photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
Aaron Ivory
Aaron Ivory has a flair for the dramatic, which is only natural for a former theater major. Now, as the bar manager for Pantà, Chef Kelly English’s Catalan-inspired eatery in Overton Square, he presides over a space that brings its own drama, splashed with the bold oranges, deep reds, and powerful floral patterns of local designer David Quarles IV.
Ivory was born in Memphis but spent enough of his childhood in Detroit to become a Lions fan. After college, he found himself in Poughkeepsie, New York, doing a theater internship but knowing he’d need a job when he got back to Memphis.
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
The dramatic bar designed by David Quarles IV.
“I wanted to keep pursuing theater,” he says, “and I needed a part-time job that would let me do that. A friend told me he knew about a position open as a host at On the Border. The hours were flexible, so I applied and they hired me. Twelve years later,” he laughs, “and I’m still in the business.”
Ivory quickly moved from a front-of-house job to behind-the-bar gigs, including stints at Frida’s, Local on the Square, Second Line, and the now-closed Schweinehaus.
Ivory began tending bar six years ago at Second Line, where he first concocted his own signature drinks: “It was a great feeling,” he says, “knowing that people were ordering and enjoying drinks that you created. At that point, I knew I wanted to do more of it.”
“I got sucked into the business at first because it was easy money,” he says. “In those days, whatever tips you made, you took home the same day. It was fast-paced, and being a bartender can be a kind of a rock-star life. If you do well at your job, people come to see you. That’s why a lot of bartenders get a little full of themselves: You have fans, people who come to drink the cocktails that you created. It can be an intoxicating job — pardon the pun."
But Ivory has another reason for staying in the business: the people. “I think it’s cool that bartenders, servers, and cooks are involved in society’s happiness and its celebrations,” he says. “How much of a gift is that to be able to offer to people? I always tell the staff: ‘Everybody who comes through those doors tonight is our friend.’ It’s one of the best things about Pantà. It’s a small bar and there’s no television, so people begin talking to each other. At the end of the night, people are saying goodbye like old friends.”
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
And about that bar? “The majority of the cocktails on the menu, I’ve created,” Ivory says. “And because Pantà is Catalan-inspired, gin and tonics are our focal point.”
I’m a fan of a good gin and tonic, and the menu offers a number of delicious-sounding versions, but Ivory cites one that he’s particularly fond of making. It’s called the Boozy Bear, and it features — believe it or not — gummy bears. “I was just thinking one day about how cool it would be to make a drink with gummy bears, so I started experimenting,” he says.
The result of the experiment features California’s Gray Whale gin, light Indian Tree tonic, a slice each of lemon, lime, and orange — and a few gummy bears.
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
A “Boozy Bear” featuring — believe it or not — gummy bears.
“Would you like to try one?” he asks.
It’s my job, so yes, I would, indeed.
After a few minutes of prep, Ivory sets a party waiting to happen in front of me. It looks like a big glass of fun, or trouble, depending on how fast you consume it. The citrus colors are a perfect visual companion to the bar’s vivid palette. And there, at the bottom of the glass, as advertised, is a sleuth of gummy bears. (And yes, I had to look up what a group of bears is called. You’re welcome.)
I take a sip, and the drink has a classic gin and tonic punch — crisp, with notes of juniper and lime. But there’s something else, very subtle, but there: a tiny sweetness that has to be coming from those bears on the bottom.
Or maybe that’s just the candy talking. It’s probably best to go see Ivory and decide for yourself.
Pantà is located at 2146 Monroe Avenue.
