '99," says bartender Patrice Hammond. Really? "Yep. We work hard, but we like to have a good time." That's a fitting way to describe this petite mixologist, who is making fans of the neighborhood folks at Tonic after wowing customers at places like Bar Nun and the Topaz Hotel's cool lounge.

After her military stint, Patrice went to work for a venture capital firm in New York and Washington, but soured on the stressful job. "My whole thing is the simplicity of life," she explains. "If you're not happy, what is life?"

Patrice broke into bartending at Bar Nun, but quickly became known for what she terms "fire tricks." At Tonic, for example, she arranges six large shot glasses on the bar, then stacks a tumbler, a wine glass and champagne glass on top to create a skinny tower. A bowl of fruit and alcohol sits on top. When she lights the high-alcohol Bacardi 151 on fire, flames cascade down the side of the whole structure. It's over in a minute, but it sure looks cool -- and the drink tastes pretty good, too.

These days, Patrice is more interested in the new drink menu she just created, with cocktails named after Tonic's servers. The winners right now are Amanda (terrific Miller's gin, masked by peach schnapps and fresh sour mix) and Megan (Makers Mark, Citronage and bitters). Patrice is on duty Tuesday through Friday -- just don't all ask for the fire tricks at once.

A Quick Q&A With Patrice:

What's YOUR favorite drink?
I like Jameson [Irish Whiskey] -- just a shot of Jameson. It's something simple that makes me feel good -- I'm just a good Catholic girl and I like Irish whiskey.

What's the drink you make most often?
Probably the Blondie -- it's from the Topaz days. (It's a mix of Citrus vodka, a splash of sour mix, tonic, soda water and 7-Up.) The secret is we always light the lemon rind on fire -- it burns the zest and adds flavor. And it looks cool.

What was the last drink you didn't know how to make?
Something with Bailey's and Kahlua and Ameretto. A Toasted Almond? Here, you don't get too much of that. This is a beer place. People are drinking martinis because that's what I put on the menu.

What do you have to do to get '86ed?
Piss me off. Say something rude and crude that I don't like and you're out of here.

What song do you wish they'd take off the jukebox?
The Johnny Cash albums. I appreciate him; but when you listen to him every night, you get tired of it.

The first sign a patron's drunk is:
When they start to get mouthy with me. I can usually tell they're drunk when they fall over the step near the door.

Have you ever dated or gone home with someone you met while you were working?
I have a strict rule: I don't date customers. It's not good business.

How cheap are people, really?
Here, not that cheap. But I worked in a bar where someone tipped me a quarter on six martinis. That was the change from six drinks. I gave him the quarter back and tipped him to never come back again.

What piece of bar etiquette do you wish people would learn?
Have your order ready when you get to the bar. And after work, please freshen up for everybody around you.

Give us a piece of advice.
If you're stressed, there's something wrong. Get rid of it. I don't understand why people stay in something when they're unhappy. But if someone comes in and they're unhappy, then I offer them a shot of Jameson.