All-Star Bartenders in Sacramento - Dan Mitchell, Mulvaney's B&L

What's your favorite place to go get a drink? How do you like your cocktails made?
When you order, are you really specific?      
 
There is a ridiculous amount of culinary talent in Sacramento, and it doesn't stop on the kitchen line. It makes its way to the speedrack and is being showcased all over downtown.

In the next couple of weeks I want to give all those great drinksmiths their due, and  highlight them in a series I’ve called: All-Star Bartenders in Sacramento.    

Check out the talent –you might be surprised the treasures that are right around the corner from you.     

The first in the series is a bartender that has a special place in my heart. He's a solid bartender who cares about his customers, and is a genuine pleasure to drink around – alone or with a group of friends.     

This bartender is Dan Mitchell. He has a vast amount of alcohol knowledge, but lacks the pretentiousness the high-class restaurant he works in would make you think he'd have.       

More than his talent and incredible people skills, I've been really impressed with how utterly resourceful he is. Other than a speedrack and some basic facilities, he works out of a cooler and off of his shelves – no drain, no back sink, just the shakers, knives, the drink and the beautiful Mahogany bar behind him. This is no easy task, and he makes inspiring drinks every night.

 

Mitchell grew up in Yountville and has lived/worked in the culinary interest all his life, and begun playing with new flavors to mix drinks about six years ago. From pyrotechnics to flavors Dan Michell works together beautifully with Patrick Mulvaney creating anything and everything.

One of the best takes on a Bloody Mary I'd ever had was something they both cooked up for Midtown Cocktail Week (a wonderful event that should happen more than one time a year). Their take included Skyy vodka, tomato water (not juice, water), a cherry tomato, and a crispy bacon garnish.   

I was floored. I can't stand the acidity in tomato juice and this was a wonderful twist.

Me: How did you get your start in bartending?

Mitchell: I started out as an underage bartender in Piatte in Sonoma, then went on to work at Mustard's Grill, and later Bistro Jeanty. There were amazing people there.

Me: What’s your favorite drink/cocktail?

Mitchell: The Negroni - one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part bitters, traditionally Campari. It is considered an apéritif, a pre-dinner cocktail intended to stimulate the appetite. 

Me: To you, what's the difference between a mixologist and a bartender? 

Mitchell: It's the difference between a chef and a mechanic.

Me: What?

Mitchell: I'm a mechanic; I know about 50-plus drink recipes, but I'm always willing to research a recipe, make you anything you're hankering for, or create something based on what you're looking for. But I'm here to have a good time, and fix the problem:  namely, a lack of a drink in your hand.

Me: What is the next big thing to watch for in drinking/cocktails/mixed drinks?

Mitchell: People are taking their drinking more seriously than they ever seemed to before. There's more Prohibition-era cocktails, and overall education in drinking...You'll always have trendy drinks of the moment, but there seems to be more thought involved in what people are drinking.

Me: What's your signature recipe cocktail?

Mitchell: Anything that's in the moment; it's all per the situation, the customer ... I could create a cocktail one minute that wows someone, and forget what was in it the next.

Me: What's the best way to get a bartenders attention?

Mitchell: The person who's patient, that acknowledges the crowd and waits – that person will get a much better reception. As a bartender, we usually see everyone who comes in, even if we can't immediately acknowledge you. But a patient person might be surprised how welcome a reception that waiting will get them.

Me: Where do you drink?

Mitchell: Brownies. It's a little dive bar in South Land Park. 

Next Up - Chris Tucker, The L Wine Lounge