Mint/820

The Playboy.com A-List: America's Top 10 Bartenders
Playboy.com - America's best bartenders are not those oh-so-talented men and women who can juggle three liquor bottles while singing country tunes. And they are not the folks who merely give you a free round (though that is indeed a wonderful thing). Mixing drinks has become an art form on the level of haute cuisine; better cocktails use fresh ingredients, pair unusual flavors and look as good as they taste. Serious mixologists (pretentiously known as "bar chefs") have mastered the classics and strive to create new ones. In our search for the best bartenders we looked for pros you can actually see (and meet) mixing drinks. Our top 10 are assembled here alphabetically, along with their place of work and signature creation. Our first Top 10 Bartender is Lucy Brennan:

Lucy Brennan
Portland, Oregon
Mint - 816 North Russell Street
820 Lounge - 820 North Russell Street
Website >> http://www.Mintand820.com

Signature drink: the avocado daiquiri (light and gold rums, slices of avocado, cream, lemon-lime juice and sugar)

Take a look at Lucy Brennan's cocktail menu and you'll notice everything's slightly off-kilter. Sure, she's got a daiquiri and a margarita, but that's an avocado daiquiri (her signature) and a blue margarita made with Hornitos tequila, Parfait Amor (a sweet, violet liqueur made from and tasting of Spanish oranges, vanilla, rose and almond) and lemon-lime juice served on the rocks. The London transplant spent five years at Oregon's groundbreaking bar Saucebox. After that, she opened her own restaurant, Mint, in 2001 and the 820 Lounge next door in 2003 to rave reviews from across the country. She's a big fan of saketinis and savory-herbal ingredients: Her "ad lib" features cilantro and her "ruby" uses beets. Fans will be able to take a little piece of her home starting in March when her book Hip Sips (Chronicle Books) comes out.

link - The Playboy.com A-List: America's Top 10 Bartenders