Jody Haddad
Townsend Hotel o Birmingham,Mich.Even at the height of their popularity, members of the Rat Pack didn't drink Dom Perignon every night. But visitors to The Corner, a bar at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, Mich., can-it's one of the few places in the world where you can order Dom by the glass.
Bartender Jody Haddad believes in giving his clients a little something out of the ordinary.
"Being a bartender means doing something different that people will remember," said Haddad, 25.
Doing something different helped Haddad win "the war of the pour" in a local bartending contest. Arriving in boxing gear, with the theme from Rocky playing in the background, Haddad went the distance by showing off some of the drinks he's created: the Split Decision, served in a double glass with a single stem, the TKO and a tropical drink called the South Paw-cific.
"My role is to make people happy," Haddad said. "If people aren't feeling entertained, they won't come back."
Haddad knows the recipes for 150 to 200 drinks, although most of his clients at The Corner prefer flavored martinis, mojitos and coffee drinks. For Haddad, however, being a bartender requires just as much personality as it does expertise.
"Part of the job is just being me," Haddad said with a laugh. "I can't help other people have fun if I'm not having fun. And I'm not doing my job if people aren't having fun."