Every month, we’re teaming up with one of our restaurant or bar partners to bring you a Bottles cocktail of the month. July’s cocktail, Simple Man, comes from Adam Rothstein of Home Team BBQ Downtown. Get to know the pro behind the bar with our quick Q&A for Adam:
Name: Adam Rothstein
Hometown: Rockville Centre, New York (by way of NYC)
Years of Experience Behind the Bar: 10 years behind bars and in restaurants
Establishment that made you want to bartend: Not sure it made me want to bartend, that sort of happened naturally, but I worked in a suburban pizzeria on Long Island as my first restaurant job. Somehow I found the chaos of a Friday night pizza rush in suburbia delightful, and I caught the bug pretty bad. I thought I wanted to be a chef, but I taught myself the basics of wine as a busboy to gain a promotion to server, continued my wine education and ended up running a wine program. Cocktails and bar stuff followed, and I never ended up making it to the kitchen.
Strangest drink order you’ve ever received: I don’t know if I can pinpoint a singular drink as the strangest. I’ve served a large man a glass of milk while he read the paper at a bar once. At night. In a busy bar. That was a bit different, but in the end it’s not necessarily the drink that made it strange.
What you drink at the end of a long shift: Modelo with a shot of tequila.
Desert Island Drink of Choice: I got really excited when I read this question, because I thought it said “dessert” island and that sounded delicious. I mean desert island, let’s go Miami Vice. Maybe even in a big coconut or a pineapple if this desert island is properly equipped to execute something like this. In which case it probably has wi-fi and I’m on vacation, so 100% a Miami Vice.
Simple Man is a deliciously refreshing cocktail that combines two Charleston favorites — whiskey and sweet tea (in the form of ice cubes). It’s perfect for the summer heat of the Lowcountry. Stop by Home Team BBQ Downtown to try it, and visit Bottles Mt. Pleasant through the end of July to pick up the ingredients and a recipe card to recreate Simple Man at home. Cheers!