Andrei Ichim’s favorite place on the island is his spot behind the Bar at the Sand Bar and Grille on the Oak Bluffs Harbor. One reason for this is he hasn’t been on the Vineyard long enough to properly explore it. But the fact that he welcomes every customer with a smile on his face proves just how much he likes being on the job. This Week talked to Andi about his move to the U.S., bartending school and how there’s not one drink he doesn’t like to prepare.
TW: Where are you from?
AI: I’m from Romania.
TW: How long have you been on the island?
AI: Three weeks.
TW: Is this your first time on the island?
AI: Yes! Also my first time in the United States, actually.
Customer comes in looking for tap beer, but the bar we’re in only sells bottles. Andi explains he’d have to go over to the main bar to find what he was looking for.
Customer: Yeah, I think I’ll do that, nothing’s working for me here. Sorry, Kid! Welcome to the United States, though! (Laughs)
TW: What brought you here?
AI: I wanted to live the American dream, you know? (Laughs). I came here to meet new people, learn new drinks, to see what the people like to drink, and to improve my knowledge of what hospitality means.
TW: Where you a bartender before?
AI: Yes, I’ve been a bartender since I was 19. Six years of bartending and four of flair bartending.
TW: How did you learn flair bartending?
AI: I took a bartending course for two weeks at a school back home. After that, it’s up to you how much training you do. School only teaches you the basic stuff, the name of the moves or something like that, and, after that, it’s up to you to improve your skills, create new moves, and so on. It has to be like a dance.
TW: Did you create any moves?
AI: Yeah! Also, I won a flair bartending contest. I created many moves because of competitions, since you don’t get points if you don’t have originality.
TW: Do you like being here so far?
AI: I used to work in a nightclub in Romania, so it’s been a little boring for me. I used to work with a lot of lights and loud music, lots of alcohol. Here it’s almost the opposite, because the last call is at 1 a.m. In my country, the party would be starting at 1 a.m. For the first couple of days, it was awkward, my body wasn’t used to going home so early. It’s also interesting because it’s totally different, I see a lot of new drinks, beers, and spirits I’d never seen before. It’s like I’m getting started again with bartending, you know? I have the experience, but I’m learning new things everyday. I also like the culture of customers. When they come to me, they already know what they want to drink. In my country, usually they just say ‘Make me something good’, and I’m like ‘But what do YOU want? What do you like to drink?’.
TW: What do people usually order here?
AI: A lot of Margaritas and a lot of Tito soda.
TW: Do you like to make those kinds of drinks? Which drinks you like to prepare?
AI: All of them, all of them! I don’t think there’s a drink I don’t like to make. I’m a bartender, this is my job, I must do all of them.
TW: Bartenders usually tell me they don’t like to make the ones that need a blender, because they take a lot of time…
AI: I don’t have a problem, I’m a really diversified human, you know? I like to make drinks, shake, blend… As long the customer is tasteful and thankful, and enjoys my work, I don’t have a problem.
TW: What do you like to drink when you’re on the other side of the bar?
AI: Beer (Laughs). Just joking! I’m a gin lover, I like to drink any cocktails with gin.
TW: You must see a lot of drunk people. Any funny or weird stories?
AI: Once back home, a Russian boy drank so much he threw up on my counter. He came up to me ordering a shot and I was like ‘What about some water? You look really drunk’, but he didn’t want it, so I gave him the shot glass. As soon as he finished it, he threw up on my bar, and then tried to hide it. I won’t forget this any time soon.
TW: Did you get a chance to see the island already?
AI: Not really, I walked around Oak Bluffs, but that’s it. I’ve seen a lot through the bus window, though!
