Where are you from?
Pottsville, PA, home of Yuengling Brewery, also coined as “Gibbsville” in John O’Hara’s novels.
Where do you live now?
Hamilton Park [a Lancaster neighborhood]
Why do you choose to stay in Lancaster?
I’ve watched Lancaster grow into something special for artisans and entrepreneurs over the past 10 years, and I’m a firm believer that we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of what this city will become. I am proud to have been a part of our city’s growth and excited to be a part of its future.
What’s your favorite drink to drink?
My go-to drinks are classics like the sazerac, Manhattan, negroni or The Last Word. But more often than not, I like a neat pour of whiskey or a dram of Amaro after a meal, straight from the bottle to my glass.
Favorite drink to make?
My favorite drink to make is never on a menu. It is never the newest drink I am working on. It is the drink the guest guides me to make for them based on their palate and particular mood. It is likely a take on a classic that is infused with whatever fresh ingredients or interesting spirits I have access to at that time.
What led you to become one of Lancaster’s best bartenders?
Absorbing everything I possibly could from my mentors along the way [read our online exclusive as Wood describes his mentor, “Silver Fox” Gordon Drake] and staying fully immersed in blogs and books about the bar industry so as to stay up to date with the ever-evolving trends in the industry. And most importantly reminding myself to always remain humble, be patient, be kind and have fun with my coworkers and guests. Just being myself and trying to connect on a personal level with the people I am crafting experiences for is really what makes me tick and constantly reminds me that I work in one of the greatest industries in the world.
What do you like to do when you’re not slinging drinks?
Explore the food and drink culture in other cities. Hike with my dogs. Catch a DJ Salinger set somewhere around town and pay for my “enthusiastic” dance moves the next day. Compile cohesive playlists for events or parties (I secretly want to be a DJ). Go to too many shows. But most of all, spend time with my unbelievably tolerant, patient and loving girlfriend Carolyn (anyone who knows her knows how lucky I am).
Best bar bites at The Pressroom?
On our spring menu [at the time of interview], I’d recommend our ceviche, shrimp lettuce wraps, tuna carpaccio, and of course the gravy fries and wings. Oh and if you had the guacamole and chips...well c’mon.
Best night to come to The Pressroom?
Personally, I am biased towards Tuesday nights because it’s a night where we have the ability to craft off-menu drinks for our guests to try new combinations of flavors. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they are...let’s just say interesting...but many drinks that make their way onto the cocktail menu are born this way on slower Tuesdays. Not to mention, if you’re lucky, you’ll probably run into Lancaster’s loudest bartender, Paul Sheaffer from The Black Comb, and odds are I’m mixing up something unique for him that I’d love to make for you too.
Where do you go for a night out?
An evening’s natural progression for me often starts at the Horse Inn to have a meticulously and beautifully crafted cocktail alongside the Music City’s hot chicken sandwich, followed by a trip to the Belvedere to drink whatever I’m in the mood for at the time, and if it’s a really good night it usually ends at Valentino's Cafe to see Terry and potentially have a gummy bear shot...because why not?
Bourbon or beer? (And your go-to?)
Usually beer, but if I’m with Ben Hash, both. Go-to beer: something tart or hoppy, especially if Bullfrog Brewery is involved. Bourbon: whatever Ben has, because its going to be good, otherwise Old Grand Dad at Valentino’s.
Best value bottles?
Wine: whatever Todd Shanks from The Wine Merchant recommends, or if I’m with my lady, probably Prosecco. Bourbon: it’s not always around but when it is, Weller’s Rye. Gin: Bluecoat or Bombay. Vodka: Boyd & Blair. Tequila: El Jimador.
Do you have a signature style when it comes to drinks?
Yes but no. My themes, ideas and inspiration are always changing, but overall I strive for a balance between spirit forward, pleasantly tart, slightly bitter and aromatic, and ultimately bright and lively.
Bitters, aperitifs and amaros seem to be trending right now. Which one(s) are you digging?
I love most of them! I liken them to a chef’s spice rack, as they all have the ability to take a drink from “ok” to “WOW,” and they all bring something completely unique to the table. If you’re interested in really diving into this world, pick up a copy of either of Brad Thomas Parson’s books “Bitters” or “Amaro.” Some of my favorites are Bonal, Campari, Cappelletti, Cardamaro, Montenegro, Zucca, Cynar 70, Fernet Branca and Branca Menta, and if I’m really looking for the medicinal side of things, Cappelletti’s Elisir Novasalus.
What’s the next big trend you’re prepping for?
Apertiki...yep, it’s going to be a thing at The Pressroom Park Bar this summer.
What are the musts on your list for a Lancaster visitor?
The list is ever growing...for food and drink obviously The Pressroom, John J. Jeffries, Hunger-N-Thirst, Horse Inn, Pour, The Belvedere, Rice & Noodles and Sprout, Mt. Pepper, newly opened Callaloo, the list goes on. For coffee, Passenger, Square One, Copper Cup.For music and DJs: Tellus 360, The Chameleon and The Pressroom on weekends. For jazz, The Pressroom on Wednesday nights. For shops, just walk around downtown; there are so many great spots, both old and new.
Steve Wood has been a familiar face behind some of Lancaster’s best bars. Here, he shares his behind-the-scenes experiences of his transitions over the years and what he’s learned to lead to his newest position at The Pressroom.
Where did you get your training?
I began bartending in 2005 at a Ruby Tuesday’s while I was in college. There I learned all basics and definitely learned the importance of making a signature cocktail to spec so as to develop consistency for a brand.
Fast forward to 2008 when I started working at John J. Jeffries where my tweaked curiosity about the beer, wine, spirits and cocktails we were serving finally landed me some bar-back shifts. I quickly developed a great passion for the ideals being held up behind the bar at JJJ and craved the knowledge and training to make myself a more permanent fixture there.
Enter Gordon Drake. To me, Drake was the embodiment of old school; a tall, sturdy, silver haired, black-framed-glasses-wearing, stir-spoon-utilizing, easy going, funny-yet-firm individual. He's got deep roots tending in L.A. and N.Y.C and he knows a few things. He didn’t just feed me recipes to execute; he taught me how to make a truly memorable drink. He carefully described the key components of a well-made cocktail; the base spirit, the modifying agent and the flavoring and coloring agents. Then he took it one step further and broke down how their proportions work in order to make different styles of drinks. He taught me that you stir Manhattans and martinis because it achieves a smooth mouth feel and consistency rather than introducing thousands of air bubbles or flecks of ice that compete with how the distiller or spirit maker intended the texture and viscosity of their potion to be. He expounded on that idea that when I stir a gin martini I take extra care so as to not further ‘bruise’ or break down the botanicals as this could lead to added bitterness or sweetness which the distillers did not intend to express. After all, who wants to imbibe battered botanicals or choke down a drink that has the improper viscosity? Definitely not me, and if you asked the Silver Fox himself if any of these subtleties really matter in the grand scheme of things, I guarantee he’d retort with, “Is a pigs ass pork?”
You were pretty integral in the success of the beverage programs at a couple of local mainstays, what did your experiences at John J. Jeffries, Hunger and Thirst and Luca teach you?
It is humbling to be able to go to my previous places of work and see that the hard work and genuine passion that I poured into each beverage program has paid off in some way or another.
I think I learned the importance of that passion at JJJ. I had the privilege of working with owners who care deeply about where the products they use came from. Specifically in regards to sustainability, the products imprint and impact on the environment, and Its purchases impact on the local community. The high level of care and attention to detail implemented on the culinary side was also conveyed to each vendor or farmer whose products came through the kitchen door, whether it was local grass fed meat or a locally distilled spirit. This was an incredibly valuable lesson to learn. My time at JJJ also taught me the importance of patience when you're creating something as well as the absolute necessity of consistency once you've worked through the creative process.
From there I moved on to manage the bar at Hunger and Thirst. The transition from my home of six-plus years to my new home to be also taught me the importance of giving everything you have all the way up to your last shift at an establishment. I use the word “home” because truthfully if you don't feel at home doing what you love then it's probably time to move on to the next place.
Hunger and Thirst was my home for two years where I was unbelievably lucky to work with owners I still consider close friends. I learned more about beer and what it takes to upkeep a small yet extremely innovative business in those two years than I ever could have imagined.
I use the word innovative regarding Hunger and Thirst because it is essentially 3 micro businesses under one roof; the gastropub, the deli, and the bottle-shop. Each operating at extremely high levels in terms of their own specific niches within the industry. The attention to detail on sourcing rarities and creating unique experiences for such a wide variety of clientele is quite the feat, and I think often goes unnoticed because of how well all 3 parts that make the whole are integrated.
Hunger and Thirst was where I learned how to push myself to think outside the box, to try new things I hadn't imagined before, and while doing so, document it for others to see and experience.
Using social media effectively to promote a bar program was something I never truly grasped until working at Hunger. One of the owners Andrew Neff pushed me to post videos concocting drinks which eventually led to me shaking drinks on local television and talking on local radio shows and etc. his guidance and drive to generate such content was something I continue to strive to do, just put yourself out there, share your ideas, I mean what's the worst that could happen?
Opening Luca was probably one of the most valuable experiences for me personally.
Opening a business in the restaurant industry is hard, I always understood this, but had never been a part of doing so until Luca.
From sourcing every product that will go behind a new bar, to creating cocktails with ingredients no one has ever heard of before, to training a staff that is all on the same page about exactly how you operate and what you want to achieve, and how you want them to do things, to seeing eye to eye with each decision the owners make, to translating previous friendships into business relationships, to striving to be the absolute best at every single thing you put your mind and hands to, to finding a balance between work and life, to trying to make a place that you don't own feel like your home, to not holding your tongue when you know you should, to trusting when you're unsure, to showing sides you wish you hadn't, to knowing when it's time to move on even when the time was short and your goals were left unmet, and ultimately, to learn from your mistakes, and to pinpoint your weaknesses so you can make them strengths in the future, all while walking away with your head held high knowing full well that your talent and passion will be utilized to its fullest somewhere new, somewhere you can call home.
The Callaloo
Ingredients:
1 ½ ounces Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 ½ ounces cactus water
½ ounce coconut milk
½ ounce Jasmine tea syrup
½ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce Allspice & Prickly Pear Grenadine
5 Thai basil leaves
2 dashes Angostura
1 pinch of salt
Instructions:
Short hard shake, fine strain into rocks glass, top with crushed ice. Garnish with grated cinnamon, Thai basil sprig and Jasmine flower.
The Pressroom
26 W. King St., Lancaster / 717-399-5400 / pressroomrestaurant.com
