For the last five years, Ali Sullivan has been working behind a bar. She spent several years working Downtown before heading west to Elm Grove, where you can find her serving drinks and a smile at O'Donoghue's Irish Pub, 13225 Watertown Plank Rd.
Going from the hectic, Downtown nightlife scene to a more laid-back, suburban bar is quite a change. OnMilwaukee.com caught up with Ali recently to get the story.
OnMilwaukee.com: How did you get started bartending?
Ali Sullivan: I worked at a golf course through high school, so I started bartending and driving the beverage cart as soon as I turned 18.
OMC: There's a pretty big difference between Downtown and Elm Grove, what do you like/dislike about it?
AS: It's much more low-key out here. I like it because I get to know more of the customers and they're very loyal. But, the convenience of taxis is lacking in Elm Grove.
OMC: Are there any similarities?
AS: Only obvious things; drinks are served, we mingle, people tip, people don't tip, and at the end of the night we stock and clean up. The Brat House was driven by beverage sales which resulted in high-volume late night crowds, whereas O'Donoghue's has a great fish fry and dinner crowd so from dinner time to bar close it's a constant crowd.
OMC: What do you like most about O'Donoghue's?
AS: The customers and my co-workers, we all make it a fun atmosphere.
OMC: What's your preferred shift?
AS: Weekend nights. I like keeping busy when I work and I'd rather go out on weeknights.
OMC: What's your favorite drink to make?
AS: A proper Guinness, topped with a shamrock.
OMC: Least favorite?
AS: Cosmo's ... anything in a martini glass, really.
OMC: Have you ever had to clean up puke or break up a fight?
AS: Fights? No. Puke? Yes. I was at a bar once and the guy next to me puked right on the bar. The bartender -- a guy -- couldn't stomach it, so I cleaned it up for him. It earned me free drinks for the rest of the night.
OMC: How about pick-up lines? What's the worst one you've heard and do they ever work?
AS: Are you from Ireland? 'Cause my penis is Dublin. No, they don't work.
OMC: How do you know when to cut people off and how do you go about not serving them anymore?
AS: I tend to cut people off if they're bothering other customers, or simply can't stand up. If they're drinking a mixed drink, I pour it super weak. I also "forget" they ordered something and then they usually end up realizing it's time for them to go.
OMC: Do you like to drink behind the bar?
AS: I don't typically while working. Just the occasional (or frequent) bar dice shots or bombs.
OMC: You mentioned some people tip and some don't. What's a fair tip?
AS: I'm OK with whatever the customer thinks is fair, I just want them to have a good experience so they come back.
OMC: When you're not working, what do you like to do?
AS: Work my other job, work out and travel.
OMC: What's your favorite bar, besides your own?
AS: In the suburbs, Bougey's. Downtown, Blackthorn and the Brat House.
OMC: What do you drink when you're on the other side of the bar?
AS: It varies. I's usually a choice between Strongbow, vodka-cranberry, vodka-press or Mike's Hard Lemonade -- the Black Cherry flavor.
