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Bradford Tolleson, who has been pouring drinks for Linton Hopkins at Restaurant Eugene, is moving on to join the team at Venkman's, the restaurant announced Tuesday. Tolleson will serve as bar manager for the forthcoming Old Fourth Ward eatery/music venue. Venkman's, owned by chef Nick Melvin and Nicholas Niespodziani and Peter Olson of '70s cover band Yacht Rock Revue, is on track to open in September.
Tolleson's experience also includes stints at Pura Vida and H. Harper Station. He will offer a preview of his beverage program this weekend at Craft Izakaya, where he'll guest bartend starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Tolleson will mix up one cocktail during his stay, the "Venkman's Ecto-Cooler." The cocktail contains vodka, lemon, tangerine puree, lemon zest, cane sugar, and spinach chlorophyll, which is tasteless but dies the drink green. It's a nod to the classic Hi-C Ecto Cooler, a beverage the bartender calls "the best green drink on the planet."
Venkman's will open in the former NuGrape Soda Factory at 740 Ralph McGill Boulevard. Opening hours will be 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 5 p.m. until late-night Thursday through Saturday.
