The rise of the cocktail and the return of the bartender as rockstar carries along with it a baggage saddled on every trending topic in modern pop culture.
The film follows several threads, interweaving the tales of two contrasting bartenders -- one a cocktail bartender crafting high end drinks in New York, the other a bar owner in struggling to keep his neighborhood bar afloat -- into a larger tapestry of modern American bar culture, complete with pomp and debauch. As the story expands it shows the evolution of the American bar during the rebirth of the classic cocktail.
When his favorite bartender moved out of town, Producer and Director Douglas Tirola suddenly found himself without a bar to call home. His search for a new watering hole led him to the same discovery so many Americans have found at Houston bars like Anvil and Bad News Bar -- The rebirth of the craft cocktail and the rise of the new American Bartender.
While opinions of the elevated cocktail scene can be polarizing, Tirola's hope is that his film shows focus on a far bigger idea, one that with this new found pride of service and product, the career barman now holds a higher esteem than it has in recent years.
"I hope people walk away from the film thinking differently about people that use their hands to make a living. That even though a bartender is seen as a working class job that it doesn't mean that person is limited in education, intellect or even their ability to make money."
If that all sounds like it's taking itself to seriously, just watch the trailer:
Looks like fun right? The film screens 7 p.m. tonight at 14 Pews, in the old Aurora Picture show space
Tonight's screening of the film at 14 Pews will also feature a special cocktail hour after the film with demonstrations and drinks from three of Houston's very best bartenders, Alex Gregg of Goro & Gun, Justin Burrow of Bad News Bar and Linda Salinas formerly of Haven and Anvil
Tickets are still available here as of writing but are very limited so hurry if you want to catch it this evening.
