Heather Hamilton at NoDa’s Haberdish looks to the classics for new inspirations. TM Petaccia/UP

by TM Petaccia

“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 Heather Hamilton, bar manager at Haberdish in NoDa. “I love the learning opportunities afforded by craft bartending,” Hamilton says. “There are many books to read and bartenders to follow. The inspiration is unlimited. I do not like feeling stagnant, so this field imparts the ability to keep growing and learning as a bartender as well as a hospitality professional.”

Where are you from originally?
Cleveland, Ohio.

What got you into bartending?
I became interested in bartending once I started to learn the craft style of Haberdish. It felt like a challenge and a continuing education opportunity.

What was your first restaurant/bar job?
My very first job as a teeneager was at a mom-and-pop pizza shop. I learned to bartend many years before I was at Haberdish, yet Haberdish was my first real bar job.

How would you describe your bartending style?
My style of bartending is a mix of classic, batched, and molecular.

What spirit are you currently into right now?
I am currently into rum right now. Rum will be the focus of my next endeavor and I love how different the flavor profiles can be between the different styles.

Do you have a particular approach or philosophy when creating a new cocktail?
I rely on the seven pillars, seasonality, and popular trends when creating a new cocktail. Seven pillars refers to the seven mother recipes: Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Sour, Daisy (Sour with a liqueur added), Collins, 75, and Stepladder (Negroni/Boulevardier). This creates balance and a variety of cocktails. It’s important to have something for everyone.

What Charlotte-area bars do you like to go to when you’re not on the clock?
Idlewild: It’s wonderful for great cocktails and a serene atmosphere especially if you just got off a bar shift. They have something for everyone.

Fairweather: It’s nice for a lovely meal and delicious drinks. My wife and I like going here after our shifts.

Hattie’s Tap & Tavern: A very welcoming space with a great patio and daily drink specials.

What’s your favorite cocktail?
My favorite cocktail is the daiquiri. I think it flies under the radar for most people.

Recipe for the home bartender
“I make this at home a lot,” Hamilton says. “We always have Plantation in the house.”

Pineapple Daiquiri
2 oz. Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum
¾ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
¾ oz. simple syrup (1:1 water:sugar ratio)
5 dashes Crude ‘Tiki 500’ Bitters

Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice, then shake and strain into a glass of your choosing. A coupe is traditional.

Cheers!

Check out our other Behind the Stick bartender profiles.