ALEX ZUELKE
Find him behind the bar
at: Le Colonial, 4444 Westheimer Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. daily for lunch; 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 411 p.m. Thursday-Saturday for dinner; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 5 p.m.2 a.m. Thursday-Saturday in the lounge
Length of time working at current place?
I started working at Le Colonial in December of 2016.
Nickname?
I am not sure if I have one, but when the Latin music plays, people tend to call me Alejandro.
Lamest pickup line you’ve heard at the bar?
Something along the lines of, “Did you see my Lamborghini parked
THE HOUSTON BAR SCENE IS FULL OF PERSONALITIES — BAR STARS, IF YOU WILL. EACH WEEK IN PREVIEW, WE’LL FEATURE ONE OF THESE MIXOLOGISTS TO LET YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM, ASIDE FROM HOW GOOD THEY ARE AT MAKING YOU FEEL GOOD.
out front?”
Most famous person you’ve ever served a drink to?
I would probably say sports stars Adrian Peterson, Andre Johnson and Jeff Bagwell.
Becoming friends with customers: yes or no?
It isn’t a bad thing. Making friends is a good way for customers to come back and see you.
Most common customer complaint?
The biggest complaint is that their drink isn’t strong enough. You should never tell a bartender that.
Song you’ve gotten sick of at work?
“Despacito.” I have nightmares from that song. And I think almost everyone I work with agrees.
What’s the sloppiest, drunkest thing you’ve ever seen on the job?
Oh, jeez. I can’t even count. Nothing much surprises me anymore. One that comes to mind is a lady going behind the bar and pouring drinks for her friends. That didn’t turn out too well for her.
What’s the most outrageous request you’ve ever gotten?
One that I do get more than usual is people asking if I can give them their drink to go.
Where do you like to go have a drink when you’re not at work?
Pretty much a home body, so I usually have a drink or two at home. But Anvil has some of the best bartenders in the city and always something new to try. Poison Girl has an awesome selection of bourbon, which is my jam.
What’s your specialty drink, and how do you make it?
One of them is on our cocktail list right now, the Tamarind Sour. We use Glenlivet Scotch finished in bourbon barrels, mandarin liqueur, fresh lemon juice and a tamarind syrup that I make in-house. It really represents the theme of our restaurant and bar.
What’s something your customers may not know about you?
Most people don’t know that I am pretty big sci-fi nerd. I am usually reading or watching sci-fi movies when I’m not working.