Name:

JVR

Bar:

Smoke & Barrel

Where are you from and when did you get to DC?

I’m originally from Towson, MD. I then moved to Columbia, MD for a few years and then College Park. Around 9 years or so ago I moved to the DC metropolitan area.

How long have you been bar-tending?

I’ve been bar-tending for about 3 1/2yrs

What is your favorite thing about bar-tending?

I actually used to be a physics major, but there was not enough interaction with people. However, I still enjoy setting up a system and running it and bar-tending allows that. On average, I see about 70 – 80 people a week, from all sorts of life. That interaction is great, and it’s always amazing when people tell me “I enjoy watching you work.”

How did you come to love whisky?

I always loved distilled alcohol. Though I started with beer, I appreciated whisk(e)y and all its flavors. However I couldn’t hold on to the taste of it before working at Smoke & Barrel. Since then though I’ve developed an “elephant’s palate.”

What is your whisky type of choice?

Bourbon, with Scotch a close second.

What is your favorite whisky?

Willeit de’ Natural, Pot O Gold, Old Weller Antique

What is your favorite spirit in general/other than whisky?

Gin

Do you have a signature cocktail, and if so what is it?

Don’t really have a signature cocktail, but I make a good Look Through a Glass Darkly and Old Fashioned

Are you available for private events?

Email: ChristopherJVR@HOTMAIL.COM