The first thing you notice about The Ginger Man's Payce Jacobsen is the smile. It’s a grand smile, an honest one, a rare sight from a bartender in Dallas today. The second thing is the handshake. A raised hand comes at you from high up, like an airplane zooming in for a landing. In that split second, you wonder if he’s about to scoop you up in a bear hug. But then, the hand connects. You look up, see the smile, feel the sincerity of his handshake. Payce acts like meeting you is the most important thing he’s ever done in his life. Seriously, it’s magic. Of course, he’s got you by now. You’ve been “Payced.” You’re his, now and forever.
Since we've met, I’ve seen Payce work his mojo repeatedly on complete strangers. I had to know, how does he manage to be so warm, so on all the time, to people he’s just met? He smiles, (I mean, like, duh, why wouldn’t he?) and tells me he gets asked this all the time. “People want to know how I stay so happy,” the Dallas native says. “I’m thankful that I always look that way, even if I may not be feeling it at the time. I’m not conscious of the smile. It just happens. Lucky to be born that way, I guess.” It’s a quality that probably serves him well in the hospitality business. After all, if I had to choose between the surly bartender in the baseball cap and a smiling, handshaking Payce, guess who’s going to get my business?
What do you enjoy most about bartending?
The social interaction. It’s like another family when I walk through the doors at The Ginger Man. The people that come in, it’s like a big support group. You’re constantly surrounded by more people and friends than you know what to do with. Plus, a good number of the employees have been here forever, so they’re like brothers and sisters.
What’s your hangover cure?
Sleep. If I have to work, I just suffer through it, but if not, I just keep sleeping until it’s gone. Seriously, I can sleep for like 16 hours. It’s one of my few skills. (Laughs.) My superpower. (Editor’s note: let’s not forget that smile.)
What do you drink when you go out?
Since I’m a bartender, you’d think I’d be picky. But I’m not. I can drink anything. If I’m doing shots I like girly ones, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I don’t like so-called manly shots. Bring me something fruity and sweet any day.
What’s the stupidest thing a drunk customer has ever done?
We had this guy come in one day. He had kind of a nub hand, you know, like a baby hand. I started him a tab. He has a few beers and then he asks me to turn up the music. I’m like, no problem. I crank it up a bit. A song goes by, he asks me to turn it up again. I’m like, whatever; this time I just act like I’m turning it up. He orders a bratwurst, I bring it out. Then he asks for a hot dog bun. I told him we don’t have hot dog buns. He’s like, yeah, you do. Politely, I said, no, we really don’t. We have sandwich rolls; does he want one of those? Suddenly he starts cussing me out, telling me that he knows we have hot dog buns in the kitchen and that I’d better goddamn well better go get him one. At this point, I’m suspicious and I realize I don’t even have his credit card, so I ask him for it. He says it’s in the car, and he goes out to get it. Of course he takes off, burning me on the $40 tab. So I call the police. A few days later a detective came by to investigate. He brought some line-up photos of possible suspects, and I recognized the guy in one of the photos. I got taken by a serial tab walker with a nub hand.
What’s the correct way to pour a beer?
Basically, the correct way to pour is to hold the glass at a 45-degree angle to the spigot. You’re not supposed to touch the glass to the spout, but certain beers want to foam up and sometimes you can’t help it. If the beer has nitrogen gas, like Guinness, you pour it ¾ of the way; let it rest, and then resume.
For more info: The Ginger Man is located at 2718 Boll Street, Dallas, Texas, 75204; 214-754-8771.
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