Mixology Spirit: Olivia Olsen
In this issue of Mixology Spirit, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Olivia Olsen, head bartender and creative force behind the bar at ATC South Street in Litchfield. Olivia has been making waves with her inventive cocktails and was recently nominated for Bartender of the Year by the CT Restaurant Association. We’re excited to share her story—how she went from an eager restaurant worker to a leading bartender known for crafting unforgettable cocktails that blend culinary inspiration with local flair. In our interview, Olivia reveals the inspiration behind her unique creations, including her latest standout, the “Miss American Pie,” a cozy fall cocktail featuring Litchfield Distillery’s Cinnamon Bourbon, spiced sweet potato syrup, and a surprising goat cheese whipped cream topping. Trust us—this is one interview (and cocktail) you won’t want to miss.
Batchers: Welcome to Mixology Spirit, Olivia. Please introduce yourself to our readers and let everyone know what your role is at ATC South Street.
Olivia: Thank you! My name is Olivia Olsen, and I am the head bartender at ATC South Street. Head bartender aka, menu writer, glassware purveyor, vibe curator, potion master, and the gal you’ll see behind the bar here Tuesdays-Saturdays, every day that we’re open.
Batchers: First off, congratulations on your “Bartender of the Year” nomination by the CT Restaurant Association! How do you feel about being in the running for the honor?
Olivia: Honestly, I am so honored to be nominated. It’s an amazing feeling to be recognized for your hard work, especially when it’s something that you feel so passionate about. I am up against some really talented people in the Connecticut bar scene, so even being noticed in our little corner of Litchfield is amazing. I think it speaks to the unique nature of what I strive to do at ATC. My goal is to make really unique craft cocktails, and importantly, to make them approachable to everyone who walks in the door. Often, there can be an air of pretentiousness around craft bartending, which unfortunately turns off a lot of people. As bartenders, one of our many responsibilities is to educate, as well as serve. So, meeting people where they’re at and introducing them to new ingredients and techniques, expands all of our knowledge and is one of my favorite parts of the job. I get to enjoy all that while hanging out having a good time, listening to music, and cracking jokes.
Batchers: We wish you luck and invite our audience to vote for you at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CRAZIES2024VOTE.
Batchers: What inspired you to become a bartender? How long have you been working behind the bar?
Olivia: Ever since I can remember, I thought bartenders were the coolest people. Once I started working in restaurants at 18, I pretty much knew that I wanted to work my way to being behind the bar. I put in my time, working every front of house position from hostess and busser to barista and dessert service. In 2020, I finally got the chance to officially work as a bartender. The opportunity was not something I took lightly. There were so many bartenders who I had worked with over the years that instilled in me the respect and work ethic that was necessary for a bar to run smoothly. Once I got this first bartending gig, I knew then and there that this is what I wanted to do. It clicked right away.
Batchers: For those not familiar with ATC South Street, please tell our audience a little bit about the restaurant and the experience people can expect when they dine there?
Olivia: ATC South Street is one of two restaurants under Chef Carlos Perez on the green in downtown Litchfield. ATC South Street launched about 3 years ago, We are a taco and cocktail bar changing the menu up seasonally. When you walk into the bar you’ll be greeted with low lights, fun music, colorful decor, and amazing tacos and cocktails. I love the concept of being able to enjoy a delicious, well-crafted cocktail and a bucket of nachos at the same time. I’m all about keeping things fun, and keeping the vibes good. We are attached to the side of @ The Corner restaurant and quite often, people who wander in never even realize we are there in the back. We just may be Litchfield’s best kept secret!
Batchers: What are some of the bartending tips you learned along the way that you wished someone had taught you earlier?
Olivia: Multitasking is key. Behind the bar, especially when its busy, every movement needs to be calculated and intentional. Your brain needs to be three steps ahead of your hands. I know that probably sounds daunting, but time is always of the essence. When I am intentional in my movements and patterns behind the bar, I will notice people sitting in front of my drink well mesmerized by the ‘silent ballet,’ as I like to call it, as I whisk back and forth behind the bar.
Batchers: The cocktail you’re making today is a unique combination of ingredients. Do you have a particular approach or philosophy when it comes to creating your own recipes?
Olivia: I love to cook and I love to try foods from every corner of the world. So I approach cocktail building a lot like building a dish. I think of a taste experience I would like to achieve, or an ingredient I would like to highlight, do research on flavor pairings and cultural flavor profiles, then build the cocktail from there. I spend a lot of time researching so by the time I get to actually building the cocktail, it is mostly making little tweaks and adjustments before the final product is ready to put out. I have a few food science textbooks that I reference a lot when trying to broaden my ideas for ingredient pairings. I also do a lot of research into drinks that may be culturally significant in other countries that maybe haven’t made their way to the states yet. An example of that is a drink I had on our summer menu this year that featured corn milk. A lot of my bar patrons raised an eyebrow at the concept. However, corn milk is a sweet summer treat enjoyed in Vietnam. I took inspiration from that and crafted a drink that tasted like summer in a glass, featuring corn milk, black pepper, lemon, with basil oil floated on top. Another philosophy I stand by is that if I can make it from scratch, I will make it from scratch. Almost every ingredient that I use behind my bar, other than the spirits themselves, is homemade. I find you have much more control over the exact flavor you want to achieve, leading to a much more balanced and nuanced drink experience…and you can avoid artificial flavorings and sweeteners this way.
Batchers: Got an interesting story about a really hard night behind the bar?
Olivia: A fun story is actually what lead to my origins as a bartender. I spent seven seasons working summers on Block Island, one of which I worked for a hotel that had just re-opened under new management. If you know anything about Block Island, you know that during the summer it’s an absolute madhouse, especially at this particular beach-front hotel restaurant that is almost entirely outdoor dining. I had previously spent a few summers serving tables and cocktail waitressing, so I was still fairly green. But in regards to the serving staff at this particular restaurant, I was one of the most experienced. I remember we were working a busy weekend lunch shift when we all realized that they hadn’t scheduled a service bartender. So every drink we rang in was getting printed to an empty bar! This was when I realized that I had to step up. So, while simultaneously running a full section outside on the deck, I had to also make service bar drinks for the entire restaurant. It was insane, running back and forth from indoor service bar to outside to check on my tables, but it was also a time when the whole staff stepped up to help each other out to get everyone their food and drinks. This mentality is essential in restaurant work. It requires teamwork at the end of the day: we either sink or swim, but we’re in it together.
Batchers: What is your favorite Litchfield Distillery spirit to build cocktails with (and why)?
Olivia: I think Litchfield’s Cinnamon Bourbon that I use for this cocktail is probably my favorite! It lends itself really well to fall time cocktails. It brings a definite cinnamon flavor to the table without being too overpowering. Some other cinnamon bourbons on the market try to hide an inferior product behind overpowering sweetness, which makes them almost impossible to utilize in a well balanced cocktail. Litchfield’s Cinnamon Bourbon is so versatile–it is a great, easy sipper over some ice, or in a sweet potato cocktail like mine!
Batchers: What does The Spirit of Hard Work® mean to you?
Olivia: To me, The Spirit of Hard Work, is giving your all not because you have to, but because you want to. With respect to bartending, that means putting out the best product because at your core you care about quality and service. This is an industry of service. The food and the drinks matter of course, but caring about the act of service, your customers, and trying to curate a memorable experience is at the core of it all. People can tell when you care about your craft. Passion isn’t something you can fake. Hard work means showing up every day to show that passion to everyone who walks in the door.
Olivia’s featured cocktail is called, “Miss American Pie.” It may be one of the most unique drinks we’ve experienced this year on the blog. It features our Cinnamon Bourbon along with spiced sweet potato syrup and a goat cheese whipped cream topping. That is a combination of ingredients we’ve never experienced before, so we were very intrigued to try it. We loved it! The savory cinnamon from our bourbon gets a sweet lift from the sweet potato syrup that is nicely balanced by fresh lemon juice and slight tangy notes from the goat cheese. While this cocktail might sound complicated, it’s not really that difficult to prepare and build. It’s certainly a great drink to enjoy in the fall and holiday months. Check out the recipe below.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Litchfield Distillery Cinnamon Bourbon
- 2 oz Spiced Sweet Potato Syrup*
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 2-3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Top with Goat cheese whipped cream**
- Garnish: Fresh Lemon Zest & Fresh Cinnamon
Method: Add LD Cinnamon Bourbon, Sweet Potato Syrup, Lemon Juice, and Bitters in a shaker, and shake. Strain over fresh ice into double rocks glass. Top with Goat Cheese Whipped Cream and grate Lemon Zest and Cinnamon Stick on top. Serve and Enjoy!
*Spiced Sweet Potato Syrup:
- Juice of two medium-large sweet potatoes
- 8-10 cloves
- 2 Tbsp allspice berries
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
Add all dry spices to a saucepan over medium heat and toast until fragrant (~3 Minutes). Add Sweet Potato Juice and bring to a boil. Add brown sugar. Reduce to a simmer for 25 – 30 minutes (color will change to a deeper orange/brown). Strain out solids and cool.
**Goat Cheese Whipped Cream
- 300ml Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
Add whipping cream and goat cheese to a saucepan over low heat and constantly stir until goat cheese has completely melted into whipping cream. Cool and whip with either a hand mixer or a cream whipper device.
To learn more about ATC South Street restaurant, visit their website and connect with them on Instagram. The restaurant is located at 3 South Street in Litchfield, CT. To contact or make a reservation, please call (860)-567-8882. Be sure to follow Olivia on her Instagram account to see more of her work. Click Here to vote for Olivia in the CRAZIES Awards!
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About Mixology Spirit:
Mixology Spirit is a Litchfield Distillery blog series dedicated to sharing the stories of creative and passionate mixologists who embody The Spirit Of Hard Work®. Think you got what it takes to be featured? Drop us a line at info@litchfielddistillery.com.
©2024 Litchfield Distillery. Photography & Editing Credits: Tony Vengrove
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