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Hey Bartender is a documentary about the renaissance of cocktail culture, directed by Douglas Tirola. Set against the backdrop of craft cocktail bars, with comments from leading bartenders across the country, the movie follows two bartenders, Steve Schneider (Employees Only) and Steve “Carpi” Carpentieri, the owner of Dunville’s in Westport, Connecticut. Hey Bartender debuted at this year’s SXSW Film Festival, and after its theatrical premiere in New York last month, embarked on a barnstorming tour of limited runs, including a week-long run in Los Angeles. On the opening day of Hey Bartender’s LA run, I sat down with Tirola, Schneider and Carpentieri at the historic Musso & Frank Grill, where legendary bartender Manny Aguirre was behind the stick.

This week’s episode of The Speakeasy pairs us once again with Steve Schneider, bartender at West Village watering hole, Employees Only. Today he joins us to talk about the documentary film “Hey Bartender,” in which he is the main subject, and displaying an ode to the cocktail culture that has swept New York City within the past decade. He also talks about his entry into the bartending. Date Night (2010) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

When Steve Schneider asked Manny Aguirre for a Tanqueray Martini, it was a fleeting but memorable moment—a multi-generational exchange between an acclaimed bartender from the modern era and a living legend who’s served everyone from James Dean to Keith Richards and Johnny Depp. As Aguirre made one of his famed Martinis, Schneider recalled the first time he walked into Employees Only. “I was working in Hoboken, New Jersey. And my bartender there said, ‘Listen, we gotta go to this place called Employees Only.’ And when I walked in, I was just floored. I had one of those New York moments where I felt like I was in a different world,” said Schneider. “The minute I went through that curtain—it was the music, the lighting, and that vibe, that pulse you get in that cliché moment. I saw the bartenders behind the bar, it was Rob [Krueger] and [Bratislav Glisic] and they were working so well together, weaving in and out and barely talking to each other. I said, ‘I want to be these guys.’ I didn’t want to be like them, I wanted to be these guys. I came in three or four times with a friend and we’d drink through the menu, but I wouldn’t really ask any questions, I was pretty intimidated. Being a former Marine and I was pretty scared, these guys were my heroes.”

Through his bar in Hoboken, Schneider eventually met Anthony Giglio, who asked Schneider to create a drink for his wife’s 40th birthday party. Giglio loved the drink, and he and Schneider hit it off at the party. At the time, Giglio was editing the Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide with Jim Meehan, whom Schneider met that night. Mr. Boston was coming out a couple of weeks later, and Giglio invited Schneider to create a cocktail and bartend at Midnight Music and Munchies, an event at the 2008 NYC Wine & Food Festival. It was an unpaid gig, but Giglio said it would be good exposure and he would put Schneider on equal billing. “So I had about three weeks to prepare, and I get an email,” said Schneider, his eyes widening. “And these were the bartenders: Tony Abou-Ganim, Audrey Saunders, Julie Reiner, Jim Meehan and Don Lee, Jay [Kosmas] and Dushan [Zaric], and Steve Schneider. It’s like, ‘What the fuck am I doing here?’ I called up Anthony, ‘What are you trying to do to me?’ And he said, ‘I told you it’s an opportunity.’”

Schneider jumped at the chance. “I was working around the clock, I was overly over the top, making homemade vermouth, dehydrating stuff, doing all this shit, trying to make an impression,” he said. “So at the event, I have an assistant with me, we’re setting up and I see that I’m sharing a bar with the guys from PDT, Jay and Dushan, and me. I’m batching cocktails for 600 people, this nine-ingredient drink, way over the top.” Schneider definitely made an impression—even if Life with Food and Drink didn’t quite “get” the Stairway to Heaven cocktail, Schneider and Giglio “were the most fun bartenders there.”

Then the Employees Only team arrived. “This is before they opened Macao [Trading Company], so they have everybody,” said Schneider. “Jay, Dushan, Henry [LaFargue] was there, the whole crew, like a dozen guys. And they saw me, and immediately they treated me like family. We just hit it off right there. The party we had, and the mess we made, I couldn’t recreate that mess if you paid me. I feel bad for the people at the venue. Everyone had a great time. And these guys just treated me like one of their own.”

Glisic, one of the bartenders who was working when Schneider first walked into Employees Only, came up to him. “‘We’re gonna open Macao, so we’re gonna have an opening at EO, why don’t you come work for us? We could use a good guy like you.’ I was like, ‘Totally dude,’” he said with an an incredulous “yeah, right” expression as he recalled Glisic’s invitation.

Schneider’s skepticism had nothing to do with a lack of desire to bartend in New York. “I grew up five miles west of the city,” he said. “Ever since I made my first drink I always wanted to be in the city. It’s looming large in my backyard. This is the place I wanted to be, I just had this vision in my head, taking over a city somehow, you know? Because it’s impossible, nobody’s bigger than the city. I just wanted to grab it, just for a second.”

Two weeks later, Schneider went to EO, thinking they would all have a good laugh about their raucous night at the festival. “And I show up and [Glisic] goes, ‘Steve, what the fuck, where’s your resume?’ Listen, the guys know about you, we want you here. We think you’re a good guy, you got a lot of talent. Bring your résumé on Wednesday at 3:30, the owners are having a meeting. Trust me, you’re in.’ I’ll always remember that.”

“The Postcard” | Photo courtesy of Henry LaFargue, via Facebook

“So that was a Monday, I had a couple of days. I show up on Wednesday with my résumé outside, and the boys are there. I felt like the postcard was staring at me,” a nod to the EO postcard referenced in Hey Bartender. “I had a kickass résumé, I’d won competitions, I’d been written up several times, I was in a book, this and that. Just a 24-year-old punk with loads of talent and no direction. I gave my résumé, and [Glisic] opens and closes it right away. ‘Former Marine, I like that. You’re disciplined. We might have something for you in a couple of weeks.’ He talked with Dushan and everything, and Dushan said, ‘The guy’s housebroken, let’s do it. He’s in.’

“Got the call. ‘Can you come in tomorrow to train?’ Hell yeah,” said Schneider. The timing was ideal. It was the Fall of 2008, Glisic was being promoted to Principal Bartender and there was an opening. Schneider trained for one day, and then he was working behind the Employees Only bar as an Apprentice in a black shirt.

“They unlocked something in me,” he said. “I’d been bartending for about six years already before I started there. So you think you know it all. I hadn’t gotten ice for anybody. Igor [Hadzismajlovic] asked me, ‘Are you willing to start from the bottom?’ And I said, ‘I wouldn’t want it any other way.’ So all of a sudden my first gig in New York is at my favorite bar. Then working my way up the ranks, and now five years later, I’m not only one of the Principal Bartenders, but I’m also the bar manager, and every Wednesday I get to work alongside that same guy that recruited me. And we’ve become the dearest of friends, me and all the guys, and man, that’s pretty special to me.”

The mentorship relationship between Schneider and Zaric that’s shown in Hey Bartender exists between all of the principals and staff at EO. Schneider noted that it’s not all business, they talk about everything. “Dushan told me that when they were hiring the staff to open EO, he was living in a house with Jay and Igor. They invited the staff over and just hung out. ‘How we treated you today, is how we want you to treat your guests at the bar.’”

Schneider has always respected Zaric’s insight and his point of view. “Just the way he goes about business, he carries himself like a champ,” said Schneider. “When I met him, I always wanted to be guilty by association—I figured if I handle myself like he handles himself, I’m gonna be OK. I always say, surround yourself with a bunch of winners and you’re going to have to perform to that level.

“Working for six years behind a bar, I thought I already knew everything,” said Schneider. “But when I came in there, I threw out the playbook and had the humility to learn their way of making drinks without trying to make my own suggestions, it wasn’t my place. And [Dushan] appreciated that, and we worked alongside each other for a few years.”

“Hey Bartender” preparty at The Spare Room: Lindsay Nader, Brooke Arthur, Steve Schneider, Jackie Patterson, Christine England (L to R)

Steve Schneider Wiki

For Schneider, the lessons from Zaric didn’t end when he donned the Principal Bartender coat. “Just the other day, we’re talking on the phone,” said Schneider. “‘Man, that [Los Angeles] premiere was so awesome, the crowd was into it and they seem to be into everything they’re doing with each other. The camaraderie is huge.’ And he simply said, ‘That’s because they’re not afraid of each other. They want a common goal and they all know they’re on the same team.’ That’s what a community is all about.”

“One thing that Dushan always teaches me, you have to constantly evolve in this business,” he said. “A lot of people think about our industry, the longevity of the bartender. It’s very grueling, mentally and physically. We can’t all be Manny,” he said with a laugh, as we watched the elder bartender take care of his guests.

“But Dushan has taught me to evolve and just constantly be doing something positive, and treat everybody right,” said Schneider. “He started at the bottom, and then he became a bartender at Pravda. And then Jay [Kosmas], Igor and Henry said, ‘What’s next? Let’s open our own place.’ And when they do that, ‘What’s next? Let’s write a book. Let’s come out with our own grenadine and Bloody Marys. Let’s start our own spirit company.’ There’s always something else. Now they’re not only some of the most successful bartenders out there, they’re successful business owners and they own their own liquor company.”

The numerous accomplishments of the EO partners are motivation for Schneider. “My next stop is going to be ownership. These are the last people I’m ever going to work for, I realized that my first day [at EO]. I’m going to peddle their bike for as long as I want while they steer, and some day I’ll be steering that bike and other people are gonna be pedaling.”

Hey Bartender will certainly provide Schneider with a calling card when the time comes for him to take that next step. Schneider first met Hey Bartender director Douglas Tirola at EO, when he sat in front of him at the bar. “I took care of him, we chit chat. He comes back and says, ‘Would you like to be the subject in a movie I’m making about bartenders?’ And I said, ‘Yeah whatever, man. Cool.’ Because you hear that shit all the time. ‘Cool. Whatever I can do to help.’ But I underestimated them, they were everywhere. They put a lot of their heart and soul, they put everything into this project for many, many years.”

Schneider marveled at the role he played in Hey Bartender’s inception. “An artist, a filmmaker like Doug, who’s well respected in his independent film community, to be able to inspire him to make a whole movie about the craft that we do, words can’t describe something like that,” he said. “I’m really excited to be representing one bartender’s story out of thousands and thousands of bartenders all over the world. Hopefully this is the launching point for more stories to come out. It’s really well put together and I’m really proud of it. I know what this is going to bring me. I have to always treat our craft and our profession and other bartenders with respect. Milk it for all it’s worth, take it in, but not lose sight of my task at hand, which is running the bar at EO.”

“I got a lot of respect for Doug and the people at 4th Row Films,” he said. “It’s just such a great feeling. This guy’s made films, he’s been all over. I love what I do, I love our craft so much. I put so much effort into it, but I’m no different than any other bartender. There’s a lot of bartenders that do the same shit as me. I just follow the simple rule, treat everybody right. [Doug] came in, and I treated him as I would any other guest. It just so happened that this guy’s a filmmaker and wanted to make a movie about us. That’s pretty cool!”

“I get to work with guys every day that I idolize,” he continued. “These are the guys that made the man who’s here right now. I understand my success is together with the success of Employees Only. To be part of that team, and now to be manager of the bar there, that’s a dream come true. I’m gonna savor this, I’m gonna enjoy it, but my goal ultimately is ownership of restaurants and bars all over the world. I’m 29 years old, I’ve been bartending for almost 11 years now, five of which at my favorite bar. The sky’s the limit.”

Employees Only
510 Hudson St.
New York, NY 10014
(212) 242-3021
www.employeesonlynyc.com

ON HOLIDAY
Created by Steve Schneider
Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Hendrick’s gin
• .5 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz lemon juice
• .5 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 pinch basil
• Club soda

Preparation:

• Add all ingredients except the club soda to a mixing glass.
• Add ice, shake, and fine‐strain over ice into a tall Tom Collins glass.
• Top with club soda, stir, and ornament with a basil leaf and a cucumber slice.

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The dream team will unveil their ’80s-inspired cocktail lounge this November and tell all to DRiNK in an exclusive first look. By Elysia Bagley.

The year is 1983, and amid that neon-glowing fury of spandex, big hair, acid washed jeans, synthesizers, Pac-Man and glam metal, so too did the world witness the birth of two of today’s global bartending greats – Shingo Gokan (of Shanghai’s renowned Speak Low and Sober Company fame, and newly opened SG Club in Tokyo) and Steve Schneider (of NYC legend Employees Only, its sister bar of the same name in Singapore, and The Strangers Club in Panama).

Year of birth and passion for the delights of the ’80s aside, for over ten years Gokan’s and Schneider’s careers have paralleled in a series of uncanny coincidences: being head bartender at the East Village’s Angel’s Share and principal bartender and bar manager at the West Village’s Employees Only in New York, respectively, for nearly the same decade-long stints; both opening bars in Asia within one day of each other’s; competing together (and losing) at what was the first bartending competition for both of them. With a list of path-crossings that just kept on going, it was about time the two make it official.

Odd couple they may be, but the pair really are the perfect match

So now, 35 years after providential birthdays in 1983, they’ll go back to the future with The Odd Couple: a retro-funk slam of a cocktail bar that’s what cool kids like these two in the ’80s imagined 2018 would look like – with Shingo-style drinks and Steve-style preparation.

Set to open in Shanghai’s Xintiandi area this November, The Odd Couple promises to be a concept of epic counterparts, creativity, coolness and crazy. As two of the biggest names in the business who together take up two spots on World’s 50 Best Bars list and three on Asia’s 50 Best, Shingo and Steve have set out to develop something quite different than what’s found in the current Shanghai landscape.

The two have been itching to collaborate ever since they met years ago. “I thought he was the coolest dude in the room; he thought I was the craziest,” says Steve of their first encounter. Alongside that quirky sentiment, it’s clear that it’s a partnership built on a foundation of fond memories and mutual respect. “On paper, we couldn’t be more different,” says Steve.

And ain’t that a fact – Steve, the tattooed, off-the-cuff, old-school American pre-cocktail-revolution-styled bartender, known for uber-fast, free-pouring magic, jiggerless and armed with a Boston shaker and pint glass; Shingo, the clean cut, dapper AF chap, dedicated to a refined amalgamation of Japanese and American techniques, with complex behind-the-scenes prep and a meticulously precise execution. Glitter software download. But it’s this very contrast that’s going to drive the concept into something wild.

The “lounge” (they’re using that word for its era-specific connotations) will be high-energy, high-volume, with a full-on ’80s vibe: bright colours and neons, moving lights; a disco-retro-funk ’80s soundtrack and some winks at the decade’s favourite video games (with ones you can play yourself). The idea is mostly standing room with limited seating, a no-stools-at-the-bar kind of business where people can just chill out – Steve says the capacity is “YES” (well, to the point where they can still provide the level of service that’s expected of them, he explains). But the thing they touch on the most: it’s going to be fun. Real fun.

A retro-funk slam of a cocktail bar

How did this zany project come to pass? This past spring, the two met up at the Singapore Cocktail Festival and decided it was time to make it happen – bring their relationship to the next level, so Steve says. Ten days later, Shingo had a venue.

The two have bartended all over the world together, and they say there’s always a great dynamic. In fact, it was during a shift together in Japan when they got their name, when the other bartenders started calling them “the odd couple”. When it was time for a name for the new concept, it was the natural choice.

Odd couple they may be, but the pair really are the perfect match. “We have the utmost respect for each other, our energy and our vibes. We know what each is best at – he’s got his ideas and I’ve got mine. Nobody can make drinks like Shingo, and nobody can train bartenders like me; I consider [Shingo] the best in the business; he considers me the fastest. I’m the how, Shingo is the what.”

Steve states wholeheartedly that Shingo makes the world’s most beautiful cocktails, and with equal sincerity Shingo shares his awe for Steve’s affinity for speed and guest attention: “I have the confidence to make a drink fast, but he is even faster,” says Shingo. “I’ve always felt that Employees Only is one of the greatest bars in the world. They’re super quick, but they always pay attention to guests. The speed is truly amazing. Their style – free pouring, no stations – this is completely new for me. His style is something completely different, and I respect it.” This is how they’ll achieve the high-volume goal: again, Shingo’s drinks, Steve’s style.

The cocktail program is where the idea of the odd couple comes full circle. Wolfram mathematica 10.2. The menu will centre on a collection of eight pairs, each under a particular sensation or flavour – think matcha, refreshing, dry, hibiscus – as examples. You’ll find one drink from Shingo, one from Steve, for two different expressions of the same profile. They say there will be “many different shapes and sizes of drinks for many different shapes and sizes of people” within this treasure chest of signatures, plus a collection of classics they enjoy drinking themselves – highballs will definitely have a place.

Now about that air of the ’80s. Shingo explains: “I really like 1983: the music, the uniform, the atmosphere, the decor. In 1983 people were envisioning a future where cars are flying, where there’s projection mapping and everything is done by eye scan, where shoes are automatic and people would be wearing silver jumpsuits.” Basically, set your mind at the level of Doc and Marty: “It’s like Back to the Future II,” he explains. “A future vibe but retro at the same time – futuristic but also nostalgic.”

We’ve always done our own thing in this industry.

Steve Schneider Bartender Mother

The two do emphasize that they’re not going for an overly-themed bar, however. It’s more the vibe and energy – dope music, energizing colours and a big step away from the dominant prohibition-inspired environment of China’s cocktail bars. Plus, a lot of attention will be paid towards the style of service, which falls into Steve’s domain: a humouristic approach to bartending with that aforementioned fun and some playful trash talk. It’s not going to be what you typically expect from a cocktail bar, they say, with the guest interaction setting them apart from others.

Steve Schneider Bartender

If anything is clear, it’s that both personalities are equally confident, and more importantly – equally psyched about what will arrive come November. Steve says he hasn’t been this excited about bartending in a long time: “I’m still behind the bar around four nights a week, but it doesn’t have the same magic as what’s about to happen.”

“It’s great to collaborate,” Shingo says. “You never know how it’s going to be in terms of the chemical reaction of what I’m doing and what he’s doing – we’ll see. But what I am sure of is that it’s going to be a success.”

“We march to the beat of our own drums,” adds Steve. “We’ve always done our own thing in this industry. You have a plan, you open your doors, and know that plan was made to be altered. In the end it’s about making the best possible product. That respect for the bar business: it’s what we share 100 percent.”

No 25, 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China.

Steve Schneider Bartender Instagram