Team Spotlight: Christina Blackley

Christina Blackley, The Mayhaw at St Roch Market, Lead Bartender

Hometown: I was born in Atlanta, GA and grew up in Decatur, GA

What brought you to New Orleans? New Orleans did. Technically I lived in Boulder, CO and I wanted to move to the exact opposite of Boulder, CO and I decided that was New Orleans

Did you decide it was the geographical opposite or the cultural opposite? Entirely so. All of it.

Tea or Coffee? Both, but more so coffee. Black and Iced.

What is your favorite cocktail at the Mayhaw? Probably the Make It So, but I’m partial because I definitely helped make it up. It’s an Earl Gray cocktail, so a tea cocktail, with brandy, Montenegro, and an Earl Gray simple syrup. It’s like the fanciest version of a twisted tea.

How did you come up with that recipe? I knew I wanted to make something with Earl Gray, and it went a lot of places before it landed where it is. It even had sherry in it at one time. Tried a few things and found a winning recipe.

How long have you been with us? Originally, I found myself looking for a new job and my best friend worked at St Roch Market and sometimes also at Auction House Market. We were all hanging out at the pool one day and my friend started badgering Benton that he needed to hire me at Auction House, so I interviewed with everyone there and then started working at Auction House. I came over to the Mayhaw last year.

What keeps you here? It’s fun, it’s not a stressful environment, I get to be creative. For example, we have too many pineapples, so I’m going to make a fermented pineapple drink to put on the menu as a special until it’s gone. It’s called Tepache, it’s a Mexican drink, where you use the rind of the pineapple that has all that wild yeast on it, and you mix that with sugar and water and keep it submerged for 3 to 4 days and you get kind of a sparkling, ever so slightly alcoholic pineapple beverage.

What’s your ultimate dream? I’m still vaguely undecided, I always need to have some sort of art in my life. That’s how I get to my happy place. I do think the general goal for me though is to open a bar and restaurant one day with my partner. He’s a chef. Classic bartender chef pairing.