Letters to a young bartender

A few days ago, I received an email that caught me a bit off guard. A young man, the son of one of my boyfriend’s colleagues, reached out to me asking for professional advice on how I got to where I am today. I had met him several months ago, just after he had graduated college and was studying for his introductory sommelier exam, which he has since passed. We only spoke for a minute when I gave him my business card, so I was surprised when he actually hit me up.

A master sommelier is arguably the highest achievement in wine, overseen by the Court of Master Sommeliers, and one of the most difficult titles to obtain because of the years of studying and rigorous testing involved. There are three levels of certification — certified, advanced, and master sommelier — and you must pass an introductory exam to be eligible to take the certification. It takes an unbelievable amount of dedication and discipline, not to mention an acutely honed palate, to blind-taste six wines and be able to nail the vintage, vintner, variety and vineyard, as one must do to become a master. There are also theory, as well as service portions of the exam, where you must serve other established master sommeliers, who are simultaneously bombarding you with questions on everything from wine-pairing to sauces and cigars to mineral water.

Last week’s passing of the iconic Bill Russell — civil rights activist and great basketball player — left a hole in the world and in the hearts of all those he touched and let into his closely guarded circle, which included his mother, who died when he was just 12 years old, but taught him that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, but that you stand up for yourself. Upon being awarded the position of the first black head coach in the NBA, Russell was asked by a reporter how he would be able to do the job impartially, to which he responded simply, “Because the most important factor is respect.” Though his reach was longer than most, Russell was careful about whom he called friend, because, as he put it, “Friendship is a full-time job.”

Few people are ever blessed to realize they are living in “the good ol’ days” before they are over. What does it take to love something that much and be truly successful at it? Trying to answer this young man’s questions, I suddenly felt inadequate, and fell back on the advice of the others I have looked up to over the years, who had the generosity to take me under their wing. As I began to respond to the email, my favorite book, Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, came to mind. A collection of 10 letters responding to a young poet’s questions on life, love and writing, I suddenly thought, what if there were one for bartenders? These rose to the surface.

Letter No. 1: Be deliberate in your choices. Whatever position, if it’s the restaurant industry you choose, you will likely spend more time with your coworkers than with your own family, so choose a company and colleagues with whom you share similar values, from whom you can learn, and around whom you genuinely enjoy being. Choose a strong mentor who sees in you qualities you might not yet yourself see, and who takes a genuine interest in you and your success. After all, mentorship, like friendship, is a full-time job.

Letter No. 2: Don’t be afraid to take risks. There is a saying by Brazilian lyricist Paulo Coehlo, “If you’ve never taken a risk, you’ll never know what changes you need to make.” Taking a risk can open doors, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you are sincere and have respect, there’s almost nothing from which you can’t recover.

Letter No. 3: You never know who’s sitting in front of you. Treat everyone equally and treat them well. The first restaurant job I ever worked was the last job to which I ever had to apply “cold.” Every job since has been a “warm” referral. When you love what you do, and you do it with passion, people notice.

Letter No. 4: Never stop trying. Even Russell got cut from his junior high basketball team before he rose to win 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards. Have a sense of humor about your failures, and never hold back on anything, especially laughter. People gravitate to a beautiful laugh.

In memory of the late, great Bill Russell and his loyalty to the one and only Boston Celtics, I humbly present to you my twist on the classic Boston Cocktail, named after Robert Frost’s aptly titled poem.

“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Aviation Gin
0.5 ounces G.E. Massenez Pear Brandy
0.5 ounces John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum
1.0 ounces Fresh Lime Juice
0.5 oz. Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Alicia Yamachika is a bartender and craft mixologist, who currently is the key account manager at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits on Oahu. Follow her on Instagram (@alicia_ yamachika). Her column will appear every second Wednesday in Crave.