We polled your opinions, you gave us your answers. Now we pick everyone’s favorite bartenders to interview, one at a time. Read on to see what Aaron Rodenberg, of Lamasco Bar and Grille, has to say about Evansville, the night-life and all things alcohol.
EN: Alright, first question…. How long have you been working here [at Lamasco]?
AR: Uh, it’ll be five years in January.
EN: Oh, that long?
AR: Yeah.
EN: Wow. So, what is your favorite thing about being a bartender?
AR: I guess it’s, uh, meeting people.
EN: Meeting people, what kind of people?
AR: Just different, all different kinds of people. We get pretty much get, across the board, every demographic here. It’s not like we pull in one set of people or another. We get some country people and some college kids, and old folks and, just, everybody.
EN: Cool. So, what would you say you’re least favorite thing about being a bartender is?
AR: These days it’s probably staying up all night. I don’t get much done during the days after I work.
EN: You’re also a musical person, you play, you come from a really musical family. So, as someone who’s a musician, and you work in bars, you kind of see a lot of musicians come through here, what do you think about Evansville’s music scene right now, like where it’s at?
AR: I think it’s really good. It’s far better than what it was ten years ago and even ten years before that. When the music hall and all that was going on in the 90′s I don’t think it was as big as it is now. I think it’s a lot more professional, for sure. I don’t think that they were playing original music in bars fifteen years ago. So, it’s really expanded a whole lot and I like it. I think it’s about time.
EN: What’s in your CD player right now, or on your mp3 player?
AR: I guess, like, Radiohead and Yeasayer, Django Reinhart, Tortoise. A lot of Tortoise
EN: What’s your favorite drink/alcoholic beverage?
AR: I guess it would have to be bourbon.
EN: Bourbon? Nice. Simple.
AR: Yes.
EN: As a bartender you must see some crazy stuff. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen or heard?
AR: The craziest thing I’ve ever seen working in a bar… I don’t know. I guess I saw a guy dressed as an SS Officer on Halloween one year. That was pretty crazy… So much stuff happens, I guess it’s all kind of crazy.
EN: What do you think is the most popular drink that you make?
AR: $8 well pitchers at this point.
EN: $8 well pitchers on Thursdays! All right. Do you see the stereotypical drinkers and do you think that what people drink compares with their personalities? There’s kind of a stigma: if you drink martinis you’re this kind of person, if you drink beer you’re this kind of person. Do you think those tend to hold true?
AR:Uh, a little bit. I think most people, if they can afford it they just drink what they want. If they can’t they drink beer, like cheap beer. I guess, to a certain extent, wealthier people drink better liquor. But I can’t really tell… I guess the stereotype doesn’t hold up.
EN: Cool, that’s good to know.
