Bartenders have all the fun, or at least that is what it looks like from the other side of the bar. They are the life of the party, and everyone wants to be their friend. And while everyone thinks they could do the job, the truth is that it takes a very special set of skills to actually be a good bartender. And it is even more difficult at a place like Frankie’s Tiki Room, where the sought-after specialty drinks can be comprised of 10 or more ingredients. Fortunately for those who visit Frankie’s, the staff consists of a number of very experienced bartenders, including Allison Hartling. She is the quintessential perfect fit to work at a tiki bar, with her love of tiki culture, rum-based drinks and a notebook with a growing number of recipe ideas. Hartling was not only an instrumental part in finding the original recipes that Don the Beachcomber used when he launched the tiki craze in the ‘30s, but she is also the driving force behind finding the ingredients that go into those drinks. This process involves weekly trips around Las Vegas to find natural fruit juices—hard enough when you’re looking for common juices like apple or orange, but more difficult when you’re looking for papaya or passion fruit juice—as well as hours in the kitchen at home making flavored syrups and falernum (a vital ingredient in almost every tiki drink). But as much work as it is, Hartling loves the end result. “We put a lot of work into staying true to the tiki tradition,” she said. “Seeing people enjoy these drinks—a lot of people are afraid of rum for some reason—makes it all worth it.”

By Casino Connection Staff