Profiles & Spotlights

Bartenders or whatever your title of choice is (mixologist, bar chef, etc.) are an important part of the gay community.  They become our confidants, our protector, our cocktail suppliers and, in some cases, our therapists.  But most of all, they are our friends and for many people, our chosen family.  I cannot stress what vital roles bartenders at LGBTQ+ drinking … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – May 2024

The hospitality industry in NOLA is a large and vibrant community.  And like our city’s LGBTQ+ community, it is diverse, cultured, fun and unique.    As I’ve always said, if you’re a successful bartender at one of the gay bars in New Orleans, you can handle any type of job, hands down.  If you’ve been in the trenches through Mardi Gras and Southern … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight

Let’s face it–being a bartender in New Orleans is like being on a rollercoaster.  You have your climbs and your plummets, and during busy times like Mardi Gras and Southern Decadence, it feels like you are doing loops and spirals. But no matter what, by the end of the experience you come off saying “What A Ride!”   I feel like bartenders who are successful in … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – February 2024

The hospitality community in our city offers some incredible opportunities to make a good living.  And one of the most lucrative jobs can be bartending, especially for those who are professional and personable. There is a saying that a bad bartender can ruin a great bar, but a good bartender can make a mediocre one great. It’s all about perspective.  My Bartender … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – January 2024

New Orleans has a lot of magical qualities that draw people to her (yes, I like to think of our 300+ year-old city as a Grand Dowager full of stories, history and sass) such as our architecture, cuisine and the artistic scene.  But we have another huge draw, our cocktail culture.  The cocktail may not have been invented in New Orleans but we have been a renowned … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – December 2023

Bartenders are performers. I believe they make the best actors since they go through a range of emotions on a daily basis dealing with their patrons. Like actors, bartenders are chameleons turning into a different character to suit the situation or customer.  They can be the understanding father figure, the bitchy next door neighbor, the gossip girl or the protective … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – November 2023

Southern Decadence is always a crazy time in NOLA and this year brought bigger crowds than ever before. Bars were packed with people celebrating the largest gay holiday in the city.  But through the chaos and my drunken revelry, I discovered my Bartender-of-the-Month for October.   Brian-Eric Lugo, or Pony as he is affectionately known, works at the … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – October 2023

In New Orleans, the LGBTQ+ community is very fortunate to have many safe queer and gay spaces with our bar scene being especially large.  And the bartenders who work in these establishments are probably some of the finest people you can meet.  This month, my Bartender Spotlight is someone who is truly special to anyone who walks into Crossing NOLA.  I am talking about the … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – September 2023

My Bartender for the Spotlight this month has made quite a name for himself in the LGBTQ+ Community of New Orleans in a very short time since he moved to the city.   Jimmy Gale works in public health.  In his role, he helped organize one of the largest vaccinations for the Monkey Pox virus last year in our community., which ultimately helped stop a situation that … [Read more...] about Bartender Spotlight – June 2023