Jared Johnson is not only bar manager at the Proprietor's Bar & Table, he is also fond of America Latina. Have a look at his wonderful blog 'South of North' to travel with him.
Could you please tell us a little bit about you and your bartending career?
When I'm not behind the stick I'm on the road. Travel has always been a notable passion of mine, and marrying it with my bar work is only natural. I absolutely love traveling to the source of the spirits, flavors, and traditions I am forever attempting to translate to our guests. I love connecting with the people behind the scenes and immersing myself into far flung communities and cultures. I sincerely believe that a good bartender should have not just a wonderful relationship with their guests but also an intimate relationship and knowledge of their products as well, and I am consistently striving to foster and nourish both.What is the thing you like the most about your job?
I love the challenge of turning people on to new and wonderful things. When I step back behind a bar after time spent on the road, I look to the stacks of notebooks I've filled along the way for launching points and then I start mixing. The experiences that vibrated with me, the tastes and the smells of the marketplaces, the long nights on the town or early mornings on a beach with a glass in my hand, the odd drinking traditions that all too quickly become so familiar, fresh fruit juices after an exhausting surf, the chaotic, massive family dinners thrown for a lone foreigner by brand new friends, all of these things become part of the job to me. I've often said I try to provide more than a cocktail or a beverage, I want to provide an interactive experience. I want to provide a way for guests to fondly reminisce past journeys and experiences of their own, or allow them a small taste of someplace they've yet to but have always wanted to visit. My favorite part about my job is translating those experiences and finding a way to fit them into a glass.
Tell us more about The Proprietor's Bar & Table, what is so special about it?
Well Nantucket is a very special place first and foremost and it's evident that very special, creative people are drawn here. If you are only as good as the people you are surrounded by then I'm blessed because the people behind the Proprietor's are top shelf. Chef Tom Berry, one of the three owner's along with Orla & Mike Lascola, is hands down the most creative, focused person I have worked for and he makes real good food too. I've worked for or with him for more than a handful of years now and along with being a major source of inspiration he's forever encouraging me to push my creativity. This is his first restaurant and it was pretty cool of them to hand me the keys to the bar and let me come along for the ride.
When we first opened our doors last summer we were described as catering to a well traveled pallet and I think that's a pretty fitting description. With a rich nautical history, southern New England and the islands have always been a well varied melting pot of flavors and cultures as fishing and whaling ships returned from long journeys throughout the Pacific and the Iberian peninsula carrying back with them - be it in the hold or in the cultures of the multi-national crew - new and exciting flavors, foods, spices, traditions and more. All of this was processed through a traditional American filter and eventually woven into the fabric of New England. Chef does a brilliant job of interpreting and translating this history into beautiful dishes and I try earnestly to follow suit with the bar program.
What are your favorite ingredients?
When we first opened our doors last summer we were described as catering to a well traveled pallet and I think that's a pretty fitting description. With a rich nautical history, southern New England and the islands have always been a well varied melting pot of flavors and cultures as fishing and whaling ships returned from long journeys throughout the Pacific and the Iberian peninsula carrying back with them - be it in the hold or in the cultures of the multi-national crew - new and exciting flavors, foods, spices, traditions and more. All of this was processed through a traditional American filter and eventually woven into the fabric of New England. Chef does a brilliant job of interpreting and translating this history into beautiful dishes and I try earnestly to follow suit with the bar program.
What are your favorite ingredients?
Fruit. Fruit. Fruit. Fresh fruit. I adore fruit in all it's various inceptions. When traveling I often spend ages in the markets loitering about juice stalls and fruit stands. I'll taste and makes notes of any fruit new to me and I'll have the lady's mix random juices to together for me in the never ending quest for new experiences.
The way I see it most any cocktail can be broken down to three elements - a spirit, a citrus, and a sweetener. When traveling I am always looking for new expressions of each of those elements. I'll buy a few bottles of the local firewater, and then comb the markets for fruit and sugars or honey, take it all back with me and start fiddling with them. Made in a hostel kitchen, at a house party or on the beach, these drinks in such infantile stages are most often simple variations of a smash or sour. Subbing elements as I choose, often I find the most exciting and notable drinks rear their heads once I start mixing up the fruits.
What do you like about FAIR.?
First and foremost it's the integrity. While all of the FAIR. spirits are exceptional and of the highest caliber quality, good quality hooch isn't necessarily hard to find these days. But quality and branding, when coupled with the a high level of integrity applied from sourcing to distillation, well that's what really makes FAIR. products special. I've always had a penchant for people and companies who deliver great quality products while devoting genuine care and attention to the peripheral ripples and effects that sourcing and manufacturing can have on a given community.
It's only natural for me to strive and maintain a high level of standard for the alcohol I work with. People will always be buying and drinking alcohol, and companies like FAIR. are making it more and more accessible for consumers to take a small part in the greater good.
What is your favorite drink you had with FAIR.?
I have to say, I get excited most when a guest orders a proper martini made with FAIR. vodka and a respectable amount of good vermouth. Nothing showcases an exceptional spirit better than allowing it to remain in the spotlight. That being said, hands down, the most popular cocktail at the bar is my #4. FAIR vodka mixed with freshly juiced kale, arugula, cucumbers, and lemon juice. Green as grass and maybe even healthy for you, at the peak of last season we were selling over 500 of these cocktails a week.
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