The Awesome that is ME

You want to know about me? Man, if only more women were that way at bars...

Born on Einstein's birthday (I'm a Pisces, if you ladies were wondering *wink*), I was destined for greatness. At least that's what I thought when I double majored in Physics and Theatre and finally got my BS in Computer Science. My greatness has been lacking of late, so perhaps I'm just destined for chaotic gray hair. I am a huge geek. I also love the exotic escapism of Tiki and the lost history of vintage cocktails.

I live in the Greater Los Angeles area. (See?! Destined for greatness!) There are numerous tiki bars, 6 of which I actively go to... and all of them are oddly almost exactly a 45 minute drive from my house. I also enjoy dive bars as well as rum bars, vintage cocktail bars and any neo-speakeasy. I have a pet ferret named Rain Star. She hates me.

How I've paid for cocktails

Programming and Web Development - For the last decade and a half, excluding a couple years as a rocket scientist, I have been developing software and web architectures. I'm a brilliant programmer. Seriously, I am amazing. As proof, I will also mention that I have no luck with the ladies. I have had many nights to become an amazing programmer. I hope to be less of an amazing programmer in the future. I am currently killing off the weaker brain cells with extraordinary cocktails. I'm a firm believer the weaker ones are the ones preventing me from achieving my goals in life, namely world domination. I will not stand for their continued tyranny. Currently, I'm a programmer for inXile entertainment, a computer game company.

How I want to pay for cocktails

Blogger, Author and Bartender - For all the money I have spent in the pursuit of an amazing cocktail, it keeps occurring to me that I should find some way to recoup those expenses or at least insure they are tax deductible. I chronicle my exploits and various thoughts on my blog from time to time and tweet daily via my Twitter account, @tikigeeki. I am an award winning mixologist and enjoy creating cocktails whenever I can. I am a member of the Orange County Bartender's Cabinet and the Rum Society at Caña Rum Bar in LA. I love attending industry events and cocktail competitions and do my best to share the experience with my followers. I'm in the process of writing a book about the world of cocktails from the perspective of a former vodka drinker and now vodka condemner... It's an interesting journey and I believe a journey others should take. If you'd like to help sponsor this endeavor, please contact me. I would also like to try my hand at bartending or at least being a barback. It's one thing to experience the craft as an academic but a whole other thing to be behind the stick. I have taken bartending classes and have volunteered to help prep on occasion at my favorite bar, 320 Main, most recently for their monthly Tiki Night. What can I say, we all make sacrifices for our religion.

Finding Me

This part is fairly easy. You can get my attention via Twitter, @tikigeeki or more traditionally you can email me. Failing those, head to a bar and yell out, "Who can I buy a drink?!" I'll probably pop into the bar with an entrance befitting Lenny and Squiggy. Hello!