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'Hey Bartender' Brings the Best Out of the L.A. Cocktail Scene
Photo courtesy of "Hey Bartender" on Facebook
Last night marked the Los Angeles premiere of "Hey Bartender," a new documentary by 4th Row Films that focuses on the story of two bartenders trying to achieve their dreams through the world of creating cocktails.
First is an injured Marine who comes back to the States and turns his attention to Employees Only in New York, where he hopes to become a rockstar bartender. Then there's a former bank exec who bought up his hometown's watering hole, and is trying to keep its down home integrity in an era where gloss and flash prevail.
There are big names from all over the country that appear in the doc, including Danny Meyer, Graydon Carter, and Amy Sacco. A number of L.A. bartenders make cameos too, including The Varnish's Eric Alperin and Matthew Biancaniello, formerly of the Roosevelt Hotel's Library Bar and now popping up at the Cliff's Edge and other area restaurants.
Bartenders including Aidan Demarest (Invention, Neat), Jason Bran (Hollywood Cocktail Co.), Paul Sanguinetti (Ray's & Stark Bar), Kate Grutman (SoHo House), master sommelier Christopher Miller (Spago), and New York’s David Kaplan (Death & Company) showed up to toast the premiere.
After being out of town for three days on assignment, we couldn't make it to last night's premiere and after party at the Andaz West Hollywood, but from the looks of our bartending friend's social media feeds, it looked like one hell of a good time. (Some of the attendees and barmen ended up taking a jump into the Andaz pool.) Like they say in the film, "The restaurant industry is funny. It'll give you the best life you ever had, but if you're not careful, it'll take away more than you give it." Apparently that includes clothing.
So wether you venture out Sundance Sunset Cinemas or watch the flick in the comfort of your own home with a self-made negroni, it's worth a view.
The movie will only be making a week-long local run starting this Friday, June 14 at Sundance Sunset Cinema, and it can also be viewed on iTunes.
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