“A real bartender remembers you. He uses your name. A real bartender makes it seem as if he’s been standing there all along, waiting for you. Ready for you. The bartender inhabits certain roles in the room: captain and commander, steward of arrival and departure, calm eye of a stormy night, willing servant of want, interpreter of need.” (And as an added bonus, a bartender pours drinks.) From Chicago Mag: Consider the Bartender.

+ The Awl: Under Pressure — New York’s last seltzer man goes all in.