She may be new to bartending, but everyone knows her name

Amanda Bishop is a bartender at The Clubhouse Bar and Grill in Everett.

Bishop, 34, likens the bar on Evergreen Way to “Cheers.” It’s like family there. She said her customers have gone out of their way to support her, offering to help with some of her bar chores when she returned from a recent surgery.

What got you into bartending?

I’ve been working at The Clubhouse since December of last year. I needed more time with my kids, and I was going back to school. I needed to work a flexible job. Before that I was a manager at a casino.

Where did you get your training?

Actually, I got trained by the other bartenders that were here. They teach how to make the different drinks. There’s so many drinks and so many styles. They give you tips and suggestions. We carry several different types of books that list drink recipes by name. You can look it up or make special drinks for that night. Google always works, as well.

Does that mean you get your share of unusual requests?

Yes, quite often. People are coming up with new drinks all the time. I’ve had to look up the gummy bear shot and the rocket pop. They’re actually pretty popular.

So what’s the gummy bear shot?

Muddled lemon and lime, fill a shot glass with ice and strain the lime and lemon juice when you pour it into the shot glass, then Triple sec, peach vodka and you shake that into the glass with the ice and a small splash of Sprite to give it a little bubbly.

What are you going back to school for?

I’m finishing a bachelors degree in management accounting with a minor in marketing. I’ve got about another two years to go.

What drew you to The Clubhouse?

I just walked in and handed one of the bartenders my resume. It took about a month to get a call back. My boss is amazing, more than willing to train. He’s really flexible for me because I have children and go to school.

What about bartending is surprising to others?

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to bartenders. We choose jobs that work around what we need in our personal life.

Also, there are times when people walk into a bar and see it’s really busy and wonder why the service is taking a little longer. Those Seahawks days are crazy. We can get standing room only. You wouldn’t believe how busy little bars get.

And there’s bingo night. It’s naughty bingo. They have sexual cards as bingo cards. It’s really entertaining for adults. And poker and darts, we get large crowds. We get all kinds of people.

What’s the craziest thing that’s happened while you were bartending?

I had a day where everything broke down. My computers rebooted randomly. My cooler crashed. We’ve got a great crew there, so we managed to make it work. The patrons realized how much was going on behind the scenes.

Do you have a bunch of regulars?

We do. It’s almost like a family kind of place. Seriously, it’s like “Cheers.” Everybody knows your name. I had to have surgery last month. Most of my patrons were giving me flowers and get well cards and calling to check on how I’m doing. When I came back to work, they said, “Do you need any help filling the ice bins?” That’s the kind of group we get in here.

How old was the oldest person you’ve carded?

I’ve carded a lady born in the ’70s. She was at least 40 and I still carded her.

What’s your favorite drink to mix?

Probably the rocket pop. They look like red, white and blue, like the old fashioned ice cream pops. It’s blue curacao liqueur, grenadine, muddled lime and lemon with raspberry vodka.

What’s your drink of choice when you’re not working?

Actually, I like the rocket pop.

If you could serve a famous person who would it be and what would you serve them?

Jason Statham, he was in the new “Fast and Furious.” And a shot of Jameson — nice and simple.

If you could choose a theme song for your shift, what would it be?

It would have to be something rock. Tool is my favorite band, so “Sober” by Tool.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

If you go

The Clubhouse Bar and Grill, 4809 Evergreen Way, Everett, is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Call 425-303-0290 or find The Clubhouse Bar and Grill on Facebook for information.