Behind the Bar at The Gin Joint: James Bolt

Every month, we’re teaming up with one of our restaurant or bar partners to bring you a Bottles cocktail of the month. October’s cocktail, The Walrus and the Carpenter, comes from James Bolt of The Gin Joint. Get to know the pro behind the bar with our quick Q&A for James:

Name: James Bolt

Hometown: Highlands, North Carolina

Years of Experience Behind the Bar: I have have been behind the bar for 4 years.

Establishment that made you want to bartend: Death & Co. in New York City

Strangest drink order you’ve ever received: At The Gin Joint we have a section called Bartender’s Choice. There’s about a dozen or so adjectives for people to pick from for us to craft a cocktail (i.e. sweet, fizzy, strong, etc.). The strangest drink order I ever got may also have been the most inappropriate. A member of a bachelorette party asked me to make her a “slutty and sultry” cocktail.

What you drink at the end of a long shift: I usually drink a Negroni with Botanist Gin preferably. 

Desert Island Drink of Choice: The Naked and Famous. It’s a cocktail that was created at Death & Co. in NYC. It is a perfect combination of smoky and bitter with a little tinge of sweetness but all balanced out by lime juice. A perfect desert island cocktail.

The Walrus and the Carpenter, made with gin and a chai tea infused aperitif, is made for cool, fall evenings. Stop by The Gin Joint to try it, and visit Bottles Mt. Pleasant through the end of October to pick up the ingredients and a recipe card to recreate The Walrus and the Carpenter at home. Cheers!