Tony Devencenzi of Bourbon & Branch
Tony Devencenzi is currently bartending in San Francisco at Bourbon & Branch. He has also bartended at other places here in the city such as Impala, Enrico’s, Jones, Levende Lounge and Levende East and Clock Bar. When Tony isn’t working behind the ‘stick, he's busy working as the President and Co-founder of The Bartender Relief Fund and as the Fundraising and Philanthropy Chair of the Northern California Chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild. In his spare time, Tony loves adventure. He enjoys traveling, live music, cooking, motorcycle riding, reading, hiking and backcountry skiing.
Tony is not only an amazing bartender (he is my own personal bartending mentor), but has an incredible passion for the craft. Last December, Tony was involved in an automobile accident that caused him to spend the first six months of 2009, unable to work. Thankfully, Tony now has his full health back and is back to bartending. Tony is also in the process of setting up The Bartender Relief Fund, a non-profit to help bartenders in times of need (as was done for him). I got the chance to chat with Tony over coffee the other day about his craft and what exactly ignites his fiery spirit behind the ‘stick:
How did you get your start bartending?
I was working as a server at the Cheesecake Factory while going to school at SFSU. It wasn’t until I got burnt out on being a server and threatened to quit that Cheesecake Factory recognized me as a valuable employee and promoted me to bartending. As a server, you are always at someone’s beckon call. With bartending you have the ability to see the products of your handiwork firsthand and are able to craft a product that people enjoy. This ability draws back to my experiences both as a carpenter and with my enjoyment of culinary arts, just like building a cabin or cooking a meal. I was happy with my promotion to bartender. After bartending at Cheesecake Factory for a couple of years, I got burnt out on the whole corporate thing all together. Working for a corporate restaurant, there is a definite lack of creativity, history, culture and style. I wanted to tend bar at a place where I could tap into my creativity. I wanted to work in an environment that would encourage me to develop my own style of cocktail making.
What’s your favorite part of bartending?
The intellectual fulfillment. I am always studying, learning and utilizing the knowledge I receive in regards to my craft. Creating cocktails is like making music. With making music, you integrate the musical notes into the sound of a song. With creating cocktails, I like to integrate classic concepts and ingredients, think outside of the box and put my own spin on the cocktails that I make.
What’s your least favorite part of bartending?
People who aren’t willing to expand their mind and refuse to try new things. I like to make deals with these types of customers. I offer to make them something different than what they normally order. If after trying my drink and they absolutely hate it, then I will make them their normal drink. At least this gives me an opportunity to introduce something new to my customers and hopefully blow them away, palate-wise. Another one of my least favorite parts of bartending is people who drink just to get intoxicated.
What’s your signature cocktail?
It changes everyday, with each customer. I get my inspiration from seasonal ingredients. I also enjoy incorporating a number of herbal liqueurs and aperitifs into the cocktails that I make. I enjoy making unique cocktails per individual request. Things I ask a customer before I make them a cocktail: What kind of base spirit do they want me to use? What kind of flavor profiles are they looking for? I’ll also ask the customer for several defining factors like whether they want their cocktail to be soft, round, sharp, citrus, sweet, herbal, spirituous, classical, nouveau or a combination of any of those.
Has bartending taught you any life lessons along the way?
Question yourself. If you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing than why are you doing it? For new bartenders starting out, my advice is to always be learning something. Don’t let bartending just happen to you. Reach for education, learn what you can and embrace what you learn.
What makes the bartending culture in San Francisco so special?
Community. Instead of hoarding secrets, San Francisco bartenders tend to share their knowledge with one another. This sharing of information improves the bartending culture as a whole. The Bartenders’ Guild in San Francisco really helps to support, encourage and enable its bartending members to expand their knowledge and therefore plays an important role in the bartending community here in San Francisco.
Are you a bartender or a mixologist?
I actually prefer Gary Regan’s term, “Cocktailian Bartender.” Mixologist has a pretentious tone to it. Labels aside, I believe that we’re all striving to return the craft of bartending back to a universally respected profession, just like it was before Prohibition.
What’s your favorite watering hole?
Anywhere a good friend is working behind the ‘stick-a place where we can support one another and share ideas. If I had to pick a specific place, I would have to say Specks in North Beach. There is a lot of old San Francisco history at Specks, dating back to the Barbary Coast age. My drink of choice when I’m on the other side of the ‘stick? Whiskey (neat) and a beer.
Tony recently designed the winning drink for the Laphroaig competition on October 12th, 2009 at Rye in San Francisco. Island Fever was his winning cocktail:
Island Fever
2 oz Laphroaig 10yr
¼ oz Tia Maria
¼ oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz of Fresh Lime Juice
2 dashes of Orange Bitters
*Orgeat/ Aztec Chocolate Bitters Foam
*Grated Nutmeg
*Flamed Green Chartreuse
Combine liquid ingredients in mixing glass. Shake vigorously and double strain into a chilled large cocktail glass. Float foam on top of cocktail. Grate fresh nutmeg. Ignite vaporized Green Chartreuse over the surface.
*Orgeat/Chocolate Bitter foam is created with the use of an iSi Whip Cream Canister. In the half pint sized canister, mix 4 oz Small Hand Foods Orgeat, 5-6 healthy dashes of Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters and 1 oz fresh egg whites. Place ingredients in the canister, shake well and charge with a N2O charger, refrigerate. The proteins in the egg whites provide a stabilizing agent to the foam. This can also be achieved with a gelatin such as Knox or agar. The use of egg whites is preferred as they form softer foam to the stiff peaks of the gelatin.
*Flamed Chartreuse is accomplished with two tools: a misting canister (for misting olive oil at a restaurant supply store) and a brulee torch. The canister pressurizes the spirit and provides an even mist when sprayed. The alcohol in the spirit ignites, burning off and leaving only the condensed herbal flavors and aromatics to rest on the surface of the cocktail. The fire also lightly toasts the grated nutmeg, further enhancing the scents. The use of a brulee torch for ignition is preferred, as a match or lighter can blow out when hit with the spray.
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