The tender: Beth Sacco
The bar: British Open Pub (1334 N. Scottsdale Road, 480-941-4195)
The pedigree: Sacco spent a decade cultivating a large following at Billet Bar, but when the bar closed down in November 2010, she began teaching bartending at ABC Bartending School in Tempe. She began working at British Open after a former coworker suggested she'd be a good fit. We caught her on her second day.
So it's your second day here. How have things been so far?
It's pretty good, it's fun. It's just different. When you first enter in somewhere, everybody's a little wary of you. You're a new person walking into a bar. But everybody's really friendly and nice.
Do you think you'll be able to build the same army of regulars you had at Billet Bar?
Yeah, definitely. On my first day, I probably had four of my own personal friends I had served for ten years come in. I worked at a place where I was taken care of and catered to for 10 years. I'll probably never be able to find a job like that again. But you never know.
What the hardest part of teaching someone to bartend?
Teaching them to use all their appendages, and to move and rotate and showcase a little personality when dealing with the customers.
What's the best piece of advice you could give to a fellow bartender?
Work well with others. Be able to learn, and take advice and criticism well.
You don't drink. Is it hard to be a bartender who doesn't enjoy the liquor she's serving?
No, not at all. It definitely saves my pocketbook. I'm not the kind of person who can belly up to a bar and just sit and drink for a long time. As you get older, you just kind of see everything in a different light. I've never really been into drinking the stuff, but I like the whole atmosphere of the bar.
What would you be doing if you weren't bartending?
I'm pretty much undecided. I've done some other jobs, but I just feel like I'm lucky to be able to keep bartending. It's a question of time: how will you spend your time? Because you never get it back. I feel that your job doesn't really define you, and what I like about this profession is that when you leave, you don't take it home with you.
What's your least favorite part of the job?
The cattiness. This is a profession in which people do a lot of talking about each other. It's like, really?
Can you be shy as a bartender?
No, and I'm not shy behind the bar. I'm very direct. It's just that I don't need a ton of attention. I get enough attention -- I have a dog.
If you could have a drink with anyone, who would it be?
It would probably be my stepmother who passed away.
