According to bartender Michael Neff, it’s no wonder he found his footing behind the bar — it bestowed a sense of community, not unlike the one he experienced in his big family, Southern California upbringing. After leaving the Navy in the mid-90s, he found his way to the downtown NYC bartending scene, and most recently is planted in the East Village at Holiday Cocktail Lounge. Here, he chats about why ice is imperative, the one product he can always do without, and the Kenny Rogers song that started it all.
BoozeMenus: What’s the first thing you do when you start your shift?
Michael Neff: Check the ice machine. You never know when it's going to be down, so checking it first gives you enough time to adjust if something is wrong.
BM: Go-to Pandora/Spotify station?
MN: Either Caravan Palace or O'Death. Because there's a shortage of upbeat French weirdo jazz and downbeat weirdo Bluegrass in the world.
BM: What’s something that you have behind the bar that you’ve had to fight for?
MN: I used to throw away the bottles of Rose's Lime Juice at the beginning of my shift if I worked in a joint that had it. The next day, it would show up again and I'd throw it away again. Eventually, it stopped showing up and I, thankfully, was never found out. At least, I didn't get fired....
BM: What decade would you want to live in for drinking reasons only?
MN: Now is good. We have amazing products from all over the world. We have a growing and thriving cocktail movement that is spreading outside of the bars and into people's homes. Now is a great time to be drinking.
BM: What's the biggest lesson you've learned in this industry, and who did you learn it from?
MN: Most of what I've learned about the bar business I have learned directly from my customers. They are the ones who inform what we do and why. They are the seeds from which community blossoms, which is good for them, good for me and good for the business. I tend to think of these things in pretty philosophical terms, and I think what we do is a vital part of modern living. We bring people to each other and serve as the host of the party, the moderator of conversations, the mayor of our own little communities and the curator of people's nightlife adventures. From all of this, I've learned that what I do is a very big privilege, and I continue to be honored that people allow me to do it.
BM: Where do you find daily inspiration?
MN: From my clientele. Also from the bars that I love. It's wonderful to walk into a place and say, "I wish I thought of that!" I love being jealous of other people's genius.
BM: What is the strongest story behind one of your fall cocktails?
MN: When I was very young, my parents listened to Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits for an entire summer. Because of this, I can pretty much recite every song on that record, whether I remember them fondly or not. When I was making a cocktail with Brooklyn Gin and decided to do a take on a Salty Dog, the ruby red grapefruit made me think of the song "Ruby" from the Kenny Rogers album. The refrain of that song is, "Oh Ruuuuuu-uuby.... Don't take your love to town," so I named the drink "Don't Take Your Love." It's a convoluted logic chain, but fun to try and track down.
BM: What ingredient of the fall cocktail list wowed you the most?
MN: The tea syrups we made. Fun, easy, and such amazing flavors.
BM: What’s your brunch cocktail go-to?
MN: I don't like brunch. It means that I'm either up too early, or way, way too late.
BM: Try - as best you can - to describe your signature dance move.
MN: Show-off shimmy shuffle, with a bit of flamenco flair and the awkwardness of a thirteen-year-old Wichita junior-high schooler.
BM: If you only have three ingredients at your disposal, what are they, and what are you making?
Bourbon, Angostura and sugar. I could spend the rest of my career making only Old Fashioneds, striving to attain a sort of zen mastery of cocktail making. I still have a very long way to go.
By Nicole Schnitzler
(Photos courtesy of Holiday Cocktail Lounge | From left: Interior; Michael Neff; The Ocean Club cocktail)