They’re there for us during some of our biggest celebrations, fondest memories, longest nights, and toughest mornings. From two-fer specials to specialty cocktails, bartenders across South Dakota continue to hold down the fort on slow Monday nights, Thirsty Thursdays, and non-stop weekends, amid what many describe as a changing landscape within the industry. We sat down with bartenders all over the state to learn more about the ins and outs of life behind the stick and their favorite drink to whip up.
NATHANIEL WILT
St. Charles Lounge, Pierre
After Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Nathaniel wilt left plans for a career in pharmaceuticals and learned master mixology skills for a decade in Sin City. The St. Charles Lounge, which he now owns, pulled him from sunny Las Vegas to South Dakota winters in 2016, where he’s been helping give new life to a century-old building.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Gulfport, Miss.
WHEN DID YOU START BARTENDING?
I started bartending at a bowling alley in Baton Rouge, La. 20 years ago. Originally I was working for my cousin because he was short-staffed one day. He handed me a bar guide, taught me how to make a Tom Collins – and I was bartending… It wasn’t until I went to work in Las Vegas that I really started appreciating the art.
WHAT GOES INTO REDESIGNING A BAR?
When I designed the Lounge I wanted it to be like a 1920’s speakeasy. I wanted to look at what was missing. In the surrounding area, what types of bars do they have here? They have some great little dive bars, some great bars for music and dancing, but what they didn’t have was a nice lounge atmosphere – a nice lounge, good whiskeys, good craft cocktails with good ingredients. I wanted to fill that niche.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PIERRE?
The one thing that made me stay, above everything else, was how friendly everyone was in this town. From the time I arrived, I was welcomed with open arms. I felt welcomed from the time I stepped off the plane.
GO-TO DRINK RIGHT NOW?
Michter’s Bourbon. Over one ice cube.
AN OVERRATED DRINK?
Probably the Strawberry Daiquiri. It’s a very popular, blended drink, but it’s a lot of sugar, and it’s just made from a mix.
WHAT IS CHALLENGING ABOUT THE JOB?
Long nights, late hours. On a busy weekend you get done with all the service, and then the cleaning starts and you’re staying up ‘til three or four in the morning sometimes. Still having an active social life during the day can be challenging.
WHAT ELSE MIGHT YOU BE DOING IF NOT BARTENDING?
I studied biochemistry in college and was going to do biopharmaceutical sales. Katrina completely changed the whole course of my life.
ADVICE FOR NEW BARTENDERS?
If you want to be proficient at bartending, don’t just read the recipes – learn the products, read the backs of the bottles, learn about your craft. Learn about the products you’re pouring, because if you can talk about it, you’re going to sell a lot more of it and people are going to stay longer. They’re going to want to hear what you have to say.
For more information, visit Facebook.
CUCUMBER COLLINS
BRIAN WHITE
Carpenter Bar, Sioux Falls
A Sioux Falls native, Brian White, or “Whitey,” hasn’t just watched the local bar scene evolve – he’s been a part of the change. First stepping behind the bar at age 21, he now co-owns one of the classiest new spots in the city.
DESCRIBE CARPENTER BAR FOR SOMEONE WHO HASN’T BEEN THERE.
It’s an upscale neighborhood, cozy downtown spot. We have a nice patio, which is quite appealing on summer evenings and has a lively vibe about it with all the people downtown.
SINCE OPENING LAST MAY, WHAT’S THE RECEPTION BEEN LIKE?
It’s been great. We’ve been well received, especially amongst the downtown community. We’ve had good feedback and good reviews, and it’s kind of a built-in regular, being in the Carpenter Building with the people upstairs and people who live downtown. I think they kind of consider us their home bar, which has been really nice for us as a new bar down there.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE SIOUX FALLS BAR SCENE?
I kind of like that it’s definitely growing and evolving, in my opinion, more towards craft cocktails and finer spirits. I know my friends, as we grow older, are more interested in quality over quantity when it comes to going out… I think people are starting to appreciate mixology and cocktails again.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORK?
There’s a certain amount of camaraderie between me and the other employees that I really appreciate. And also just the social aspect of getting to know your clientele. Before you know it, they walk in the door and it’s like a TV show – you know their name and you know what they’re going to drink. That’s the highlight for me.
WHAT DO YOU POUR YOURSELF AFTER A LONG DAY?
I’m a huge fan of a Manhattan. Truth is, sometimes at the end of the shift, the last thing you want to do is actually make a drink – so a lot of times for me after work it’s a draft beer or a simple whiskey.
WHAT IS AN OVERRATED DRINK?
For me it probably has to be a Mojito. Part of it is the labor involved to make one. I do think we make the best mojito in town, it’s just not my favorite to make.
MOST UNUSUAL REQUEST?
I microwaved a lady’s salad one time. That was probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever done in the service industry.
IF YOU WEREN’T BARTENDING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? I would probably find myself some place in the service industry, whether it was in restaurant management or maybe getting into culinary arts. I’ve always enjoyed the industry and the speed that it moves. It’s interested me since I was young.
for more information, visit carpenterbar.com.
MANHATTAN
GIOVANNI LANIER
Thirsty’s, Mitchell
From Chicago’s south side to South Dakota, Giovanni Lanier says he’s always enjoyed the nightlife scene, and wanted to get paid to be a part of it. After attending Dakota Weslyan University, Lanier’s been doing just that since 2009, now a part of the action at one of Mitchell’s busiest weekend spots.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT the MITCHELL BAR SCENE?
I love everything about it. In this town, people work really hard, and on the weekends, they go out and party really hard. They live for that Friday and Saturday night. You’re gonna see your usual suspects, but you’ll always have a variety of people you’ve never seen before.
WHAT IS FUN ABOUT YOUR JOB?
Everything is fun about my job. Some days it’s like being a principal in a school, some days it’s like being everybody’s big brother. But what’s not to like about it? People grow up and get older, but I feel like I stay timeless. They go away to school, get married, but they always come back.
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART?
Staying relevant. You’re constantly competing with other bars, but when you’re at the top bars, half the challenge is innovating new things and staying hip with the crowd. Every four or five years things change, and if you can’t change with them, you’ll be closed.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST SKILL TO MASTER?
Timing is everything. A co-worker told me the only way you know how to bartend is by bartending. Every little second counts to me. Multitasking would be the hardest thing, and now I can do that like no other.
MOST UNUSUAL DRINK REQUEST?
I didn’t know if they made it up, I don’t know if they got it from Stepbrothers, but it was three people asking for a Catalina Wine Mixer. I went away and made it how they told me to make it, thinking, is this real?
ADVICE FOR NEW BARTENDERS?
My advice would be to enjoy what you do, and be patient with everything. No matter how busy or how crazy it can get, if you don’t have patience and you’re not a people person, then it’s not for you; it’s not for everybody. Some people can’t handle the pressure – when you’ve got a thousand orders coming at you, it’s hard to do.
For more information, visit Facebook.
THE MYRIAH
BEN SCHEMPP
Carnaval Brazilian Grill, Sioux Falls
From bus boy to bartender, Ben Schempp has pursued a passion for hospitality, while climbing the ladder at Carnaval since 2010. The fast-paced nature of the Brazilian grill hasn’t made it easy – but it has made it a lot of fun. Now you can find him pouring his interest in innovation into every drink he serves.
TELL ME ABOUT CARNAVAL.
It’s a very fast-paced environment with a lot of action and movement and a lot of noise. We have the gauchos with skewers that come around and feed you, a la carte food, two bartenders working really hard, and a live band on the weekends.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING TO LEARN?
For me, it’s wasn’t the recipes or the techniques, but, as an introvert, getting out of my comfort zone and breaking out of my shell.
WHAT IS FUN ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I really enjoy being able to sit down with the wine and liquor distributors and sample all the new fun wines and the coolers out there. When we’re open, I love breaking out of my shell and interacting with people on a daily basis, giving people what they want and giving people a new experience, something they’ve never had before … I like to research and learn new techniques and drinks all the time. It’s really fun to share those with my bar patrons.
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART?
The most challenging, but fun part, is coming up with new, creative cocktails to put on the menu – trying to create new cocktails and put twists on classic ones.
WHAT IS YOUR DRINK OF CHOICE?
Right now I’m drinking a lot of tequila-based cocktails, but last night I was sitting at home drinking Moscow Mules. It depends on the occasion and what’s going on.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT TENDING BAR IN SIOUX FALLS?
What I like most about the Sioux Falls bar scene is how much we’re evolving… Between myself and a lot of guys downtown, it’s really cool that we’re all part of the same community, and we’re all looking forward to putting Sioux Falls on the map with the whole craft cocktail movement. We’re all in it together to move the area – and South Dakota in general.
ANY ADVICE FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BARTENDING?
It’s a super fun, involved, interactive trade, a super tight-knit community between bartenders at the same job and at other establishments as well. You can have a good time, and it doesn’t feel like you’re going to work.
For more information, visit CarnavalBrazilianGrill.com.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SOUR
RYAN HARRISON
False Bottom Bar, Spearfish
A native of Lead, Ryan Harrison has been serving at the Spearfish bar that is big on pool tables, dart boards, arcade games, and long nights for the last year. Bartending has been a way to meet new people while working towards the next steps in his career.
WHAT MADE YOU INTERESTED IN BARTENDING?
I figured that it would be an easy job to learn in case I moved somewhere else – an easy way to make money pretty much no matter where you go.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT IT?
I do really like meeting new people. Sometimes a lot of regulars become my friends after a while.
WHAT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING?
In the nicest way to say it – putting up with a certain type of customer. Sometimes you just get some rude ones. I think the hardest skill is always keeping a smile on your face and just letting them be them.
WHAT IS COOL ABOUT SPEARFISH NIGHTLIFE?
All of the major bars are all on the same strip, and we kind of feed off of each other’s clientele. For as small a town as Spearfish is, there’s a different variety of bars from an Irish pub to a dance club to our bar to a sports bar – there are a bunch of options.
MOST UNUSUAL DRINK REQUEST?
You get a bunch of weird ones. The one that really threw me off was when one kid came up and asked me for an Alien Butthole shot. It really threw me for a loop.
IF YOU WEREN’T BARTENDING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? I went to school for journalism, graphic design, and photography, so as of right now, I’m working on getting a job in one of those fields.
TIPS FOR NEW HIRES?
The first few weeks, don’t let people get to you. You do you, because it’s some of the easiest money you can make.
For more information, visit Facebook.
THE COWBOY’S PARADISE
PAUL SQUYER
Parker’s Bistro, Sioux Falls
For someone who’s found himself unexpectedly passionate about the art of mixology, Parker’s Bistro has proven itself the place to be for Paul Squyer. Whether to complement a perfect meal, or to end an evening with a last-minute nightcap, this intimate eatery in Downtown Sioux Falls offers unique, complex creations visitors won’t find anywhere else in town.
WHAT IS THE TRICKIEST PART OF BARTENDING?
Precision, and by that I mean accuracy. You look at bartending more as a craft than an art. We’re not throwing paint at a canvas…. it’s more like carpentry, where you want to be able to make a stable, steady table that will sit on all four legs and won’t shake. You want to be able to make the exact same drink the exact same way every time.
HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH NEW CREATIONS? ARE THERE RULES?
No rules. I look for inspiration from modern classics – I especially have a big enthusiasm for classic tiki cocktails right now, so I’ll just play around with something that sounds fun. I’m very fortunate to have an incredible staff of chefs, an incredible kitchen staff, and a huge kitchen at my disposal. So, I get to play around with a lot of flavors and a lot of elements that a lot of places in South Dakota might not have exposure to when coming up with new drinks.
From there it’s really throwing a lot of darts and seeing what sticks.
WHAT’S AN OVERRATED DRINK?
There are two – the first would be the Dirty Martini. I’m a staunch non-olive person… especially if they ask for blue cheese-stuffed olives. Otherwise, I think Moscow Mule, Kentucky Mule, any kind of mule… It’s a cocktail that relies entirely on your ginger beer, and whatever else goes into it, I feel, is secondary to the final product.
WHAT IS THE BEST PART?
Creation. I love creating new drinks. I’m big into cocktail history, too. I love watching how a cocktail has evolved over the course of five, 10, or even 50 years to where it is now. I went to school for literary analysis, so this is about as close as I can get without literary analysis.
IF YOU WEREN’T BARTENDING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
I have no idea. Bartending was never, ever, ever a part of the plan. It was just something that happened, and I got headlong into it, and I really, really enjoy it.
ANY TIPS FOR PEOPLE JUST STARTING OUT?
Read everything. Read as much online as you can, but make sure you have good sources. I cannot emphasize enough – pour through as much classic bar literature as much as you can. Learn your classics, but learn them properly – don’t just Google “old fashioned.” Find the old literature for bar books where these cocktails were published for the first time, and study them there.
For more information, visit ParkersBistro.net.
THE BANK STATEMENT
TODD JONES
Carey’s Bar, Vermillion
Originally from Huron, Todd “TJ” Jones has been behind the bar at Carey’s Bar for nearly 30 years – becoming a fixture both for those passing through the University of South Dakota and regulars. Patrons coming in for a restorative Bloody Mary after a long night out find solace not just in the hair of the dog, but in Jones’ presence through the decades.
DESCRIBE CAREY’S FOR SOMEONE WHO HASN’T VISITED.
Carey’s is a classic bar. There’s no food, there’s only drinks, and it’s just a classic bar. It’s a legendary part of southeast South Dakota.
WHAT’S FUN ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It’s a lot of fun meeting all sorts of different people. It’s great bantering back and forth with people you know who come here all the time.
Carey’s is such a part of everybody’s life and such a part of their college life. Because I’ve been working here for so long, I’m always kind of the guy in the background with the thumb up in the pictures… It’s not so much that I’m a great bartender, it’s more that I’m included in their memories, and I think that’s it more than anything else.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT VERMILLION?
It’s a really great little town. With the college here, there’s anything you want. There are plays, music concerts… in a very small town, mostly it’s people’s fond memories of going to school here or being in Vermilion, and I’m associated with that.
WHAT IS AN OVERRATED DRINK?
The Long Island Iced Tea.
DRINK OF CHOICE?
I like bourbon on the rocks… Maker’s Mark, but any sort of bourbon will do.
IF YOU WEREN’T BARTENDING, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
I’ve never been able to picture myself doing anything but this.
ANY ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME BARTENDERS?
Just try to connect with people, and if you do it for 30 years, you find a lot of people you connect with.
Find more information, visit CareysBar.com.
BLOODY MARY
ADAM ERICKSON
Dempsey’s Brewery Restaurant & Pub, Watertown
Originating from Dawson, MN., Adam Erickson decided Watertown is where he would go next, enrolling at lake area technical institute. Soon after, he started his journey with Dempsey’s Brewery Restaurant & Pub as a cook. From there, it didn’t take long for Erickson to realize his place was behind the bar, creating drinks and forming long-lasting relationships.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?
It happens to be one I concocted for the Deadwood Bartending Competition. It’s called the 10x. It is a Pendleton whiskey mule made with peach puree, ginger beer, fresh basil, and orange bitters. It’s the perfect drink for a summer day, refreshing and original. I wanted to come up with something that would market well to everyone, not just whiskey lovers, as well as showcase the whiskey in a new and inventive way.
WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?
It’s actually just the fact that we get so many travelers that specifically remember the bar and the customer service. Knowing that our services and bar manners don’t go unnoticed is really fulfilling. Getting to meet people from all over the country that consider Dempsey’s a sort of home, is really an amazing thing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?
Smokey & The Bourbon. It’s a drink that we make here at Dempsey’s made with smoked peach puree, homemade lemonade, and bourbon. We use our smoking gun, smoke the puree and lemonade, and let it sit to get as much flavor as possible. We are really fortunate that we are allowed time to come up with new ideas and new drinks for our customers.
WHERE IS YOUR GO-TO PLACE TO GET A DRINK IN WATERTOWN?
The Docks is where us bartenders go. It’s a place we can go and relax, while still talking bartending with the bartenders there. We have a mutual respect and a genuine relationship with all of the bartenders in Watertown. There is a strong sense of community between the servers, bartenders, and cooks, which makes bartending here even more unique and special.
WHAT IS THE MOST UNDERRATED PART OF BEING A BARTENDER?
Discussing the different aspects of beer. When I get the chance, I love to teach people about the different ways beer can be presented. For example, the darkest beer we have could be the lightest tasting, and vice versa. I wish I could do more of that, so more people could open up their palates to a wider variety of drinks.
For more information, visit dempseybrewpub.com.
THE ORCHARD
JACKSON RENTSCHLER
Gateway Bar & Lounge, Sioux Falls
If you’re ever on the west side of Sioux Falls, you probably recognize the face behind the bar at Gateway Bar & Lounge off of 41st Street. Jackson Rentschler has been at it since 2008, but the “home of the Monster Burger” has been in the Rentschler family for decades with Jack Junior and Jack Senior at the helm.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE GATEWAY?
I would say it’s the equivalent of Sioux Falls Cheers. It’s a family place everyone can go have a few drinks, have fun, get a chance to talk to their friends, and watch sports.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT GO-TO DRINK?
Right now Captain Morgan Silver with 7-Up and lime.
WHAT DO PEOPLE TEND TO ORDER MOST?
We get a lot of standard mixed drinks. Jack [Daniels Tennessee] Fire is a big one here.
DESCRIBE YOUR CLIENTELE.
They’re down to earth people. They’re your neighbor, and everyone takes care of each other here.
TELL US ABOUT BEING THE “SOCCER BAR” IN THE AREA.
We’re home of the American Outlaws: Sioux Falls. We show all U.S. Soccer, men and women, in surround sound. This summer is going to be a little rough with us not being in the [FIFA] World Cup.
WHAT ARE WATCHING SOCCER GAMES HERE LIKE?
Big games, it’s chaos. You have 200 people singing, cheering… maybe crying, if it’s a loss. It’s cool, because usually you have 50/50 with different fans watching a sport, but with soccer, it’s 100 percent everyone cheering for the same team. It’s fun to see.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT GATEWAY?
I love that it’s a family-owned business. My grandfather owns it, I come in at night and replace my dad.
ARE “BARTENDER EARS” A THING? IF SO, WHAT IS THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD?
PG? I’ve literally heard someone trade farm animals at the bar, like trade a goat for a donkey. That takes the cake.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART?
I don’t really think anything is hard. You don’t feel like you’re coming to work, you’re coming to hang out with your friends. I think the hardest part, honestly, is having to kick everyone out at the end of the night.
For more information, visit Facebook.
