Going 10 Rounds With Top Bartender Myles Burroughs
What do you like to drink after a shift? “After shift has such a varied connotation at this point in my career. But if it’s earlier in the evening, I’ll usually opt for a glass of wine or a beer as I probably haven’t eaten anything in eight hours or so. If it’s after a bar shift, I’ll often opt for a light/refreshing cocktail like a Daiquiri or a Paloma that I can enjoy without too much consideration. In Summer, it’s Txakolina wine pretty much exclusively.”
What is the all-time best dive bar jukebox song? “I’d lose my job if I didn’t include a song from the ‘old’ Sub Pop Records catalog and I’m from Seattle, so I guess I’d say either “Lounge Act” by Nirvana or something produced by Quincy Jones. In all seriousness, I am terrible at picking one anything and there are so many different types of dive bars in the world. I would be stoked for anything by Patsy Cline, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, George Benson, Barrington Levy, Grace Jones…”
After all these years bartending and creating drinks, do you still enjoy going out to bars? “I absolutely do. Though you’d be hard pressed to find me at a bar I’m not working at on a Friday or Saturday night at this point. I really enjoy the conviviality of our profession, bars with the right ambiance, the right style and/or vibe often just feel nice to be in…whether I’m imbibing or not. Also, a vast majority of my friend group is involved in food and beverage and I’d have a hard time seeing them if I didn’t poke my head in from time to time.”
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