The Third Man bartender Erin Sullivan didn’t always love the hospitality scene. “My first job was in a kitchen when I was fourteen, and I hated it,” she explains. “But then again, I was fourteen — so I probably wouldn't have liked anything at that point!” But Sullivan didn’t throw in the bar towel there. After a game changing stint at a beach bar on the West Coast, the Maryland native ventured back East to try her hand in the New York bartending scene. “I became enamored with cocktails,” she says. “I read tons of books, asked questions wherever I went, and practiced at home.” That overtime effort has yielded big results at The Third Man, where her list of cocktails features inventive and lively flavor tête- -têtes (think gin with carrot, orange, and ginger for the Liquor N The Front). Here, we chat with Sullivan about impromptu poetry slams, the music she plays at the bar (versus the music she really wants to play), and what behind the bar method she’s currently digging (hint: it involves fire).

BoozeMenus: What is your approach behind the bar?

Erin Sullivan: Dedicated, focused, and driven but always remembering to have fun. People come to relax and laugh. I want to cater towards that environment.

BM: What lesson or piece of advice has stuck with you most throughout the years?

ES: The best piece of advice I've been given is that it's not that serious. It's very easy to get stressed when you're slammed behind the bar but sometimes it makes a world of a difference to take a breath, look around at all the people that have come out to have a good time, and remind yourself that it's not life or death. It's just drinks.

BM: How would you describe the menu at The Third Man in three words?

ES: Whimsical, approachable, eclectic.

BM: Define the term successful cocktail.

ES: I think a successful cocktail for anyone is a perfectly balanced cocktail. We all have different taste buds though, so it's different for everyone. I lean more towards the sour or dry cocktails. Some people lean more towards the sweeter side of things. I suppose a successful cocktail in my mind is one that tastes exactly what the guest had imagined and hoped for.

BM: What's the last memorable conversation you had at the bar?

ES: The last memorable conversation I had was with two of my regulars who I now see as friends. I met them on a freezing snow covered day a year ago when the streets were dead and they came in anyway and we traded stories and drinks for four hours. They both have incredible minds and are great writers. Anyway, they love performing spoken word, so the other day we cleared out a little space for them and they just jammed out. Afterwards we talked about life and philosophy for a good hour. It is truly incredible to pick at and connect with their brilliant minds.

BM: What has been the most pivotal experience of your bartending career?

ES: Training with Alex Day a few years ago. I was hired at Demi Monde and I trained hardcore for two weeks. It's what turned me from being a novice bartender into someone with technique and even more questions. I definitely wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him.

BM: Where do you find inspiration?

ES: I constantly find inspiration in different places. Recently because of traveling in the Caribbean, it's been through colors. It might sound silly but I ask myself, what would that color taste like? How can I turn that beautiful color into a tasty drink?

BM: When you're not working, what is your go-to cocktail?

ES: If I'm not drinking whiskey or wine, it'll be an Aviation. It was one of my first well-made cocktails and kind of rocked my world. Whenever I have one now it brings me back to that time of my life.

BM: What spirit do you always stock at home?

ES: Whiskey. We always have whiskey and wine at home. Good for good days, good for bad days, good for warm days, and even better for cold days!

BM: What music are you playing during a shift?

ES: I love country, but no one will let me play it! I usually listen to different things on Pandora. My favorite is the Black Keys station. There are some really cool, old school rock songs on there that everyone ends up singing to.

BM: What is your favorite part about making drinks for others?

ES: I love making people happy and I love it when they take an interest in cocktails. It's so much fun when I can take the time to give a little cocktail lesson to people who are curious.

BM: What do you love right now?

ES: I'm currently obsessed with lighting things on fire and super high proof alcohols. That's a total winter thing though. My mind is already prepping for the spring and summer and thinking lots about bananas and watermelon!

By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photos From Left: Java Jitney ~ Photo by Noah Fecks; Erin Sullivan ~ Courtesy of The Third man; The Perfect Pear ~ Photo by Noah Fecks)