by TM Petaccia

Yunta’s Ashley Sarkis. TM Petaccia/UP

“Behind the stick” originally comes from taphouses, as in pulling the draft beer taps, but has been adapted over the years as an industry-wide term for who is working the bar. This series profiles working bartenders in the Charlotte area to learn a bit more about them and what you can expect when they are behind the stick.

This week, we spoke with Ashley Sarkis, bar manager at South End’s Yunta Nikkei, a restaurant fusing Peruvian and Asian cuisines. Sarkis recently took home first place in Deep Eddy’s “Craft the Fun” competition in Austin, Texas. “I have been in the restaurant industry for 25 plus years, in different places in the country, and I can honestly say that I love creating and crafting in Charlotte,” she says.” “I really love and appreciate how much support we show one another in this community. It can sometimes be a cutthroat type of environment, so it’s been refreshing to experience just how many people want you to succeed and flourish within the community.”

Where are you from originally?
Georgia. I was raised in Northwest Georgia, Rome Georgia. Then spent about eight years in Atlanta out of high school.

What got you into bartending?
It was honestly just another step in working my way up the food chain so to speak in the restaurant I was working in, in Atlanta.

What was your first restaurant/bar job?
My very first restaurant job — I was 16 — working for a family-owned restaurant, Paul’s Oyster Bar. Once I moved to Atlanta in 1997, I began working at Brookwood Grill. That’s where I eventually started bartending.

How would you describe your bartending style?
I would say I bartend with a sense of fun but with a strong focus on the guest experience and ensuring my guests at the bar are not only having a great time, but also do not have to ask for the things they should automatically need or have, like water, silverware, plates, etc.

What spirit are you currently into right now?
I have been super into the Deep Eddy Vodka line. I just completed the final competition in Austin so I’ve been really focused on that brand as of late. Although I also just picked up Gray Whale Gin and am itching to play around with it. It’s a Californian gin that has a lot of salinity. Perfect for pairing with seafood.

Do you have a particular approach or philosophy when creating a new cocktail?
I have a couple of approaches or philosophies. I believe a cocktail does not have to have a ton of ingredients to be delicious. I often try to create a cocktail with this in mind. Especially in a high-volume place where we are trying to get the drinks out efficiently, but keep up the quality level. Other times, I might have a specific liquor I want to work with or promote so that I will create a cocktail around it. Lastly, I might have a great name for a cocktail that I want to use and will create a cocktail with that name in mind.

What Charlotte-area bars do you like to go to when you’re not on the clock?
Not that I get much time out at the bars these days, but a few favorites are The Green Room, Humbug, New York Butcher Shoppe and Wine Bar, and Dot Dot Dot.

What’s your favorite cocktail?
I love a good bourbon and amaro cocktail. One of the best to date is the “Spiced Road Trucker” from Amor Y Amargo in New York City. It is a scaffa (a cocktail served at room temperature, not diluted by ice or water) — with two types of amaro, bourbon, and cardamom bitters. I loved this cocktail, and it’s super memorable because not many places serve scaffas, and it has all the elements and ingredients I love.

Anything else you’d like us to know?
I would love to give a special shout-out to my son, Noel. Both of his parents are in the restaurant industry, which means he has had to learn to be more self-sufficient, flexible, and tolerant than most 15-year-olds. He is a respectful, extremely intelligent, and talented young man. I just hope he knows all the hours and time spent away from him have not been done in vain.

George’s Mallorcan Vacation, created by Ashley Sarkis. TM Petaccia/UP

Recipe for the home bartender
“This is a very approachable cocktail, especially for those who may be just getting into whiskey-based drinks,” Sarkis says.

George’s Mallorcan Vacation
2-3 Basil Leaves
1½ oz. Dickel Rye
½ oz. Licor 43
¾ oz. blackberry syrup*
5 oz. lemon juice

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the basil leaves. Add the rest of the ingredients with some ice, then shake and double strain into an old-fashioned glass with large format ice. Garnish with a basil leaf or blackberry.
 

*Blackberry Syrup
12 oz blackberries – fresh or frozen
48 oz of water
24 oz of granulated sugar

Combine blackberries and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain into a heat-resistant container. Stir in sugar while hot so it fully dissolves.

Cheers!

Check out our other Behind the Stick bartender profiles.