Kate Wise | DOC PONDS
Stowe-ite since: Age seven (1991) How to make your bartender happy: “Manners. Just say please and thank you. It goes a long way.” Special skills: “I can recite the alphabet backwards and wiggle my ears. I don’t know how special that is though. I guess my ability to multitask, but any bartender worth her salt can do 15 things at once.” Lady’s choice: The Grateful Bob (pictured), named for Stowe Beverage sage Bob Vienckowski. “It had to be a bourbon drink,” Wise says. “We have a very awesome whiskey relationship.” The namesake cocktail is made with Cynar amaro, Carpano Antica vermouth, bourbon, salt, and Urban Moonshine citrus bitters. “It’s a Manhattan meets a Boulevardier with a twist.” How did you get into bartending? “I got my start at the Rusty Nail when I was 19. It was back in the Bobby (Roberts) era and they were short staffed for the Yellowman show, which used to be the biggest night of the summer. Around 8 o’clock that night, Derek Schnee 178
showed me how to make a margarita and a Long Island iced tea and said, ‘Good luck!’ I worked there for the next five years, then moved down the road to Rimrocks for two and a half years before going back to the Nail. In the summer of 2015 I joined the team at Eric Warnstedt and Will McNeil’s new place, Doc Ponds.”
What makes Vermont a great place to live, work, and hang out? “I don’t know that anyone can effectively describe what makes Vermont so awesome. I’m constantly surrounded by my family, best friends, amazing food and drink, and one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. I think the communities that have formed in Vermont make it stand out. People truly care about each other and what they do here.”
and the stories of guests have been exhausted, we still love to talk about food, wine, beer, cocktails, where we’ve eaten recently, ideas we’ve read about, and what and where we’re looking forward to eating and drinking. It’s incredible to be surrounded by that much passion and dedication to the things I, too, love. I’d say my least favorite part is the hours. It can sometimes be tough to be a night owl when most everyone else in your life starts their days at 8 a.m.”
What do you love about your job? What’s the hardest part? “There are so many things I love about this industry that are almost inexplicable to those who have never worked at a restaurant or bar. I love working with these people who are passionate about what they do. When we all hang out after shift
What’s your winter activity style? “Honestly, winter in Vermont is the time for me to work my butt off. The more shifts the merrier. I get to the mountain to ride when I can, but it’s never been my top priority. I’m more of the let’s-make-asnowman-and-drink-hot-toddies-after-my-shift-at-3 a.m. kind of girl.” l