The luck of Irish
Patrick “Irish” Quinn has one of those nicknames that’s about as straightforward as they come. He grew up in Belfast — hence the nickname.
It’s when you see him mix drinks that it really makes sense. His drinks, like his nickname, are straightforward and simple. He’s an old-school bartender. His favorite drink when he gets home? Budweiser. Or Tequila.
Still, when he put on a demonstration Saturday at South Coast Plaza’s Bloomingdale’s the Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar partner had his audience’s attention. He made the Mangolicious Martini and the Pomegranate Martini.
Before him, the Bistro West mixologist Jeremy Kinard served up the Jalapeno & Pineapple Margarita, the Cobbler Martini and a Virgin Peach Colada. The non-alcoholic “mocktail” Colada drew the most praise when he fixed mixed it as its ingredients generated a flourish of color that left it looking like a lava lamp.
“Never thought I’d get applause for my non-alcoholic drink,” Jeremy said.
While Irish’s cocktails seemed more masculine and old-fashioned, Jeremy’s appeared more feminine. Then again, they have a different clientele. Kinard’s customers tend to be younger and more interested in fancy cocktails while Pat Quinn’s drinkers are older and partial to more traditional drinks.
Jeremy connects with his customers through his background as an anthropology major in college. Although he’s not exactly studying Margaret Mead anymore his training still comes in handy sizing up customers and their wants and needs, he says.
For Irish, it’s the old-country blarney. He moved to the U.S. in 1982, spent about six months in New York and moved to Long Beach after seeing a surf championship on TV in a bar during the winter and finding out from someone there that the weather’s always pleasant enough for surfing in California.
That charm came in handy when Julie Quinn came to see him about a year ago. Julie Quinn, who’s a wine lover, was looking for a restaurant for her wine group. A friend recommended The Winery in Tustin so she ended up there on Patrick’s night off.
“I just felt like I was supposed to meet him,” Julie said, adding she returned to the restaurant and eventually asked him out. Now they’re married.
“We’ve been in love ever since,” Irish said. “Lucky me.”
Lucky us that they are among the bartenders who will be serving discounted liquor for the Orange County Restaurant Assn.’s Happy Hour Week, which began Sunday.
For a listing of more demos at Bloomingdale’s and who else will be mixing drinks go here.
paul! what were you doing at the happy hour week demos? anyone who follows you knows that you don’t drink! you were the one who started the applause for jeremy’s “mocktail,” huh? are you going to any of the other demos? let us know – i would love to meet you (especially after sampling a cocktail or two)! laurel.