See & Be Scene

David Alan Roth aka "Messy," of Koji

17 Asylum St.
Hartford, CT
(860) 247-5654
www.hellokoji.com

When you meet Dave Alan Roth (aka "Messy"), you realize that the guy really must have earned the Best Bartender laurels. Roth can talk passionately and instructively about the virtues of Japanese sakes, about the wonderful revival of old-fashioned cocktails (bitters are key), and about the distribution channels in the first half of the 20th century that had a lot to do with the spread of rye whiskey in certain regions. You want a primer on single malt scotch, he's your man. A little lecture on small-batch bourbon, he can do that too. Or maybe you just want him to mix you a righteous drink to sip on after work; that's what he'll do. Roth doesn't stop honing his craft. He recently returned from a trip to Tokyo where he immersed himself in the study of rice wine. "This year I took a master bartending course called Beverage Alcohol Resource taught by Dale Degroff, who used to run the Rainbow Room - these guys are like my heroes, and bartenders should have heroes," says Roth. "This is a great profession -- there are things you can learn - geography, history, culture. There's so much to learn. The more you know the more crazy you can get. But in the end mixology is about proportion and balance."