Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/61075
AS THE SNOW MELTS IN THE ROCKIES, BRIDGET ALBERT MELTS OUR HEARTS WITH A SPRINGTIME STORY FROM ASPEN HOSPITALITY & the drink Green A trip to Aspen would not be complete without a visit to Jimmy's – An American Restaurant & Bar. Owner Jimmy Yeager is known and beloved in the national mixology community for his hospitality; it is his warmth and connection to the reality of great service that makes for a welcoming at-home atmosphere. Lead barman Dylan Regan is as much a part of the bar as the foundation it was built on. If you don't leave Aspen smiling, you didn't visit Dylan at Jimmy's! I asked Dylan to share his secrets on the way he puts a spin on hospitality. Bridget Albert: How did bartending fi nd you? Dylan: I began waiting tables at a Bennigan's while attending college and was immediately drawn to the energy 96 / the tasting panel / april 2012 Seeing photos by Kevin Moloney Dylan Regan is lead barman at Jimmy's in Aspen, CO. He is pictured here with owner Jimmy Yeager. and excitement of the bar. It was a constantly packed party with beautiful people leading fabulous lives, toasting to their dominance over the universe; and at the center of this revelry were the rock-star orchestrators of the entirely mad movement: the bartenders. I wanted everything that they had, and badly. I set my sights and worked up the ranks for over a year until I fi nally earned the right to stand behind the stick, and I've been there ever since. BA: What is it like working in Aspen and at Jimmy's? Dylan: Aspen is an amazing place and Jimmy's is perched in the center of it all, with the majestic Rocky Mountains as a backdrop on both sides of the bar. With nature's playground all around us, there is an exuberance to enjoy every day