Bartending during a major holiday in New Orleans is like doing a triathlon in my opinion. You need strength, determination and stamina, especially if that holiday is Mardi Gras. This wonderful bartender was an easy choice because he possesses all those characteristics and many more. I am talking about none other than Jerek Ace Edora who works at the Allways Lounge & Cabaret.
Jerek has a confidence and aura of worldliness about him that just enhances his already amazing personality. He is well-traveled and has been all over the place, but is from Lafayette originally.
He was drawn to New Orleans by the spellbinding cultural vibrancy of this beautiful city. It reminded him of the island of Guam for its laid back community, culture, and celebratory spirit. “However, New Orleans definitely takes the King Cake on creativity without a doubt in my mind!”, he emphasizes.
Jerek has called the Allways Lounge his work home for the past five years. He started bartending at a restaurant called Evangeline which he followed with Cafe Lafitte in Exile and GrandPre’s before settling down at Allways.
He has mad skills behind the bar, serving customers quickly. He is professional and always in good spirits. For a patron, when bartenders have a great attitude and are happy, they enhance your cocktail experience.
Jerek also knows how to craft some mighty fine cocktails. New Orleans’ standard cocktails aside, he has created a libation which gives people what they want especially if it’s “sweet and good” they’re looking for. It’s called Sugar Daddy (I love the name already).
Recipe:
•5 count of Vodka
•2 count of Malibu
•1 count of Peach schnapps
•Equal parts OJ and Pineapple
•Splash of Cranberry
•A dash of Grenadine
•Squeeze of lemon/lime
•Shaken up
•Orange and Cherry for looks
Jerek admits that one of his best assets behind the bar is his charming wit, playfulness, and love of puns when handling guests. He also includes his ability to be flexible and adapt to any situation. “I’m quick-paced in troubleshooting as well as a need to maintain an efficient balance so the rest of the staff and I don’t have to stress. I also have a nice butt to look at,” he says. And he is right on all counts.
Being a bartender in New Orleans comes with lots of great stories. Jerek told me two crazy stories that stick out in his mind.
One involves someone taking a shower naked on stage playing with themselves for a fundraiser while he was bartending; the second being a person stripping to jazz and pulling out a trumpet mouthpiece from their vagina and proceeding to play the trumpet with their feet.
He also has some great “Honorable Mentions” like seeing a performer make love to a watermelon with a pink strap on, vampires singing a soulful cover of “Everybody wants to rule the world”, and a guy dressed like Bob Ross painting with his butt.
People bartend for a myriad of reasons, mostly because the money is good. Jerek gives his reason. “I’m stir crazy so I enjoy the interactions I get with people as well feeling like I’m doing something and being a bartender fulfills that as I might as well get paid to pace around. I love working at the Allways because I’m always learning something new. It’s bartending plus more as I could be running around making 10 different specialty cocktails, striking the stage, running lights/sound for a show, and troubleshooting backstage issues with performers all within an hour. The perqs are being able to watch a show and build relationships with every type of performance artist out there.”
Jerek is an ace mixologist and loves making creative shots for people. Shots always put people in a partying mood.
I always love knowing pet peeves of bartenders to make sure I don’t do any of them. “My biggest aggravation is having complete strangers grab fruit, napkins, and straws from my tray without asking. A close second is individuals not giving me complete drink orders.” I have to admit, I am guilty of the second, I tend to give one drink at a time because I do not want to overload them, but now I know. And knowledge is power.”
So make sure to go see Jerek at the Allways Lounge & Cabaret and have him make you a Sugar Daddy. He normally works on Mondays, Fridays and every other Thursday.
