Bartender: Gavin Beaudry

Bar: Black Birch

Address: 2 Government St., Kittery, Maine

Years bartending: Nine

Lesson's Learned: "The longer you do it, the more you realize the overall experience is way more important than just the finer ingredients of the cocktail or what the chef is putting in his sauces," Gavin says. "You are in charge of a person's evening. There is a lot of charm and responsibility in that. Many people don't go out all the time, maybe this is their one night out of the week, or even month, and they chose to come into your bar. They want an experience and that is awesome, let's facilitate that cool experience".

Top Tip for your at-home bar: Everyone immediately beelines it to top shelf spirits but that isn't always the best way to go. "You don't need expensive ingredients you just need quality ingredients", says Gavin. "People don't keep decent vermouths at home because it's just something we don't really use very often but there are some really good ones out there. You don't need to go with the usual Martini & Rossi every time," adds Gavin. Getting comfortable with actually drinking them is also key. "Adding dry vermouth into your martinis at home, when it is a good one, is kind of mind-blowing," Gavin says.