TRIBUTE TO MARK POLLMAN

TRIBUTE TO MARK POLLMAN


What can I say about a bartender like Mark Pollman?
Bartender extraordinaire is the least.
Mark was one of a kind.
March 12, 2009, was the one year anniversary of Mark’s death.
Unfortunately, Mark and I never met.
Mark was a bartender in St. Louis, Missouri. I am a bartender in Washington, DC.
I first heard of Mark while I was tending bar at Duke Zeibert’s Restaurant in Washington, DC.
One day a copy of Top Shelf magazine came into Duke’s. There was a cover story of Mark in it.
As I read the article and looked at the pictures, I noticed Mark was wearing a Bartender Hall of Fame ring.
Being a Hall of Fame member myself, I immediately sent him a congratulatory letter.
Mark was tending bar at the Fox and Hounds Lounge in St. Louis.
He sent back a very nice reply, and we were friends ever since.
We emailed each other constantly, and spoke on the phone on a weekly basis.
We always talked about meeting, either him coming to DC, or me going to St. Louis.
I always wanted to make a surprise visit to the Fox and Hounds, Since we had never met, my first line would have been: “Hey, bartender, what do I have to do to get a drink in this toilet?”
He probably would have thrown me out (until he realized who I was).
We always talked about having a big bar bash for all the Bartender Hall of Fame members. Mark’s question was always the same: “Who would tend bar?”
Mark would call me almost every Sunday night about 8 pm.
We would always talk about the bar business.
He always gave me good advice. He was my mentor.
But we also talked about life in general.
A funny thing: my mother would also call me every Sunday night (from Florida).
Mom’s phone call was always after Mark’s. I could rely on these phone calls religiously every Sunday night.
Unfortunately, my mother passed away on March 12, 2007.
When mom died, Mark sent me the most comforting letter I’ve ever received from anyone.
He gave me such good advice on dealing with my mother’s death.
Telling me how my mom wouldn’t want me crying, feeling sad, etc.
I had a tribute speech planned for my mom at her funeral, and I told Mark that I would have a hard time reading it.
Mark comforted me so much, that I read it with no problem.
Mark also told me that when his mother died, she told him before she passed away:
“Don’t cry for me, but party hearty”.
Then the unfortunate happened: Mark passed away on the one-year anniversary of my mother’s death.
How ironic!
Mark had a “baby” born some years back.
He published a book titled: “Bottled Wisdom”.
He always referred to his book as his “baby”.
A phenomenal book. A collection of quotes about the bar business, bartending, restaurants, saloons, etc.
Wow!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the wake for Mark last year.
I know it was a big bash. Definitely a bar party.
But I did order a shirt that was given away at his wake.
The back of the shirt had a photo of Mark on it.
Below the photo it said:
Mark Anthony Pollman
06-24-43 - 03-12-2008
Above the photo it said:
“Listen Asshole; You Gonna Drink or You Gonna Talk?”
That was Mark!
Mark, from all of us to you:
We love you and miss you!