Bartender Chronicles: Megan Giometti, the Gibson
Have you ever wondered what life is like for those kind and patient people pouring shots behind the bar? This summer we’re bringing you a meet and greet with some of your favorite faces behind the bar at your favorite haunts. After the jump, Megan Giometti from the Gibson on Bedford Avenue shares why she loves her neighborhood, her no. 1 rule for bartending, and her favorite whiskey cocktail.
How long have you been bartending?
20 years.
How many whiskeys do you have behind your bar?
About 200.
What’s the number one rule of bartending?
I train [the staff] to be nice. Always be nice. If people want a drink, they don’t like the one they’ve got, make them a new one. Keep them happy. Bartenders can get really annoyed by stuff, but if you’re nice to the customer, they’ll come back. Which is the goal–trying to make money.
What’s the best thing about working here and owning this place?
This place I love because, well, it’s my first place, so I’m very sentimental. But also it’s very neighborhood-y. We’ve grown into such a neighborhood bar that I just feel like very much a part of the neighborhood, which is also very nice. We have great regulars, you know. And even as the neighborhood grows, we get a lot of great people.
What’s your favorite drink to make?
Probably, well, my favorite drink to make for people is a Sazerac, which I love. When we change [the menu] seasonally, it’s always fun. I usually find something that’s different on our menu–those are the ones I try to get people to try.
Do you put any special twist on those drinks, like the Sazerac?
Not the Sazerac; we’ll stick [pretty close to the original]. I mean, we’ll do rum old-fashioneds, which are good with dark rum. And then we did a couple of changes on our summer menu, which has like a Diablo, but with mezcal. So a couple of things like that, whatever’s selling. We did a frozen Zombie with cachaça.
Do you have any hobbies outside of work?
I am a runner, but that’s pretty much all I do. I really like to eat, so [I like] trying new restaurants.