It’s not the set up for a joke. There we were. Three young professionals whose fancy job titles were reduced to the truth that hit us at the bottom of a Kentucky Cocktail at the “Dorsey Sessions” Raised x Wolves party, only to find that we would end up bonding over the difficulties of adulthood in the digital era.
It seemed that every millennial between the ages of 21 to 35 in the city had given up on love. The dating apps were losing their appeal. People wanted in-person interaction. But in an era where we’ve been so desensitized to the point of social anxiety if we were pressured to strike conversation on our own, would we ever be able to make a real connection? If so, when?
“I get so tired after work, I just go straight home,” said Ian, 25, the social media manager of a digital media company after putting his phone down and possibly after scheduling his next date with a cute (hopefully) bottom on Grindr.
“All the men in my industry are either gay or married. I have a demanding job and I don’t have time to be texting all day,” Lisa said, 29, a public relations account executive.
I took a sip of the Party Monster cocktail with the chile de arbol laced on top. It quickly escalated to a full gulp and I belted, “I’m afraid to date anyone in our industry.” I looked at them both. “Because it’s taken me this long to build my name and as a woman it only takes one guy to fuck it all up.”
So are we really too busy for relationships or is the only relationship important enough to invest in is our careers?
I needed a break– and a drink. I made it to the bar unscathed by the thirsty cooly-dressed 20 and 30-something hipsters that found their way uptown from the downtown scene that has become overruled by tourists.
“Were they lost,” I thought. No. They had found the only cocktail bar on The Las Vegas Strip with a library that understand their language: Merging culture and the sophisticated realm of intellectual intoxicating dowsing– artisanal booze.
In their defense, the artisanal cocktail crafters are really on some other level shit, here at The Dorsey.
Apparently, there’s a secret world of cocktail enthusiasts that exists and they come out in numbers to meet their favorite bartender personalities. It explains why The Dorsey is holding these sessions and inviting special guest bartenders from around the world.
Bartenders have groupies. That is wild and enough to send me spinning.
I was in between the cloak of reality and entering the realm of loose lips. I could feel it coming.
“Your here from San Diego creating drinks for your fans. I imagine you’re this in demand back home if not more. Do you have time to date?”
There it was. I was officially talking to the bartender…for research not for counseling albeit the more popular thing to do.
The star bartender of the night, Eric Castro, who we all gathered for at The Dorsey to taste his delicious (I mean it DE-LIC-IOUS) one night only cocktail menu yelled back with his hand behind his ear, “what drink?!”
“Party Monster! Thanks!” I yelled back. Even the bartender was married to his job.
