We have a special place in our hearts for bartenders, and not just because they get us drunk. See, there is absolutely no better training ground for that business we call "ad" than the service industry.

People who don’t know what they want? Check.
Insane hours? Check.
Bizarre mating rituals? Check.

If you’ve ever worked painstakingly on a menu, only to have a customer order filet mignon, well done, with ketchup, you’re a planner.

If you’ve ever waited tables and had a customer order a filet mignon, well done, with ketchup, you’re an account executive.

If you’ve ever worked the line and had a server hand you an order for filet mignon, well done, with ketchup, you’re a creative.

If you’ve ever had to separate a server and a cook about to come to blows over whether or not to serve the customer filet mignon, well done, with ketchup, you’re a traffic manager.

Check out Mortar’s Minister of Mixology, Mike Hicks of OtisSF in the San Francisco Examiner.

Are there any cocktails out there that annoy you? Cosmos. There are so many better things you can do.

How many Cosmos do you make in a given week? I make a lot.”

"There are so many better things you can do."

We’ll have what he’s having.