Kirby Swartz’ best nights behind the bar are the ones where she can hardly see what’s ahead of her.
“I love my regulars, I do, but I think my favorite part about bartending is whenever we’re so busy that all you can see is a wave of people in front of you and you’re wrapped three times around the bar,” she said. “I really just like the hectic mess of it.”
Swartz has been bartending at Rick’s Cafe in Starkville for seven years, though she’s been in the food service industry much longer. At 15, she took her first job waiting tables in West Point before making her way to Columbus and finally, to Starkville.
“I’m a social person, so I like to be able to talk to my people while I’m working,” she said. “I just love the service industry. I started when I was younger and got into it, and I just didn’t want to stop. … I don’t like to sit still, so it’s kind of perfect for me.”
But after the whirlwind of orders stops, Swartz prefers to unwind with a simple, well-made drink.
“If you ask me what kind of drink is sentimental to me, it’s going to be a rum and coke,” she said. “I’ve been doing this for so long. You get off work and you want to have a quick drink, that’s what I get.”
For her customers though, she reaches for something with a touch more flourish: the flower bomb martini.
“It’s just a simple, sweet, smooth drink,” she said. “The elderflower liqueur tastes really good when you mix it with lemon. If someone asked me for a drink, this is what I’d give them, but that changes every week depending on how I’m feeling.”
Flower Bomb Martini
Served in a chilled martini glass with a half sugar rim and a flower garnish
1 ½ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1 oz Tito’s vodka
¾ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Step 1. Run a lemon over one half of the edge of a chilled martini glass. Dip in sugar to create the rim.
Step 2. Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously.
Step 3. Strain drink into martini glass and garnish with any flower
STORY BY CADENCE HARVEY
PHOTO BY DEANNA ROBINSON