Anyone who
has visited the bar at Bamboo Sushi Restaurant and Lounge knows that the
mixologist serving up the drinks has to have special skills. It’s not just
about combining ingredients in the precise way to create delicious and
memorable beverages, it’s also all in the knees! With an open two-storey design
if you will, Bamboo’s bar requires something of an acrobat to expertly climb up
and down many times a night to reach all the bottles and glassware. The
ringmaster at Cirque du Bamboo is Sarah Hunter.
Sarah was
born in Windsor, Ontario. She’ll be the first to admit that when she was young,
she didn’t have a clue what she wanted to be when she grew up. She floated
along and being a sporty gal briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a personal
trainer (although she never played hockey!) but soon left that notion behind.
While making up her mind, she wanted to make some money, and so got a job at
the Pointe West Golf Club as a junior server when she was 15 years old. This
high fallutin’ position included replenishing bread and water, bussing and
assisting the senior servers. As the years passed she moved up through the
ranks, first to senior server and then bartender.
From the golf club Sarah moved on to working at various clubs in Windsor
and bartending for special events and banquets at a local large convention
centre, where she remained for just over a year before turning her hand to
something completely different. Whilst all of the above was going on she still
had time to study for her Business degree and Hotel/Restaurant Management. Her
next job was an excellent mixture of both, taking charge of the accounts at the
Holiday Inn. It was a temporary position but in that short time she learned a
lot.
By 2008
Sarah wanted to move south. She and her boyfriend had managed to sustain a
long-distance relationship for a good number of months and now it was time to
close the gap. He had moved and was working in the Cayman Islands hence she
needed to be in the Cayman Islands. In November 2008 she flew to Grand Cayman
and briefly stopped at the Brickhouse before taking up her permanent spot
behind the bar at Bamboo. She and the boyfriend are still together – so are she
and Bamboo.
When asked what she likes best about
bartending, Sarah says that creating quality drinks and having them appreciated
by customers who recognise the skills is the most gratifying part of the job.
The delicious martinis at Bamboo bring people from far and wide… and they
always come back for more! WH
Thai One On
1½ oz Le Citron Grey Goose
1½ oz Moonstone Coconut
Lemongrass Nigori Sake
Splash of Soda
Splash of 7-UP
Cayenne Pepper
Pour all ingredients into a shaker with
ice. Shake liberally and strain into Martini glass. Sprinkle Cayenne pepper on
top. Enjoy!