Dearest readers,

We are SUPER excited to tell you about the one….the only….The Quick + Dirty Dirty Bartender Challenge!  LK + I are in search of the best bartenders in town.  We want to know what’s their story, what they’re makin’ behind the bar + (most importantly) who can make the best Quick + Dirty Dirty Cocktail in Atlanta!  Once a month (maybe twice if we’re feeling crazy), we will visit a local establishment + grill their bartender with our Dirty Dirty Dozen Questions.  Then, we’ll write it all up and share it with you!   Sound fun?  Well, away we go…

We are thrilled + honored to announce that we are kicking off our first installment of The Quick + Dirty Dirty Bartender Challenge with none other than Paul Calvert of Pura Vida!

master p

Paul cut his teeth in Boston at the great beer + cocktail bar, Deep Ellum.  He relocated to Atlanta in 2009 and opened the bar at the Sound Table in the Old Fourth Ward.  Recently, Paul won the Killer Tomato Festival’s “Best Tasting Drink in 2010,” + had his Jaguar Milk Punch featured on Bon Appetit’s website. The Socialist (Scarlet Ibis & Dorado Rums, Carpano Antico Formula, Allspice Dram + house made orange bitters) won Paul the 2010 Taste of Atlanta Barcraft Competition for “Best Cocktail.”  Assisted at the bar by long time customer favorite, Raul Aparcana, as well as bartender Brad Tolleson, he will launch Pura Vida’s new drink list in mid-June.

Paul is a Spanish, pan-Caribbean + Central and South American spirits expert + enthusiast, and has discovered many delicious liquors throughout his travels to these areas.  He feels as though these spirits are often under appreciated and neglected in Atlanta.  Paul is hoping to change that at Pura Vida by providing a bit of a Latin twist on our local cocktail scene. With the addition of Paul to the restaurant, our friend and former Top Chef contestant, Hector Santiago, is pleased to boast that Pura Vida is now completely authentic: food, beverages, atmosphere – you name it!

So let’s get to it, shall we? We shall.

THE DIRTY DIRTY DOZEN QUESTIONS

1 – Please state your name + place of employment for the record.

Paul Calvert.  Pura Vida.

2 – What’s your drink?

A sour; cold + quick.

3 – What drink do you hate to be asked to make?

None.  I don’t hate anything about making drinks.

4 – What’s the best story you’ve heard in your bar?

At Deep Ellum in Boston, an older gentleman would tell stories about his time in the CIA.  Some seemed true, some seemed like a movie script, all were very entertaining.

5 – Describe your clientele in three words.

Open.  Down-to-Earth.  Eclectic.

6 – If you’re not drinking at Pura Vida, where are you drinking?

At home.

7 – If your bar was personified in a celebrity, who would it be?

A mix between Humphrey Bogart + Benicio del Toro.

8 – Imagine you were stranded on a desert island + wanted to start a bar from scratch.  You can bring 4 bottles and 1 type of glass.  What would they be?

(1) 100 proof rye whiskey, (2) bitters, (3) Fernet Branca liqueur, (4) water.  Rocks glass.

9 – Currently, what is the most popular drink at your bar?

Caipirnha.

10 – What is your favorite area of town?

Old Fourth Ward.

11 – What is your secret weapon?

None of my weapons are secret.

12 – The name of the cocktail is “The Quick + Dirty Dirty.”  What’s in it?

Dry gin, lime, sugar, mint + Fernet Branca liqueur.  Double strained.

Please witness:

Quick + Dirty Dirty Cocktail: Pura Vida

Enjoyed by all at Pura Vida, including Hector + Leslie Santiago! Will it make the new PV drink menu set to debut mid-June?  Time will only tell…

hector + leslie

Paul’s Q+DD cocktail is going to be very hard to beat.  Thanks for meeting with us, Paul, we wish you MUCHO success at PV!  And, we’ll see you next Thursday at our Q+DD 2 Year Anniversary Happy Hour at Pura Vida!

In the meantime, watch out bartenders, the Q+DD is coming for you!

xx, L

Pura Vida
656 North Highland Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30306
404.870.9797
www.puravidatapas.com

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