In an industry where respect and admiration don’t always come unconditionally from the outside world, how a person working a bar chooses to identify can be its own point of pride. Some may call themselves Bartender or Mixologist and this could very well be an eternal question of debate.
I think it’s a healthy debate. For the fancy bar hoppers, they like more than just a good mixed drink, but the experience and showmanship. For the more down to earth, they just want what they want and make sure it’s cold. Then for the other people, it’s good to be reminded not to be so lazy and incurious, and maybe learn how to mix a drink.
But what if the individual behind the bar possesses all the above acumen – showmanship, humility, and expertise? Isn’t then fair to embellish and not just settle to calling such talent a simple bartender, but instead a mixologist? Ricky Woolfolk is just that – an expert mixologist with thirty-four years in the bartending industry.
If you are from Natchez, Mississippi and even if you are just traveling through, you have probably heard the name Ricky Woolfolk. He is known for his signature cocktails and innovative spins on the classic drinks. His warm nature and quick jokes, brings character to the Castle Pub on the Dunleith property located on Homochitto Street here in Natchez. Ricky is the bar manager and helps coordinate all the events on the property adding his own flair and expertise.
Ricky’s career began in New Orleans, Louisiana at the age of fifteen. At the _____________ bar. A career that he said landed in my lap, and soon realized that he had a knack for it and said, “Alright, I guess this is what I’m doing now.” A career that placed him in some of the best establishments throughout the south to work in and hone his skills, but his favorite of all was Miami, Florida. There he said are so many bartender industry professionals and the learning experience is insane.
Wanting to be closer to his parents Ricky moved to Natchez, but Regina Charboneau, had faith in my abilities and they worked well as a team when he was the Bar Manager at the now closed King’s Tavern here in Natchez.
As the cliché goes, “when one door closes another one opens.” The closure opened the opportunity for Ricky to join the team at Dunleith Castle Pub where he has been for over a year now.
When asked what he likes most about being at Dunleith he answered, “The thing that I like most about working at Dunleith is the creative freedom I am given. They pretty much handed me the bar top and said, “Let’s all make money.” They value my opinion on events, and it is a complete and total team effort.”
Throughout his tenure Ricky stepped outside his career in tending bars and became an entrepreneur owning a couple of night clubs. He was also a field technician for a point-of-sale company. However, when it comes to what you love and what comes naturally you will always find yourself right back where you belong. For Ricky it’s the social interaction that always bring him back. “It’s kind of a weird thing. When I’m at work I get to talk to everyone and joke and play-actually laugh. It’s my outlet because I live out in the country and I’m always out hiking and mountain biking and I’m always alone.” He explained.
Ricky explained that he patronizes other bars but doing this can sometimes make him uncomfortable because as a guest he can see them working and it sometimes makes him feel like he’s doing his job incorrect. Other times he finds it to be hard sitting at a bar top because even though he is just there to have a drink, he feels like they feel intimidated and that he is judging them.
Every bartender or mixologist, whatever you choose to call them have a favorite and least favorite alcohol base to work with. Ricky’s most favorite was whiskey, but here lately it’s been more cordials and aperitifs, both that also help with digestion. His least favorite is anything cream based because it makes such a mess. “I’ll make them all day long but, but I hate the cleanup, the way it gets on your clothes, shoes, counters, and shaker tins.” He said with a giggle.
In the corporate world twenty-five years is the benchmark for retirement, but for most people in the hospitality industry this is not the case and Ricky is no exception. He is nine years pass retirement, and this can pay a toll on anyone after so many years. For Ricky it’s the late hours, being on his feet for long hours, and the constant movement. “I’m getting closer to fifty years old. I have been doing this for most of my life and everything hurts! Our days don’t start when most people’s do. We open at 4:00pm and we are here making ice cubes and setting up at 1pm. There’s a lot of work that comes into the experience. The prep time and such is not the guest’s concern, so everything needs to be ready and available before they even sit down. They are there for the experience, not to know if we suddenly ran out of an item.” He explained.
Ricky said he know the day will come when he must quit the career that has brought him so much joy and do something that his ageing body can handle. He has always been fascinate being in the wild and would like to pursue his dreamed profession in wildlife management, but if that doesn’t work out, he would be just fine in the woods either hunting or fishing. Those are my outlets.
