Bartender Spotlight: Luke
Luke
3 words to describe yourself: perceptive, quick, grounded
As one of our “coolest” guys around, Luke has flawlessly climbed his way up from a stellar barback to an even more amazing bartender during his three and a half years here at The Lounge. With a ridiculously calm and measured head on his shoulders (and luscious hair to match), Luke is easily one of the most consistent, hard working, and skilled workers to grace our club during our classic presence as North Park’s favorite dance bar for the last 15 years.
When he’s not flipping bottles upside down at our neighborhood club, Luke also tends a busy bar at the world famous San Diego Zoo. Like the determined guy we know and love, he quickly has risen from just a busboy at the zoo’s only full service restaurant to their go-to bartender for top notch service! He’s effortlessly taken the same love of cooperation, ability to learn quickly, and his natural abilities amplified at the Zoo to elevate our own bar as well!
Complementary to his grounded demeanor and Zoo connection, Luke is highly interested in all things nature. With a bachelor’s degree in Geology from San Diego State University already under his belt, our favorite outdoors lover is hoping to pursue a career in conservation! Living through his appreciation for the world systems around us, Luke is also a passionate vegetarian, and we have definitely never seen him use a plastic straw (save the turtles!).
So, what’s this startender’s favorite cocktail to make (and drink)? Our clean and classic “Real Margarita”! Just three simple ingredients, fresh lime juice, organic agave, and smooth Milagro Blanco Tequila, makes for a ridiculously delicious drink for anytime of the day. You can catch him drinking this addictive libation whenever he is hangin’ at The Lounge as well, but ALWAYS with half a salt rim. Outside of this timeless creation, Luke has also grown into an impressive mixologist himself. He even placed in our in-house cocktail competition by creating our popular “Cucumber Cooler”, a refreshing mix of Tanqueray Gin, Aperol, and fresh lime juice shaken all up with a hint of sweetness and crisp cucumber slices. It is the perfect drink for summer in SD on our beautiful Glampisphere patio!
Luke has quickly become a customer (and staff!) favorite thanks to his easy going personality and fast paced, measured service. After an amazing few years with us, Luke will be relocating to the Bay Area at the end of this month. We are so grateful to have had such an incredible barkeep and human as part of the AC family. WE WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH, Luke! Make sure to catch this amazing dude before he goes on Tuesday nights and Wednesday Happy Hours here at The Lounge!