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Who are some other bartenders that you really admire, and how come?

The guy that I like to watch work the most is Eric Johnson at Bar Agricole. He’s manning the bar program. He’s just so fluid with all of his motions, not to the extent of flair, but he just executes everything so efficiently, it’s a marvelous thing to watch.

What was the last cocktail you developed, and what was your approach?

The last cocktail I developed, I put a drink on the Cotogna menu, the Valentino, after Rudolph Valentino, the Italian actor and pop icon from the ‘20s. the drink that bears his name is a take on Blood and Sand, named on the 1941 movie starring Rita Hayworth. There was also a version with Rudolph Valentino. His nickname was a Latin Lover, so I took Mezcal and replaced Scotch, with mountain berry liqueur in place of cherry heering, California blood oranges in place of regular oranges and Carpano Antica formula Italian vermouth.

What’s a great simple cocktail recipe for people to make at home?

The thing I’ve been making most recently – it’s been chilly here in San Francisco – so I’m doing a rye whiskey or bourbon old Fashioned with maple syrup and a little orange twist. Take a barspoon of maple syrup, a couple of dashes of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters, a nice rye or bourbon, a couple cubes of ice and an orange twist. That’s been taking the chill off quite nicely.

If you could only fill your glass with one more cocktail, what would be in the glass?

Considering I haven’t had a coffee yet today, it would probably be a Buena Vista Irish Coffee.

How come?

I’m starting to get that little lull. That’s probably my first cocktail memory in San Francisco, when I visited the first time, my cousin was in San Francisco. I met up with her and she said, “You’ve got to try this.” I’ve had crappy versions at Italian restaurants back home, but something about how this was layered, with that heavy cream on top, it kind of blew my mind.