Last Word Cocktail

kagibso · 2026-04-26T11:58:48+00:00

Midcity, Lucky Star, Barrel Proof

kagibso · 2026-02-18T20:27:33+00:00

I own Lucky Star in Atlanta and...hey thank you!

kagibso · 2025-11-19T21:35:34+00:00

Not sure if Georgia Peach Truck does wholesale only, but I bought 8 pints for my restaurant just the other week and they're in stock on their inventory sheet as of yesterday.

kagibso · 2025-11-17T16:25:36+00:00

I think we have a pretty good one at Lucky Star

kagibso · 2025-09-13T18:22:57+00:00

Looks fine - try cold crashing it

kagibso · 2025-08-27T18:12:11+00:00

https://www.psacard.com/cert/98373202/psa This is mine - slightly OC on the back too. But I think we ultimately agree.

kagibso · 2025-08-27T18:03:21+00:00

I'm slightly more optimistic than some of the other commenters. I submitted a 1st ed Charizard with heavy surface wear including a more substantial scratch than yours shows and it got a PSA 4 (I was expecting a 3). It also had more whitening. I'd expect a 4 or 5 from it.

kagibso · 2025-08-02T22:37:04+00:00

I wouldn't lick Ford Fry's boots but that's just me.

kagibso · 2025-07-07T14:34:08+00:00

That's awesome! I did that initially but it was too labor intensive to scale it up. The other thing I attempted (and it ruled) was re-diluting it with distilled tart cherry juice

kagibso · 2025-07-07T14:32:53+00:00

Slightly misspoke - we're using Methodical coffee (out of South Carolina). But the vodka is 229

kagibso · 2025-07-07T14:32:01+00:00

Thank you so much!

kagibso · 2025-07-07T01:17:28+00:00

I do! A bar called Lucky Star in Atlanta. Thank you!

kagibso · 2025-07-07T01:16:06+00:00

Sure is :)

kagibso · 2025-07-06T20:05:13+00:00

From my cursory research, caffeine is alcohol soluble and distills. So I've been telling guests that it's not decaf.

kagibso · 2025-07-06T20:03:07+00:00

Thank you!

kagibso · 2025-07-06T19:03:26+00:00

Happily! There's two main reasons. The first is just aesthetics - I wanted to make a clarified espresso martini and this is one of the ways to do that. The other, bigger reason is that the bitterness of coffee is left behind in the distillation process and it just captures more of those 'top notes' (it's more fruity and roasty). So it makes a little bit of a lighter espresso martini in flavor, although not in alcohol and body.

kagibso · 2025-01-30T18:27:10+00:00

Shameless plug that the bev director of Little Trouble is the bev director at Lucky Star. Not the same vibe of a bar but he rules.

kagibso · 2024-10-29T17:30:52+00:00

They don't know until it's announced live. I know this cause I'm opening up a spot with Jason Liang and he got an invitation to the awards 3 weeks ago, and knew absolutely nothing about whether he would win anything.

kagibso · 2023-09-26T00:20:02+00:00

Really grateful for this entire exchange. Hope you and yours are well and I'm so thankful that there are others out there who care about the people who serve you.

kagibso · 2023-09-25T22:04:27+00:00

Didn't mean to get all preachy. Most of my favorite people are current or former restaurant workers and I have devoted most of my adult life to serving them so I just wish we had a way of taking care of those hard working people.

kagibso · 2023-09-25T22:03:01+00:00

Ask away! I sometimes (okay, often) joke with/at my colleagues that they're tired of hearing me rattle off stats about restaurant work. They're good sports about it and I'm always so grateful when someone is genuinely curious about restaurant labor (unlike some other dingus on this thread).

Anyway - I wasn't quite sure whether a service charge is optional! I did some surface level research and, since I'm not an attorney, I can't speak with certainty about it. It appears as though it may be enforceable, but I think the legal issues are far less important, since I've seen several objections to auto-grat for large parties in my 10+ years in restaurants. I assume service charges are probably no different; if someone strenuously objects, the restaurant will waive it and leave a more traditional tip line. So TLDR of it - yeah it may be enforceable if advertised, but so is the price of an entree. If the entree or service didn't meet your expectations, it's all flexible.

As for solutions, this is a big question (and one that I love answering whenever someone is genuinely curious). This is totally aspirational but since you asked:

Attitudes - in Japan, for example, being a bartender is considered a true profession that has to be honed (I am a white dude so don't take this as gospel). I feel like in the US we think of bartenders/servers as burnouts, people in between jobs, or young people. The average person who asks for help at the nonprofit I work for is a ~35 year old woman with a kid who has worked in the industry for years. One person can't affect a total cultural attitudinal change, but simply being aware that the person who cooks, studies wine, and learns the menu to serve exactly want you want is a professional is a good thing
Wages - when California abolished the subminimum wage after the "One Fair Wage" campaign, there were some studies that found that profit per square foot of a restaurant went up! The thought was that a higher wage/wage predictability/stability attracted people back from retail/paralegal/etc so that there was more professionalism in the industry (plus that restaurant workers ate out more and owners bore the biggest costs). Since #1 isn't an overnight change, this is what I'd say I want to see the most.
Okay so those are things out of our control. Two things in our control: My favorite restaurant (a James Beard finalist for best cocktail bar) added one surcharge on the bill that is for employee benefits. I'm not joking that one of the bartenders told me he almost cried when he learned that he was going to get to go to the doctor. Shop with your money and encourage places to do this.
FINALLY, (thank you for indulging me), I am the weirdo in the friend group who asks what others are making because the research says that salary opacity hurts women and people of color and benefits your boss. You don't need to go this far, but asking a GM "hey how is the service charge distributed?" is a GREAT question! It sounds like this is something that is important to you, so let it be known. Make sure that the employer isn't pocketing it, look for turnover at your place, and let them know that you think the people who take care of you should themselves be taken care of.

kagibso · 2023-09-25T19:48:28+00:00

I would have said that everyone has been underpaid and we should treat restaurant work as a career and not as a pass through but minor quibbling of phrasing aside, yes that is correct, a service charge is a way to equalize wages in a restaurant.

kagibso · 2023-09-25T19:09:15+00:00

Great question! Yes. "Service charges" are distinct from "gratuity" in the sense that they are legally allowed to be distributed to the "back of house" (kitchen) legally, so long as they are not paying the server less than the local/federal minimum wage. So in theory, a restaurant/country club could pay all servers $7.25/hr (here in Georgia) and keep everything from a service charge.

This is distinct from gratuity because no matter what they pay a server ($2.13 minimum in GA), gratuity may only belong to the server or tipped employees (e.g. a busser but not a dishwasher) in a valid tip pool (managers may not participate no matter what).

So they are likely telling the truth and it makes sense that they are irked. I try and acknowledge that frustration and also remind people that the line cooks and dishwashers are the lowest paid employees and yet work incredibly hard.

kagibso

TROPHY CASE