SARAH WILLIAMS
Sarah Williams said an amazing thing during her Girl Drinks interview. First, her history, “I went to school to be a teacher. I worked in restaurants and bars all through college. I went to be a teacher and realized I’d rather have someone’s dinner in my hands than their future.” Williams worked in dive bars, where she got really fast. But then realized there’s so much more than being fast, and she started caring more about accuracy. Williams moved on to events, got promoted—then “I started reaching for jobs I didn’t think I could get. And I got them. I’ve had a lot of really shitty jobs, but I’ve also had jobs I didn’t deserve. But that’s the only way you grow—by doing something that’s frikkin’ scary. I don’t like lateral moves.”
Kind of amazing.
All American Whiskey: What are you reading?
Sarah Williams: The Bourbon Steward Handbook. I just got certified with them for bourbon.
Liquid Intelligence. I’ve read it several times, but it’s kind of like reading the bible. You learn something new every time you read it. I’m fascinated by classic cocktails. I like the idea of perfecting something that’s been done a million times. I just like the idea of doing something right. You can do something really well, really simply.
I’m really into true crime. I just finished If You Tell It’s about a mom who tricks her kids into staying with her for her whole life and taking care of her. When she finally passed away, they were in their 40s and they’d never even been on a date. Kind of heartbreaking.
What was the last song you listened to on purpose?
Brownbird’s “Chair Kickers.” I love this band. They were a husband and wife band. The husband died, so it’s like listening to someone’s last words. (Editors note: David Lamb passed from leukemia in 2014 after writing all the music on the final album, Axis Mundi, while recuperating from a bone marrow transplant. Brownbird’s “Bilgewater” is the theme song of Resident Alien.)
Worst thing you can say to a bartender
“I used to be a bartender.”
What’s your guilty pleasure drink
No! Don’t make me say this! I talk so much shit to everyone! I have two of them. If I’m on vacation, I drink Piña Coladas—but on vacation only where I won’t see anybody I know. But if I’m just out, maybe classic daiquiris. Not frozen daiquiris! Classic dack.
People need to quit drinking . . .
Anything that masquerades as a spirit that it’s not. Fireball call’s itself whiskey. It’s not frilkkin’ whiskey. It’s not legally allowed to be whiskey. They’re in a lawsuit right now.
I never want to make another . . .
Ramos Gin Fizz. It’s funny because I won a competition for the tallest Ramos. But I hate making them because the only people who order gin fizzes are assholes. It’s more about the person than the drink.
Unconventional bar tool you can’t live without
I have this stupid bike tool that I use to open random shit because it’s better than a knife. Not for anything people are eating!
What Matters
Nothing, really. If you take things too seriously, it starts to fuck with you, so I try not to.
What’s the name of your drink?
Amber Sour
How the hell did you come up with this drink?
I really love classics. People make fun of me for that because they can be made by anyone—but they can’t be made right by anyone. The easiest way to tell if someone’s a good bartender? If I’m interviewing someone, I’ll have them make me a daiquiri because it’s the easiest drink to make—but it’s also the easiest to screw up. So I love classics, but I work at a distillery, and it’s really important to me that the spirit shines through. I’m not there to showcase my skills; I’m there to showcase the spirit. I like egg whites because they make everything smooth and make it look beautiful. So the Amber Sour is really a cross between a sour and a Bee’s Knees. The honey notes really bring out the flavor of this gin.
Cocktail: Amber Sour
Ingredients
2 oz. Maverick Barrel Aged Gin
.5 oz Elderflower liquor (Williams makes her own)
.75 oz honey simple syrup (recipe here)
.5 oz lemon juice
1 egg white
1 punch of salt
Garnish
Dehydrated lemon
Torched elderflower petals (source)
Method
- Add all ingredients in a small tin, dry-shake
- Add ice and shake again
- Double-strain into a coupe
- Garnish and serve.
